Arch Linux

dninja

Member

From: Sheffield, UK

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 374

Website

getting a microsoft lifecam working

I've got a MS lifecam and want to get it running under arch.

The only info I can find is a few months out of date saying that there isn't a driver but the camera is based on a chipset which is supported.

The output from dmesg isn't much use:

usb 1-1.1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 7
usb 1-1.1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

And in the usb devices list I get this:

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=04 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  7 Spd=12  MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 1.10 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=045e ProdID=00f5 Rev= 1.01
S:  Product=USB camera
C:* #Ifs= 3 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=500mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS=   0 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 1 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 128 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 2 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 256 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 3 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 384 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 4 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 512 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 5 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 680 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 6 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 800 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 7 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS= 900 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 8 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=(none)
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS=1023 Ivl=1ms
E:  Ad=82(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS=  64 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=83(I) Atr=03(Int.) MxPS=   1 Ivl=100ms
I:  If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=01(audio) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=snd-usb-audio
I:  If#= 2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=01(audio) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=snd-usb-audio
I:  If#= 2 Alt= 1 #EPs= 1 Cls=01(audio) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=snd-usb-audio
E:  Ad=84(I) Atr=01(Isoc) MxPS=  64 Ivl=1ms

Can anyone help?

dninja

Member

From: Sheffield, UK

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 374

Website

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

After a bit of playing with windows drivers I found it is a VX3000 and found the driver in AUR or at http://mxhaard.free.fr/download.html.

I've tried camorama just to play with it and prove that it is working but the image is pixily an the colour is badly wrong (too blue on the default settings). Can anyone recommend any good tools for playing with cameras?

scotti

Member

Registered: 2008-02-26

Posts: 41

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

You can fix the color in Camorama by right clicking the effects pane and adding the filter "color correction".

You should try the new webcam software "cheese" (same package name). It's a lot like the webcam software found in Mac OS.

dninja

Member

From: Sheffield, UK

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 374

Website

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

I've just installed cheese and the other packages mentioned in here http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=348524 but all I get is a testcard with a snowfield in the bottom right.

I can't find any options for specifying the camera or any settings.

The same happens if I run it as root or a normal user.

scotti

Member

Registered: 2008-02-26

Posts: 41

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

Hmm, are you sure your camera is setup? Is the correct module in your kernel? Read the wiki article for webcams for help.

I got the same results with cheese, but I tried it before I setup my webcam at all just to check out the interface. After I setup my webcam (Logitech Quickcam STX, gspca module installed with the gspcav1 package - load the module with 'sudo modprobe module_name' and set in your rc.conf) I loaded up cheese and it started my camera and just worked. The interface doesn't have anything about choosing a camera. I think it looks to somewhere in the system to see if there's a camera installed.

Sorry I can't help more.

dninja

Member

From: Sheffield, UK

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 374

Website

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

I've found and modprobed in the drivers so cheese is now working but the picture is worse then camorama, very dark with bad colours. I've just tried camorama again and that is still blue.

How do I add a filter?

scotti

Member

Registered: 2008-02-26

Posts: 41

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

Glad you got it working.

To add a filter in Camorama, go to the menu at the top, View, check Show Effects. The in the right pane under 'Effects', right click, Add Filter, choose Color Correction. It should fix the color issue.

I acutally didn't know how to do this since the author of Camorama changed how to add/remove effects. I had to email him this morning to find out that I needed to right-click.

Last edited by scotti (2008-04-25 15:51:14)

dninja

Member

From: Sheffield, UK

Registered: 2006-04-29

Posts: 374

Website

Re: getting a microsoft lifecam working

Thanks for that, I've now got a filter (not the most intuitive UI!) but the colour correction just make it even more cyan than before!

Looking at closely, anything that has a lot of light (its not a sunny day but there is daylight) is getting the worst of it having cyan rather than normal but everything is still off.

I think it must be the driver because in vista the camera works fine.