Arch Linux

Rittler

Member

Registered: 2008-12-21

Posts: 6

How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Hi @ all!

I got Arch Linux running on a Samsung Q45 Danyal here which works pretty fine.
Since I'm trying to run it at the least powerconsumption possible when on the road
I wrote a small bash-script to handle things:

#!/bin/bash

hal-disable-polling --device /dev/scd0
echo 5 > /sys/bus/pci/drivers/iwl3945/0000:02:00.0/power_level
mount -o remount,relatime /
hdparm -B 10 -S 12 /dev/sda
echo 10 > /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save

Now when I'm running powertop it says that I should activate USB-autosuspend
since my webcam causes some serious amount of wakeups (about 1.5 W less with
USB-autosuspend on). The thing is - I don't need that webcam at all and I didn't find
a way to integrate this option into my script, so I always run my script (I integrated it
into /etc/acpi/events/battery and lm_battery, but it isn't executed automatically, so I
have to start it by hand all the time) and then powertop to disable the webcam/activate
autosuspend when on battery.
Is there a way to disable the webcam completely, so I wouldn't need to deactivate
it at all? Or how can I integrate USB-autosuspend into my powersaving script?

Another point would be firefox - it causes about 35% of wakeups when idle...thats
definately too much in my opinion - any ideas about that?

A last question would be - how can I deactivate the display? My last notebook had
such a fancy Function-Key doing that for me...with this one this isn't the case (at least
I couldn't find one). Is there a way of defining my own shortcut to disable/reenable the display?

Lots of questions I know...and I appreciate every help and suggestions/improvements
for my powersaving-script

.:B:.

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2006-11-26

Posts: 5,819

Website

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Unloading and blacklisting the driver for your camera is normally the first step.

---

Got Leenucks? :: Arch: Power in simplicity :: Get Counted! Registered Linux User #392717 :: Blog thingy

Xyne

Administrator/PM

Registered: 2008-08-03

Posts: 6,963

Website

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Then the second step, for the security conscious, is

---

My Arch Linux Stuff • Forum Etiquette • Community Ethos - Arch is not for everyone

Rittler

Member

Registered: 2008-12-21

Posts: 6

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Could you help me find out which module I have to blacklist?

bash-4.0# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
aes_i586                8100  1
aes_generic            27204  1 aes_i586
cpufreq_stats           5256  0
tun                    13732  0
i915                  183432  2
drm                   154752  3 i915
i2c_algo_bit            5864  1 i915
video                  19768  1 i915
output                  2884  1 video
ipv6                  277908  18
reiserfs              247304  1
joydev                 10432  0
wmi                     6568  0
pcmcia                 36268  0
sdhci_pci               7300  0
sdhci                  17096  1 sdhci_pci
mmc_core               52576  1 sdhci
ohci1394               30292  0
ieee1394               85836  1 ohci1394
yenta_socket           25136  1
rsrc_nonstatic         12292  1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core            35128  3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
ricoh_mmc               3812  0
sg                     27896  0
psmouse                59644  0
i2c_i801                9688  0
i2c_core               22776  4 i915,drm,i2c_algo_bit,i2c_i801
intel_agp              27484  1
agpgart                32756  3 drm,intel_agp
pcspkr                  2404  0
serio_raw               5704  0
ehci_hcd               35856  0
iTCO_wdt               10952  0
iTCO_vendor_support     3080  1 iTCO_wdt
usbcore               149968  2 ehci_hcd
thermal                13888  0
fan                     4392  0
button                  5588  0
battery                10984  0
ac                      4360  0
evdev                  10176  7
snd_hda_codec_realtek   206536  1
snd_seq_dummy           2696  0
snd_seq_oss            31168  0
snd_seq_midi_event      7012  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                53744  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device          6768  3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_hda_intel          26696  4
snd_hda_codec          71716  2 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep               7624  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm_oss            40352  0
snd_pcm                73768  4 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer              21068  3 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc          8844  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss          17540  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd                    58404  17 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss
soundcore               6784  1 snd
arc4                    1732  2
ecb                     2788  2
iwl3945                80680  0
iwlcore                96196  1 iwl3945
rfkill                 10640  2 iwlcore
mac80211              182880  2 iwl3945,iwlcore
led_class               3976  3 sdhci,iwl3945,iwlcore
cfg80211               67300  3 iwl3945,iwlcore,mac80211
sky2                   47208  0
cpufreq_powersave       1380  2
acpi_cpufreq            8688  0
freq_table              3716  2 cpufreq_stats,acpi_cpufreq
processor              35864  3 acpi_cpufreq
rtc_cmos               11244  0
rtc_core               18048  1 rtc_cmos
rtc_lib                 2500  1 rtc_core
ext3                  135340  1
jbd                    48856  1 ext3
mbcache                 7112  1 ext3
sd_mod                 27808  4
sr_mod                 16676  0
cdrom                  36032  1 sr_mod
ata_piix               23112  3
ata_generic             4680  0
pata_acpi               4228  0
libata                168460  3 ata_piix,ata_generic,pata_acpi
scsi_mod              110580  4 sg,sd_mod,sr_mod,libata

bash-4.0# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0ac8:c302 Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. Vega USB 2.0 Camera
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

You might be able to turn off the camera in your BIOS either.

Rittler

Member

Registered: 2008-12-21

Posts: 6

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

You might be able to turn off the camera in your BIOS either.

Already searched there - but there's no option turning it off in the BIOS

Carl Karl

Member

Registered: 2013-06-12

Posts: 231

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Just found
1. this thread by Google
2. a solution not posted here, so here it is for your information:

remove any permissions for group "video" for the file /dev/video0. That's it.

socials

Member

Registered: 2013-11-15

Posts: 27

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Just found
1. this thread by Google
2. a solution not posted here, so here it is for your information:

remove any permissions for group "video" for the file /dev/video0. That's it.

Much easier to just blacklist the uvcvideo module.

Carl Karl

Member

Registered: 2013-06-12

Posts: 231

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Just found
1. this thread by Google
2. a solution not posted here, so here it is for your information:

remove any permissions for group "video" for the file /dev/video0. That's it.

Much easier to just blacklist the uvcvideo module.

But that has the disadvantage of disabling all webcams. At least I only want to disable the integrated webcam.
Also, I don't know what's so hard in changing some permissions... ;-)

socials

Member

Registered: 2013-11-15

Posts: 27

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

But that has the disadvantage of disabling all webcams. At least I only want to disable the integrated webcam.
Also, I don't know what's so hard in changing some permissions... ;-)

It's a hacky solution. You should never change permissions of a system file.

dodo3773

Member

Registered: 2011-03-17

Posts: 818

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Just found
1. this thread by Google
2. a solution not posted here, so here it is for your information:

remove any permissions for group "video" for the file /dev/video0. That's it.

Not only is this thread 4 years old the OP hasn't posted since this thread. Probably be best to start a new thread if there is an issue you guys are having.

Edit: Also, I think Xynes' solution is probably the safest

Last edited by dodo3773 (2013-12-05 20:20:55)

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Closing...

---

Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

jasonwryan

Anarchist

From: .nz

Registered: 2009-05-09

Posts: 30,424

Website

Re: How can I disable an integrated webcam?

Please don't necrobump threads: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … Bumping.27

Closing

---

Arch + dwm   •   Mercurial repos  •   Surfraw

Registered Linux User #482438