Ubuntu
linux package

Webcam stops if there is no movement

Asked by Kiko Barcelli

Hi folks,
I have a webcam Logitech Communicate STX, which connects via USB and has integrated USB microphone.
The audio is working just fine.
My problem is with the video, when I start an application like Cheese, the video starts, but shortly after freezes.
Initially I thought it froze completely, but it didn't, if I make some movement very close to the camera (ie. moving my hand swiftly in front of it) it will start sending video again, but as soon as I stop this fast movement, the camera will freeze again.
The camera is not new, it has been working for me in previous versions of ubuntu for years, with the only issue that I had to preload v4l1 compatibility for using it with Skype.
I have dual booting in the PC, so I know the camera works fine, because it works in Windows XP.
Something I did recently which I think it might have created some trouble is that I installed xorg edgers to be able to use the graphics capabilities of my Intel Sandy Bridge graphics.
I am running on Lucid, but I upgraded the kernel to 2.6.38-11 to be able to use the graphics.
With the above changes I got the graphics working, but I think I introduced the camera glitch.
I would appreciate any help.
Regards,
Kiko

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Can you give the output of:

lsusb; lsb_release -a

Thanks

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Kiko Barcelli (kikobar) said : 		#2

Here we go...

lsusb:

Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 04fc:05d8 Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 10c4:819b Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc.
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:08d7 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Communicate STX
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

lsb_release -a:

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS
Release: 10.04
Codename: lucid

Regards!

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

ok and the output of:

lsmod

Have you tried with a natty or oneiric live CD, see if the later kernel modules make it work better?

Revision history for this message
Kiko Barcelli (kikobar) said : 		#4

I haven't tried with natty or noeiric live CDs, only with xorg-edgers and the backported kernel 2.6.38

Below the output of lsmod:

Module Size Used by
binfmt_misc 17258 1
ppdev 12900 0
tuner_simple 17945 1
tuner_types 18907 1 tuner_simple
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 27404 1
tda9887 17769 1
snd_usb_audio 90820 1
snd_usbmidi_lib 24302 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_hda_codec_realtek 255393 1
tda8290 22120 0
tuner 26795 2
tvaudio 32523 0
tda7432 13042 0
ir_lirc_codec 12804 0
msp3400 31563 0
lirc_dev 18692 1 ir_lirc_codec
ir_sony_decoder 12493 0
ir_jvc_decoder 12490 0
snd_hda_intel 28027 2
snd_hda_codec 90489 3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
bttv 116502 0
snd_bt87x 14435 1
snd_hwdep 13272 2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 75935 5 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_bt87x
ir_rc6_decoder 12490 0
ir_rc5_decoder 12490 0
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
snd_rawmidi 25157 2 snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
lp 13349 0
parport 36664 2 ppdev,lp
i915 466830 2
ir_nec_decoder 12490 0
snd_seq 51256 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 28705 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
drm_kms_helper 40662 1 i915
snd_seq_device 14130 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
v4l2_common 16761 5 tuner,tvaudio,tda7432,msp3400,bttv
videobuf_dma_sg 18786 1 bttv
videobuf_core 25189 2 bttv,videobuf_dma_sg
btcx_risc 13400 1 bttv
rc_core 25726 7 ir_lirc_codec,ir_sony_decoder,ir_jvc_decoder,bttv,ir_rc6_decoder,ir_rc5_decoder,ir_nec_decoder
snd 55314 21 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_usb_audio,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_bt87x,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
xhci_hcd 71836 0
eeepc_wmi 18776 0
soundcore 12600 1 snd
gspca_zc3xx 50961 0
sparse_keymap 13658 1 eeepc_wmi
drm 184156 3 i915,drm_kms_helper
i2c_algo_bit 13152 2 bttv,i915
snd_page_alloc 14036 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_bt87x,snd_pcm
tveeprom 17010 1 bttv
video 18792 1 i915
joydev 17313 0
gspca_main 27858 1 gspca_zc3xx
videodev 75054 7 tuner,tvaudio,tda7432,msp3400,bttv,v4l2_common,gspca_main
hid_sunplus 12547 0
usbhid 45576 0
hid 76914 2 hid_sunplus,usbhid
r8169 42315 0

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#5

xorg edgers won't help this situation at all. Can you run:

cheese

in a terminal, when it stops, copy the output from the terminal as an update

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Kiko Barcelli (kikobar) said : 		#6

xorg edgers and the change of kernel were the last things I did before the funny behavior of the camera starts.

If I run cheese in a terminal, the application wont stop, it is just the video what freezes, but not completely, because as soon as I shake my hand next to the camera it will start registering video again, but it will freeze again as soon as I stop shaking my hand.

So it will be no output in the terminal.

When I stop cheese from inside the application, it will go back to the shell in the terminal again.

Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Kiko Barcelli (kikobar) said : 		#7

Just for clarification, this issue is not only with "cheese"... it will happen the same if I launch "gstreamer-properties" and I test the video or if I use video call within "Empathy".

Thanks.

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#8

And the output of:

uname -a

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Kiko Barcelli (kikobar) said : 		#9

uname -a:

Linux kiko-desktop 2.6.38-11-generic-pae #50~lucid1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 13 22:57:55 UTC 2011 i686 GNU/Linux

Thanks.

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#10

All I can suggest is to report a bug. You can do this with:

ubuntu-bug linux-image-generic

See what comes of it

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