Webcam Display Issues

opticks · 11-26-2011, 11:30 AM

I am running Ubuntu 64-bit with a KDE desktop enviroment on an MSI GX710 laptop.
It has a built-in webcam and that is the camera I have been working with.

I have been following some tutorials and threads that have helped me out.

I installed cheese and could see for starters that my camera must have some sort of functional driver installed because I at least got some picture. It was extremely dark though, I almost thought it wasn't working. I then hit the manual switch and saw that then it REALLY wasn't working lol so i turned it back on and sure enought it was there just really dark.

After that I got ahold of guvcview, which is supposed to have some tweakability.
It has several settings, but the only ones that would help me any are brightness, exposure, and gain.

Maxed the brightness, picture was still too dark to see anything significant. It did have an effect, but not a very substantial one. Exposure does absolutely nothing at either end of the spectrum. Gain does allow me to get a picture, however there is a fine line between blindingly bright and still much too dim, and the middle ground is very fuzzy/pixelated. I ticked the box for smoothing and it seems to help, but all in all this is not a solution for my problem. It did give me basic functionality, but I used this cam on Windows so I have somewhat of a reference point for this webcam's ability. Once I got recognizable shapes and such, it still seemed a little off. I pointed the cam at a colorful painting and saw that the hue was off balance. Some colors came through ok, some were different, and some were grayscale.

I tried xawtv which was looking like a winner on the tutorial I saw, but I got nowhere. The program started ok the first time, just no camera detected. Thought maybe my cam was off, closed it, hit the switch, and after that no matter what I did the program would not load at all. I no longer have this installed on my system.

I have not been able to find any other utilities/tools that can balance color and/or adjust brightness. Any help would be greatly appreciated! As it is now it looks like a crappy analog feed from a radio shack cam in the next room -_-

I have been wondering if this is an issue that calls for replacement of the driver. I was going to save that for a last step since its halfway working now (also the camera is very reactive, that is the fps is intact and there is no lag or anything choppy like that), however I do not know the brand and/or model of my camera and I have already had some horrible experiences hunting down hardware specs for peripherals on this computer through the manufacturer (MSI) and since that's a pretty crucial part of driver selection/troubleshooting I really don't want to mess with them unless I know for sure what kind of cam Im working with.

Suggestions? Anyone else who maybe has a GX710 and knows what kind of cam they have? I can post a pic if you need a better idea of what Im talking about when describing the picture. Thanks in advance all.

EDIT: I see now that cheese has its own adjustments, I had read that it didnt before I got it and so never checked for myself, perhaps that was an older version? In any case, problem persists. I would like to note an interesting point:

In guvcview, the brightness slider actual works. That is, the camera captures more light and thus I can see more detail and the darker shades become lighter shades of that same color.
In cheese, the slider doesnt do any of that, it just makes the picture white. Have you ever done a color overlay in photoshop? This is like a white color overlay being applied to the dark feed after-the-fact, and the brightness slider is really the opacity slider in photoshop.

In other words, I need something that can do what guvcview does for brightness, just with more capacity (guvcview's slider is maxed and still way too dark; when set to 0 it produces a black screen). Also, cheese has a hue adjustment, so my problem of color balance is solved. Eliminated the gain, as that was killing my picture quality, so we are back to very dark, but I can still make out some things and what I can make out looks smooth, colors also are correct.

aus9 · 11-27-2011, 06:08 AM

how about posting some specs of your cam pls?

lsusb

and in a code box

lspci -vvv

lsmod

opticks · 11-27-2011, 12:43 PM

lsusb

Code:

Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 147a:e017 Formosa Industrial Computing, Inc. eHome Infrared Receiver
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0402:5602 ALi Corp. M5602 Video Camera Controller
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Oh there you are, camera

The output from lspci -vvv broke the 30k character limit by itself lol so rather than double-post, I attached its output separately in a .txt file.
But wow, what a wealth of information! I'm now understanding why my Windows driver for my card reader doesn't work...

lsmod

Code:

Module                  Size  Used by
cryptd                  9360  0 
aes_x86_64              7798  1 
aes_generic            27236  1 aes_x86_64
dm_crypt               16476  0 
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     24590  1 
arc4                    1505  2 
snd_hda_codec_realtek   324966  1 
ath5k                 145944  0 
snd_hda_intel          25382  6 
snd_hda_codec          89862  3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep               6666  1 snd_hda_codec
joydev                 10865  0 
snd_pcm_oss            39737  0 
snd_mixer_oss          15609  1 snd_pcm_oss
ath                    16061  1 ath5k
snd_pcm                83135  5 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           1782  0 
snd_seq_oss            29952  0 
snd_seq_midi            5676  0 
mac80211              277511  1 ath5k
pcmcia                 39148  0 
snd_rawmidi            21765  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      6708  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                54693  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              21958  3 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          6265  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
cfg80211              165732  3 ath5k,ath,mac80211
rfkill                 18476  1 cfg80211
ir_lirc_codec           4476  0 
edac_core              44536  0 
yenta_socket           22631  0 
lirc_dev               11216  1 ir_lirc_codec
snd                    65738  23 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
ir_sony_decoder         2293  0 
ir_jvc_decoder          2418  0 
gspca_m5602            56906  0 
edac_mce_amd           14890  0 
ir_rc6_decoder          2866  0 
sp5100_tco              5393  0 
gspca_main             24875  1 gspca_m5602
pcmcia_rsrc             9598  1 yenta_socket
sdhci_pci               9136  0 
rc_rc6_mce              1510  0 
sdhci                  18564  1 sdhci_pci
ir_rc5_decoder          2386  0 
mceusb                 11858  0 
ir_nec_decoder          2834  0 
soundcore               7240  1 snd
wmi                     9944  0 
snd_page_alloc          8149  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
rc_core                18582  9 ir_lirc_codec,ir_sony_decoder,ir_jvc_decoder,ir_rc6_decoder,rc_rc6_mce,ir_rc5_decoder,mceusb,ir_nec_decoder
pcmcia_core            15654  3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
videodev               81991  1 gspca_main
psmouse                60384  0 
lp                      9893  0 
i2c_piix4               8943  0 
serio_raw               4784  0 
v4l2_compat_ioctl32     8184  1 videodev
k8temp                  3931  0 
mac_hid                 3869  0 
parport                34080  1 lp
radeon               1000762  3 
ttm                    65122  1 radeon
drm_kms_helper         32921  1 radeon
drm                   211510  5 radeon,ttm,drm_kms_helper
r8169                  42945  0 
ahci                   21622  2 
libahci                22318  1 ahci
pata_atiixp             4413  1 
mii                     4807  1 r8169
i2c_algo_bit            5628  1 radeon
video                  12530  0

aus9 · 11-28-2011, 03:26 AM

ok thanks for that firstly the pci output shows no pci webcam so ignore it sorry

lets show your modules for webcam

Code:

gspca_m5602            56906  0
gspca_main             24875  1 gspca_m5602
videodev               81991  1 gspca_main

now the key focus here is this number 5602.

Now lets look at my kernel config but I don't have your cam but bear with me

/boot/config-version etc

# Miscelaneous helper chips

CONFIG_USB_GSPCA=m
CONFIG_USB_M5602=m

hmmmm they are not the same....hmmmmm

Q1) pls post your current version and in /boot/config search and post all hits for

gspca and 5602 please

ok lets google

http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Docum...inux/m5602.txt

(no help there)

http://hardware4linux.info/component/26591/
(looks like old modules as my config does not mention modules called m5602...m560x....ALi_m5602)

--------------------

2) now you mention you used a player called guvcview

it happens that I have a true uvcvideo compliant external usb lead webcam and it reports for lsmod

lsmod | grep uvc
uvcvideo 56932 0
videodev 61627 1 uvcvideo
media 13692 2 uvcvideo,videodev
usbcore 100005 7 uvcvideo,snd_usb_audio,snd_usbmidi_lib,usbhid,uhci_hcd,ehci_hcd

but you don't have the media module

in guvcview I get a brightness number up to value= 255
what do you get?

IMHO you should not have been able to run it on a gspca based web cam

aus9 · 11-28-2011, 03:30 AM

ok your kernel modules appear ok as per google

http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Docum...inux/gspca.txt

Based on kernel version 3.1. Page generated on 2011-11-02 23:36 EST.

1 List of the webcams known by gspca.
2
3 The modules are:
4 gspca_main main driver
5 gspca_xxxx subdriver module with xxxx as follows
6
7 xxxx vend

rod
8 ----
9 spca501 0000:0000 MystFromOri Unknown Camera
10 spca508 0130:0130 Clone Digital Webcam 11043
11 m5602 0402:5602 ALi Video Camera Controller

opticks · 11-28-2011, 02:09 PM

Okay, first off I ran uname -r and my kernel version is 2.6.39.4
So I found /boot/config-2.6.39.4 and searched gspca and 5602, here are all the lines I got:

CONFIG_USB_GSPCA=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_BENQ=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_CONEX=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_CPIA1=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_ETOMS=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_FINEPIX=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_JEILINJ=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_KONICA=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_MARS=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_MR97310A=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_NW80X=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_OV519=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_OV534=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_OV534_9=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_PAC207=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_PAC7302=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_PAC7311=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SN9C2028=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SN9C20X=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SONIXB=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SONIXJ=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA500=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA501=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA505=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA506=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA508=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA561=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SPCA1528=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SQ905=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SQ905C=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SQ930X=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_STK014=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_STV0680=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_SUNPLUS=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_T613=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_TV8532=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_VC032X=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_VICAM=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_XIRLINK_CIT=m
CONFIG_USB_GSPCA_ZC3XX=m

&

CONFIG_USB_M5602=m

I get a brightness up to 31. Are you saying that my camera is a gspca camera and Ive been using a uvcvideo application to view it, and that's why it barely works?
Or that Ive been using a uvcvideo driver and I need a gspca driver for my camera?

Im really not sure what I'm looking at in these config files, or how to install/uninstall drivers or tell which applications are using which 'modules'.

aus9 · 11-28-2011, 05:20 PM

I am saying you should not have been able to use guvcview

(FROM packagesearch info tab)

Quote:

guvcview is a simple GTK+ interface for capturing and viewing video from devices supported by the Linux UVC driver.

2) my last post said your gspca stuff was ok but....I should have made it more explicit that can you redo lsmod and see if you have a media module like mine pls?

3) back to your main issue

what are you using the cam for pls?

if skype ...it has its own configs

if capture to record yourself kde has its own software

4) oks so I install cheese and I have a diff cam to you but show you the slider and resolution as you want to max the resolution'

http://ompldr.org/vYmkwNw/cheese.jpg

I will say more when I know what you are using the cam for

opticks · 11-28-2011, 07:28 PM

1) Is there a program then that is for capturing video or pictures (with brightness/gamma adjustments) that is for cameras supported by the gspca module?

2) If the media module you are referring to is

Quote:

media 13692 2 uvcvideo,videodev

I don't have anything with the word media in it coming up for me on lsmod.

3) I want to be able to use the camera for flash-based webcamming, but I plan to use it with Skype and for taking pictures and possibly video as well.

4) I have cheese, but the brightness doesnt do anything productive. I still have a dark picture.

aus9 · 11-29-2011, 05:56 AM

ahhh I think I can see config issues....slide that contrast and sat back pls
hue I am not sure

http://ompldr.org/vYmk3eg/cont.jpg
http://ompldr.org/vYmk4MA/sat.jpg

for me.....if contrast and sat are too high...I get a white out which is something I think you get

1) did you look at the kde package .....Kamerka is a KDE application which uses Video4Linux to get image from webcam, with ability to save photos. It features easy to use, animated and well-integrated user interface.

I use xfce so have no idea

but you can search your package manager for webcam

opticks · 11-29-2011, 01:51 PM

I set all the sliders to neutral and then a slight increase in brightness.. still get the whiteness effect. I am in a very bright room, turned on all the lights and opened the shades, although it still looks like Im hiding in a cave and the only light source is my screen.
Arent there commands to change the gamma, brightness, etc at a system level? i had used v4lctl from xawtv, but interestingly that gives me the same max/min integers for each setting as the ones I am given in Cheese. These are also the same as the numbers from v4l2ucp, BUT half of the adjustments in v4l2ucp are grayed out (extra settings not found in Cheese) but I dont know the breakdown difference of v4l versus v4l2 in terms of camera / kernel / module / application, so I couldnt conclude much from that.

Did you mean Kamera? It wasnt installed and I couldn't find it in the repositories, but Synaptic found it. The only place I see Kamera is under system settings, and it allows me to add a digital camera from a predefined list (which mine isnt in). The only camera that is listed that has the same manufacturer as mine doesn't work.

& I downloaded several webcam applications through synaptic - not one of them is anywhere in the K menu, and I cant find/start them with the terminal.. wth?
They are webcam, webcamd, and fswebcam.
An now my guvcview and v4l2ucp arent working, and I explicitly checked to make sure the installs werent removing any packages. These are the only programs Ive found that have a brightness adjustment versus a 'whiteness' adjustment. I'm starting to get pretty ticked at Synaptic, I didnt have these problems with KpackageKit. Removal of new installs and reinstall of both guvcview and v4l2ucp didnt do anything; guvcview says cam isnt connected or needs driver, v4l2ucp says can't open file /dev/video0 and that it doesnt exist.

I tried turning cam off then on & dmesg gives me this:

Code:

[83392.805193] usb 1-3: USB disconnect, device number 8
[83392.810137] atkbd serio0: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83392.810151] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[83392.811006] atkbd serio0: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83392.811016] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[83392.815635] gspca: video0 disconnect
[83426.591715] atkbd serio0: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83426.591729] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[83426.592572] atkbd serio0: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83426.592580] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[83426.890134] usb 1-3: new high speed USB device number 9 using ehci_hcd
[83427.048520] gspca: probing 0402:5602
[83427.048530] ALi m5602: Probing for a po1030 sensor
[83427.063296] ALi m5602: Probing for a mt9m111 sensor
[83427.080548] ALi m5602: Probing for a s5k4aa sensor
[83427.110677] ALi m5602: Detected a s5k4aa sensor
[83427.139768] gspca: video1 created
[83749.431534] usb 1-3: USB disconnect, device number 9
[83749.431660] gspca: video1 disconnect
[83749.431806] gspca: video1 released
[83749.439485] atkbd serio0: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83749.439499] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[83749.440335] atkbd serio0: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[83749.440345] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[84459.235782] atkbd serio0: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[84459.235795] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[84459.236636] atkbd serio0: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xee on isa0060/serio0).
[84459.236645] atkbd serio0: Use 'setkeycodes e06e <keycode>' to make it known.
[84459.530072] usb 1-3: new high speed USB device number 10 using ehci_hcd
[84459.688220] gspca: probing 0402:5602
[84459.688230] ALi m5602: Probing for a po1030 sensor
[84459.702626] ALi m5602: Probing for a mt9m111 sensor
[84459.720131] ALi m5602: Probing for a s5k4aa sensor
[84459.750634] ALi m5602: Detected a s5k4aa sensor
[84459.779471] gspca: video1 created

So obviously at least v4l2ucp is just looking in the wrong place, but I dont know how to switch it back to video0 as thats what its always been (or how to tell v4l2ucp to look at video1).

aus9 · 11-29-2011, 05:36 PM

hi

can you search your bios to see if this cam sensor is switched or configured pls

did you read the docs?

most are terminal (command) based which is why they don't show in your menu

run man (application) to see their options but am only interested in fswebcam for its features

2) looking at google and am aware you are kde one poster said this

Excuse me, but the issue is solved. I've forgotten to install hal and gnome-device-manager, after that the camera is ok
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/deb...esnt-work.html

so check if your distro still uses hal and not sure what the kde like app is .....as I use xfce

3) try using apt-get in root terminal

TIP install the app called packagesearch....it has a nice set of features for looking at packages

eg

Code:

sudo su
apt-get remove --purge webcam webcamd fswebcam cheese guvcview
apt-get install fswebcam cheese

your first 2 are not what you need but this sensor issue might show up in this

local user terminal

Code:

fswebcam --list-controls
--- Opening /dev/video0...
Trying source module v4l2...
/dev/video0 opened.
No input was specified, using the first.
Available Controls        Current Value   Range
------------------        -------------   -----
Brightness                128 (50%)       0 - 255
Contrast                  32 (12%)        0 - 255
Saturation                32 (12%)        0 - 255
White Balance Temperature, Auto True            True | False
Gain                      234 (91%)       0 - 255
Power Line Frequency      60 Hz           Disabled | 50 Hz | 60 Hz
White Balance Temperature 3937 (39%)      0 - 10000
Sharpness                 224 (87%)       0 - 255
Backlight Compensation    1               0 - 2
Adjusting resolution from 384x288 to 352x288.
--- Capturing frame...
Captured frame in 0.00 seconds.
--- Processing captured image...
There are unsaved changes to the image.

read man fswebcam to see how to change the resolution but see the extra controls?

DO NOT run cheese until you see if you cam man this app show corrrectly

then run cheese

so check bios then fswebcam then only then cheese

good luck

opticks · 12-14-2011, 10:47 AM

I am not sure what you mean when you ask me to check my BIOS for a camera sensor..
I assume you are referring to these:

Code:

[84459.688220] gspca: probing 0402:5602
[84459.688230] ALi m5602: Probing for a po1030 sensor
[84459.702626] ALi m5602: Probing for a mt9m111 sensor
[84459.720131] ALi m5602: Probing for a s5k4aa sensor
[84459.750634] ALi m5602: Detected a s5k4aa sensor

However I know my BIOS inside and out and I can promise you there is no option for switching/configuring webcam sensors in mine, although I do agree that if its looking for several sensors and only finds one, it is a problem regardless. Following your first code box, I get this output from fswebcam -list-controls:

Code:

                                                            
--- Opening /dev/video0...
Trying source module v4l2...
/dev/video0 opened.
No input was specified, using the first.
Available Controls        Current Value   Range
------------------        -------------   -----
Brightness                16 (51%)        0 - 31
Exposure                  256 (5%)        13 - 4095
Gain                      95 (74%)        0 - 127
horizontal flip           False           True | False
vertical flip             False           True | False
Noise suppression (smoothing) True            True | False
Adjusting resolution from 384x288 to 640x480.
--- Capturing frame...
Captured frame in 0.00 seconds.
--- Processing captured image...
There are unsaved changes to the image.

Argg, my values are unchanged.
Perhaps I do need to poke around for a sensor, but I am 99.99% sure my BIOS just isnt that extensive. Although I'm not sure where else you would go for hardware sensors.. I will check to be sure and add an edit to this post if I find something.
Thank you for your suggestions though.

-opticks

e511193 · 02-15-2014, 03:55 PM

I know this is an old topic but I found it because I had the same problem.
I solved this problem and I thought it might be useful for someone in the future

Quote:

Originally Posted by opticks

Code:

                                                            
...
Exposure                  256 (5%)        13 - 4095
...

The answer is:

Code:

fswebcam --set Exposure=100% -d /dev/video0 -r 640x480 t.jpg