Missing gstreamer plug-in v4lsrc in Ubuntu 12.04

[mightylion]

I am running Ubuntu 12.04.

Trying to connect a Micro Innovations IC 50C web cam to Skype, but getting just noise instead of a picture.

Tried running cheese, same result.
Tried running gstreamer, same result.

After reading the Ubuntu forums and the Ubuntu Wiki about webcam setup and doing a bit of Google search, it seems that since I have an older webcam, I need the v4lsrc plug-in for gstreamer to be able to decode the picture correctly.

Using gstreamer-tools, I found that the v4l2src plug-in is present but not the v4lsrc. Running gstreamer-properties also displays a message saying that v4lsrc is missing.

$ gstreamer-properties
(gstreamer-properties:11947): Gtk-WARNING **: Unknown property: GtkDialog.has-separator
(gstreamer-properties:11947): Gtk-WARNING **: Unknown property: GtkDialog.has-separator
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'artsdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sunaudiosink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'glimagesink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sdlvideosink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'v4lmjpegsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'qcamsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'v4lsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdmon'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sunaudiosrc'

I have double checked that I have all the gstreamer plugins - base, good, bad, etc. gstreamer0.10-gconf is already the newest version. I have gstreamer.0.10.36 for i386.

Has this plug-in been dropped from the Ubuntu 12.04 gstreamer base plug-ins package? According to the gstreamer website, it is supposed to be included in the gstreamer base plug-in package.

Could there be any other reason why this plug-in would be reported as missing?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[BicyclerBoy]

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/We...roubleshooting

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype

Could be a new skype (4.0?) with this fixed & more..or did the purchase by microsoft put an end to it?
The new skype service/servers do not look very secure from a privacy/espionage viewpoint.

[mightylion]

Thanks for the reply. That did not work either. Produces the same noise and static as the screenshot I had posted.

[BicyclerBoy]

Assuming you used a terminal to launch skype (with the LD_PRELOAD etc)..
Post the std output errors from the terminal..

[von Stalhein]

Getting exactly the same issue with a Logitech webcam and gstreamer too - did you find a solution or a workaround??
Thanks.

[pvfloripa]

Hi guys,

Did anybody find a solution? I am also having this problem now.

Thanks!!

[BicyclerBoy]

from terminal run:
gstreamer-properties

select <video> tab
click on the plugin drop down selector...

Is the "Video for linux (1) (v4l1)" missing ?

It is missing here..

[von Stalhein]

Yep, missing here too.

Reports Video for Linux 2 (v4l2)

[alexmoon]

Did anyone work this out? I'm having a similar issue.

[BicyclerBoy]

V4l1 was marked for removal in 2010. Drivers were meant to be rebuilt before then.

The repos package "libv4l-0" is meant to provide:

libv4l is a collection of libraries which adds a thin abstraction layer on
top of video4linux2 devices. The purpose of this (thin) layer is to make it
easy for application writers to support a wide variety of devices without
having to write separate code for different devices in the same class. libv4l
consists of 3 different libraries: libv4lconvert, libv4l1 and libv4l2.

libv4l1 offers the (deprecated) v4l1 API on top of v4l2 devices, independent
of the drivers for those devices supporting v4l1 compatibility (which many
v4l2 drivers do not).

libv4l2 offers the v4l2 API on top of v4l2 devices, while adding for the
application transparent libv4lconvert conversion where necessary.

That reads as if the v4l1 compatibility is to do with supporting v4l1 abi applications interfacing with v4l2 driver layer..

The problem faced by posters in this thread is their v4l2 h/w driver does not work.

If you build v4l-dvb from source you get a v4l1 compatibility library.
http://git.linuxtv.org/media_build.git
I do not have any h/w requiring the old v4l1 api so don't know if it is a soln..

Note you have to rebuild this after every kernel update..