041e:4065 Creative VF380 Live Webcam not working

[Ross Gammon]

Camera worked fine when I was running Debian 6. It also worked during the installation routine for Ubuntu 12.10 when I successfully took a picture of myself for the login screen. The camera works in Cheese if I spin up a Fedora 17 Live DVD. But in Ubuntu 12.10 in cheese, skype, or Google+ all I ever get is a black screen.

Running hwinfo --usb gives:
....
16: USB 00.0: 0000 Unclassified device
  [Created at usb.122]
  Unique ID: FKGF.Dya+SKJZTL9
  Parent ID: pBe4.3f5c44ENLJ9
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.2/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.0
  SysFS BusID: 2-1:1.0
  Hardware Class: unknown
  Model: "Creative VF0380 Live! Cam Optia Pro"
  Hotplug: USB
  Vendor: usb 0x041e "Creative Technology, Ltd"
  Device: usb 0x4065 "VF0380 Live! Cam Optia Pro"
  Revision: "1.00"
  Driver: "uvcvideo"
  Driver Modules: "uvcvideo"
  Device File: /dev/input/event3
  Device Files: /dev/input/event3, /dev/input/by-id/usb-Creative_Technology_Ltd_VF0380_Live__Cam_Optia_Pro-event-if00, /dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:13.2-usb-0:1:1.0-event
  Device Number: char 13:67
  Speed: 480 Mbps
  Module Alias: "usb:v041Ep4065d0100dcEFdsc02dp01ic0Eisc01ip00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: uvcvideo is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe uvcvideo"
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #15 (Hub)
....

Running lsmod gives:
.....
uvcvideo 76750 0
videobuf2_core 32852 1 uvcvideo
videodev 120310 2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
videobuf2_vmalloc 12861 1 uvcvideo
snd_hwdep 17699 2 snd_hda_codec,snd_usb_audio
videobuf2_memops 13405 1 videobuf2_vmalloc
....

Running ls -l /dev/video0 gives:
crw-rw----+ 1 root video 81, 0 Apr 20 20:51 /dev/video0

Running mplayer -tv device=/dev/video0 tv:// gives:
MPlayer svn r34540 (Ubuntu), built with gcc-4.7 (C) 2000-2012 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing tv://.
TV file format detected.
Selected driver: v4l2
 name: Video 4 Linux 2 input
 author: Martin Olschewski <email address hidden>
 comment: first try, more to come ;-)
v4l2: your device driver does not support VIDIOC_G_STD ioctl, VIDIOC_G_PARM was used instead.
Selected device: VF0380 Live! Cam Optia Pro
 Capabilities: video capture streaming
 supported norms:
 inputs: 0 = Camera 1;
 Current input: 0
 Current format: YUYV
v4l2: ioctl set format failed: Invalid argument
v4l2: ioctl set format failed: Invalid argument
v4l2: ioctl set format failed: Invalid argument
tv.c: norm_from_string(pal): Bogus norm parameter, setting default.
v4l2: ioctl enum norm failed: Invalid argument
Error: Cannot set norm!
Selected input hasn't got a tuner!
v4l2: ioctl set mute failed: Invalid argument
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_r600.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[vdpau] Error when calling vdp_device_create_x11: 1
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [raw] RAW Uncompressed Video
Movie-Aspect is undefined - no prescaling applied.
VO: [xv] 640x480 => 640x480 Packed YUY2
Selected video codec: [rawyuy2] vfm: raw (RAW YUY2)
==========================================================================
Audio: no sound
Starting playback...
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 2/ 2 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 4/ 4 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0...........^C

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: linux-image-3.5.0-27-generic 3.5.0-27.46
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-27.46-generic 3.5.7.7
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-27-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu10
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: ross 2782 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ross 2782 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: ross 2782 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: command ['iw', 'reg', 'get'] failed with exit code 1: nl80211 not found.
Date: Sat Apr 20 21:32:56 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=2a7632d5-38d0-4a51-a060-4ac37244a40a
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-03-01 (49 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Packard Bell ixtreme M5120
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-27-generic root=UUID=b904d693-0a8e-488a-97e0-ae44536f5a3a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.5.0-27-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.5.0-27-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.95
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/21/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P01-A3
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: RS740
dmi.board.vendor: Packard Bell
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Packard Bell
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP01-A3:bd08/21/2009:svnPackardBell:pnixtremeM5120:pvr:rvnPackardBell:rnRS740:rvr:cvnPackardBell:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: ixtreme M5120
dmi.sys.vendor: Packard Bell

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-rc8-raring/

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

Tested mainline kernel 3.9. Still no picture in Cheese or Mplayer.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

I have not had time to upgrade my Bios, and I don't see how this would fix the problem anyway. The camera works on older distributions, but not the latest. It must be a software problem, not hardware.
As the camera is at the moment useless on this machine (running Ubuntu 13.04), I have switched it to another machine which is running Debian 6 (squeeze). It works there. But when I upgraded that machine to Debian 7 (wheezy) it did not work. I have reinstalled Debian 6 on that machine.
If I can run any commands to determine what modules of the kernel are missing/changed, then please let me know. If anyone knows how to safely install relevant bits of the old kernel to get it working on this machine, then please let me know.
Regards,
Ross

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

Hi Christopher,
Unfortunately, when you follow the link given to the Packard Bell website, and enter your serial number, click on the latest BIOS, you are offered a choice of Windows or Windows. I downloaded the zip file anyway. Step 1 of the readme file says "Create a DOS disk", boot it, and run something_flash.bat. I no longer have Windows (yuck) on the machine, and cannot create a DOS disk.
Any ideas how to do this with Ubuntu? I assume it is the 93AP1P06.ROM file from the zip file that I need to use somehow.
The output of "sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date" gives:
P01-A3
08/21/2009
Regards,
Ross

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

Thanks, I had tried "wineconsole cmd" but it just said "file not found". Very helpful message that:-)
So, using unetbootin and installing FreeDOS on a USB stick, I managed to flash the BIOS and not brick my machine.

Now the output of "sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date" gives:
P01-A4
03/05/2010

Running Cheese still ends up with a black screen. "hwinfo --usb" and "lsmod" give pretty similar results to the original report.

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

ross@ross-ixtreme-M5120:~$ uname -r
3.12.0-031200rc2-generic

I am now running the latest mainline kernel.

Cheese still gives a black screen.

Regards,

Ross

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Ross Gammon, did this problem not occur in a release prior to Quantal?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Ross Gammon (rosco2)]

Sorry Christopher, I did not see your question.
Yes it probably did not work on Precise either (except for during installation where I took a picture of myself successfully). This was probably one of the reasons I upgraded to Quantal - to see if it was fixed.
Something must have changed between Debian Squeeze - Wheezy, which would put it around 2011/2012.
Regards,
Ross

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Ross Gammon, could you please test the latest mainline kernel via http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.13-rc1-trusty/ and advise on the results?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]