[AG-TECH] webcam problem - lenovo T500 (Fedora Core 10)

[Robert Ackland]

Hi,

I have AG 3.1 almost working on my lenovo T500 with in-built webcam 
(running FC10), but I'm stuck on the video out. 

I have video/audio working perfectly in other applications e.g. skype.

I followed the single-node setup instructions for FC10 provided on 
www.accessgrid.org.  The network I'm on isn't multicast so I go through 
a unicast bridge.  Audio in/out both work.  Video in works, but video 
out has never worked.  In order to get video out working, I got access 
to an IP address with "weaker" firewall (I read that firewalls can 
prevent audio/video working properly) and that changed things somewhat, 
but video out still doesn't work.   Previously (before changed firewall) 
I would get the window with the video streams (where you can 
mute/unmute) and my video stream wouldn't be listed even though the 
light on the (in-built) webcam was red and was supposedly transmitting.  
Now (with changed firewall) the webcam light goes on for a second and 
then goes out, and the window with the video streams closes (it happens 
so quickly, it doesn't get populated with streams).

I've run Venue Client in debug mode, and this appears to be where things 
are dying:

V4L2: start
V4L2: format cifdecimate: 2
V4L2: setting input port to 0
V4L2: failed to set format! requested 352x288, got 320x240
V4L2: trying resolution under ...
V4L2: format cifdecimate: 4
V4L2: setting input port to 0
V4L2: failed to set format! requested 176x144, got 320x240
V4L2: giving up ...
V4L2: mmap()'ed buffer at 0x868000 (153600 bytes)
V4L2: mmap()'ed buffer at 0x88e000 (153600 bytes)
V4L2: fps 24
V4L2: Brightness = 128
V4L2: Contrast = 128
V4L2: Gamma = 128
V4L2: Saturation = 230
V4L2: Hue = 128
V4L2: stop
V4L2: VIDIOC_DQBUF failed: Invalid argument

I would really appreciate some help on this as I have an workshop next 
that I'm meant to be participating in via Access Grid.

If the answer is: inbuilt webcams and AG don't play well (you've got 
buckleys) then I would appreciate if someone could recommend a good (and 
reasonably priced) external webcam that will work well with a linux 
machine running AG.

Rob

-- 
-------------------------------------
Dr Robert Ackland
Fellow and Masters Coordinator
Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute
The Australian National University

e-mail:   robert.ackland at anu.edu.au
homepage: http://adsri.anu.edu.au/people/robert.php
project:  http://voson.anu.edu.au
ph./fax:  +61 2 6125 0312/+61 2 6125 2992
mail:     Coombs Building, 9
          Canberra, ACT 0200
          AUSTRALIA

Information about the Master of Social Research
(Social Science of the Internet specialisation):
http://adsri.anu.edu.au/study/msr.php
-------------------------------------