_readme_messenger

Webcam Linux driver for Quickcam

This is a linux driver for Quickcam Messenger and Quickcam Communicate.
(Thanks to Mathias Kuster who found a working init-string that
resulted into frames in bayes-format.)

The driver is based on qc-usb-0.6.2, but I have removed the support
for all cameras except Quickcam Messenger in this source, since I
don't have any other cameras at home.

Here is some information about the driver:

  Support for Quickcam Messenger (0x046D, 0x08F0) & (0x046D, 0x08F6)
  Support for Quickcam Communicate (0x046D, 0x08F5)
  162x124, 162x248, 324x124, 324x248 resolution available
  Auto exposure works (need some tuning though)
  Auto shutter-control works (need some tuning though)
  Read status of the camera snapshot button
  Compressed format is still unknown
  Driver is compiled and tested with Quickcam Messenger and
    Fedora Core 1 (kernel 2.4.22-1.2197.nptl) and
    Fedora Core 3 (kernel 2.6.9-1.667smp).
    Fedora Core 4 (kernel 2.6.14-1.1637_FC4).
    Fedora Core 6
    Kernel 2.6.15
    Kernel 2.6.18
    Kernel 2.6.19
    Ubunto Feisty, Kernel 2.6.20
    Kernel 2.6.24


I have sucessfully tried some applications:
  xawtv -c /dev/video0
  camorama
  gspy (patched version works)
  gnomemeetings (perhaps not working during conversation though...)
  ./show
  ./testqcquickcam /dev/video0 -m

  producer -da -dt -vc /dev/video0 -vp 0 -cs 320x240 -o test.rm
     realplay test.rm

  producer -da -dt -vc /dev/video0 -vp 0 -cs 320x240 -sp `hostname -i`:4040/live.rm
     realplay rtsp://`hostname -i`/broadcast/live.rm
     realplay rtsp://`hostname -i`:4040/live.rm
     realplay rtsp://`hostname -i`:4040/broadcast/live.rm

  producer -da -dt -vc /dev/video0 -vp 0 -cs 320x240 -si `hostname -i`:3001/live.rm
     realplay rtsp://`hostname -i`:3001/live.rm
tcp        0      0 255.255.255.254:3000    0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN
udp        0      0 255.255.255.254:3000    0.0.0.0:*


  producer -da -dt -vc /dev/video0 -vp 0 -cs 320x240 -sg `hostname -i`:3001/live.rm
     realplay rtsp://`hostname -i`:3001/live.rm

  producer -da -dt -vc /dev/video0 -vp 0 -cs 320x240 -sd "demo:demo@myserver,live.rm"



If you would like to find updates in the future, they will probably be
placed at this web-page:
http://home.mag.cx/messenger/


/Christian
Email: [e-mail]


------------------
How to compile and use....

Just run "make install" should work.
> make install

(load usb modules if not already loaded)
> modprobe videodev
> modprobe qcmessenger


You should now get something like this in your syslog file:

qcmessenger: QuickCam USB camera found (driver version QuickCam Messenger/Communicate USB $Date: 2004/12/21 10:00:00 $)
qcmessenger: Kernel:2.6.9-1.667smp bus:4 class:FF subclass:FF vendor:046D product:08F0
qcmessenger [54.599250]: poisoning qc in qc_usb_init
qcmessenger [54.606150]: E00A contains 08F0
qcmessenger [55.380589]: Quickcam snapshot button registered as /dev/input/event2
qcmessenger: Sensor VV6450 detected
qcmessenger: Registered device: /dev/video0
usbcore: registered new driver qcmessenger

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

How do I use Camera button?

The button events are showed in /proc/video/qcmessenger/button0 and I
recently added the button as an input device too. (I don't have much
experience of this)

If your kernel supports input devices, then you should be able to
do a quick test of the input device...
>modprobe input
>modprobe evdev
>modprobe qcmessenger

On my Fedora Core 3 with kernel 2.6.9, I find the device registered
in the file:
>cat /proc/bus/input/devices  (where you find which eventX the button have)

On my Fedora Core 1 with kernel 2.4.22, no such device list exists? I'm
writing the device name to the syslog, so read it there until I create
an ioctl to return the input device.

Anyway, you can try to read the event-device with my test-application
./input_read /dev/input/event2

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