Creative HD720p webcam doesn't work

[Piotr]

After installing kernel 5.4.0-92 the webcam Creative HD720p stop to be seen by the system. There is no /dev/vl4/ folder
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.21
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: piotr 3094 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: piotr 3094 F.... pulseaudio
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: X-Cinnamon
DistroRelease: Linux Mint 20.2
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-06-07 (578 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Linux Mint 19.3 "Tricia" - Release amd64 20191213
IwConfig:
 enp3s0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. H67MA-USB3-B3
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 VESA VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.4.0-92-generic root=UUID=3bdaa7b0-765c-41ce-b67a-deeeabde9c42 ro quiet splash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-92.103-generic 5.4.157
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.4.0-92-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.4.0-92-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.187.24
RfKill:

Tags: uma
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-92-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo vboxusers
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 10/27/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F4
dmi.board.name: H67MA-USB3-B3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF4:bd10/27/2011:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnH67MA-USB3-B3:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnH67MA-USB3-B3:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: H67MA-USB3-B3
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1956461

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Piotr (orsei)]

apport information

[Marco Heyde (marcoheyde)]

This issue happens starting from kernel 5.4.0-92 and did not occur in kernel 5.4.0-91.

Linux Mint 20 Ulyana

[Pawel J. (pesc0tro)]

This affects me as well, kernel 5.4.0-96 atm.
When I plug in the camera and run dmesg | egrep 'usb|uvc|video|cam|Cam':

[23785.501888] usb 1-4: new high-speed USB device number 12 using xhci_hcd
[23785.745623] usb 1-4: New USB device found, idVendor=041e, idProduct=4095, bcdDevice=20.20
[23785.745625] usb 1-4: New USB device strings: Mfr=3, Product=1, SerialNumber=2
[23785.745627] usb 1-4: Product: Live! Cam Sync HD VF0770
[23785.745628] usb 1-4: Manufacturer: Creative Technology Ltd.
[23785.745629] usb 1-4: SerialNumber: 2015012638825
[23785.754877] usb 1-4: 3:0: cannot get min/max values for control 2 (id 3)
[23786.361794] usb 1-4: 3:0: cannot get min/max values for control 2 (id 3)
[23786.362795] usb 1-4: 3:0: cannot get min/max values for control 2 (id 3)
[23786.364790] usb 1-4: 3:0: cannot get min/max values for control 2 (id 3)
[23786.365776] usb 1-4: 3:0: cannot get min/max values for control 2 (id 3)

The camera mic works fine but the camera is not detected as a video device. The integrated latpop camera works fine.

[Stan (stan4611)]

Does it work with 5.4.0-97.110 kernel?

[Piotr (orsei)]

No, it doesn't. I just tried.

[Joseph Bonello (bonej079)]

Works on Linux Mint 20.3 (Una) 5.4.0-97-generic #110-Ubuntu.

[Piotr (orsei)]

@bonej079. I have installed it and I have reported bug again. Are you sure that with 5.4.097 110 it worked?Perhaps you have different type of the camera?

[Marco Heyde (marcoheyde)]

I have tested two of such cams each on two different machines using the same kernel. On one machine the cams worked, on the other not.
What information is needed for further analysis?

[Joseph Bonello (bonej079)]

Hi @orsei,

Yes, it is working now. However, the version reported in Mint's update history is is 5.4.0.97.101. Full /proc/version

Linux version 5.4.0-97-generic (buildd@lcy02-amd64-032) (gcc version 9.3.0 (Ubuntu 9.3.0-17ubuntu1~20.04)) #110-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jan 13 18:22:13 UTC 2022

and the camera is the HD720p as in this particular bug.

Hope this helps.

JB

[Piotr (orsei)]

Thank you bonej079 for your answer. I've installed the kernel from Mint's update and nothing have changed with my camera - does mean it still doesn't work. If in your case it works thus mean I need to look for a solution. If I find any I will make know it over here

[Piotr (orsei)]

I've tried everything I could but camera still doesn't work with the new kernel. Perhaps it is some hardware failure :(

[Marco Heyde (marcoheyde)]

@Piotr: Maybe provide 'sudo lshw'. I have one machine with the same issue for this cam, another without the issue. Perhaps there's a common piece of HW causing this.

[Attila Horvath (horvath-a)]

I use Ubuntu 20.04. Latest kernel with working webcam is still 5.4.0-91 for me. Just tried the new 5.4.0-97.110 and webcam is not working as in all other kernel versions after 5.4.0-91.

[LS (mrsinister)]

@bonej079 I've tried every kernel from the 5.4 line and can confirm that Creative Live! Cam Sync HD (VF0770) doesn't work on any of them after 5.4.0-91. Once I run the system using 5.4.0-91 it works like a charm so no hardware failure for sure.

[Piotr (orsei)]

I've just tried 5.4.0-99.112 it still doesn't work (I mean the camera [lsusb: Bus 002 Device 005: ID 041e:4095 Creative Technology, Ltd Live! Cam Sync HD [VF0770]). I will not report the bug again. Nothing happens. I roll back to 5.4.0-91
I can't find any hardware problem so the onlu solution is to roll back and then buy another webcam. I'm not a programmer and I can't fix it by myself.

[Doug Brown (macg3)]

I believe this bug was caused by this commit in the kernel:

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/sound/usb/quirks-table.h?id=48827e1d6af58f219e89c7ec08dccbca28c7694e

A patch to fix the issue was committed to the kernel 11 days ago:

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/sound/usb/quirks-table.h?id=4ee02e20893d2f9e951c7888f2284fa608ddaa35

It appears that the problem is that after the buggy original patch, the snd-usb-audio module takes over the entire webcam and prevents the uvcvideo driver from accessing it. No idea how long it will take Ubuntu to bring this patch into their kernels. In the meantime, I'm assuming you could work around it by doing something like this (with the webcam plugged in) to force the uvcvideo driver to load first:

sudo modprobe -r snd_usb_audio
sudo modprobe -r uvcvideo
sudo modprobe uvcvideo
sudo modprobe snd_usb_audio

(Edit: corrected name of snd_usb_audio, thanks Attila!)

[Piotr (orsei)]

Thank You macg3, I'll try this solution when I'll have time to experiment. If it works in my case i will make you know. Thank you again :)

[Attila Horvath (horvath-a)]

Thanks to macg3, the workaround you suggested works for me on kernel 5.4.0-99.112. There is one correction. The name of the audio driver is snd_usb_audio and not snd-usb-audio. So in my case after a fresh boot the webcam did not work, and after executing:

sudo modprobe -r snd_usb_audio
sudo modprobe -r uvcvideo
sudo modprobe uvcvideo
sudo modprobe snd_usb_audio

It started to work OK.

[Pawel J. (pesc0tro)]

Same here, I confirm the workaround worked for me, kernel 5.4.0-99-generic #112-Ubuntu
Thanks macg3!

[Piotr (orsei)]

Well, I tied the juju form Doug Brown (macg3) and it works. Thanks a lot!!!!!

[Piotr (orsei)]

After installing kernel 5.0.4.100 the bud is still there - is the bad news. The good one is that trick from macg3 still works.

[Fuxx Foxx (fuxxfoxx-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you very much for the workaround! Without it, the bug is still present here, too.

[LS (mrsinister)]

Can anyone tell me how come the patch is not integrated with the mainline kernel yet?

[Doug Brown (macg3)]

Technically this fix hasn't actually landed in an official kernel yet. Right now they are in the part of the cycle where they release weekly release candidate builds of 5.17. This fix first showed up in v5.17-rc3. I would expect v5.17-rc6 to be released today, and the final 5.17 to be released in (early?) March.

I'm not an expert at Ubuntu's release processes, but I went through a similar wait on a different bug fix. Here is my understanding of the process of this fix getting into Ubuntu's 5.4 kernel:

The patch was CC'd to linux-stable. I would expect it to be accepted as a stable patch, because it fixes a regression. It doesn't appear to have been accepted yet. Once it is accepted as a stable patch, it should show up in this tree: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/log/?h=linux-5.4.y

Then, a new 5.4.x stable mainline kernel will be released containing it. Sometime after that, Ubuntu should automatically pick up the patch into their kernel. I'm not sure if there's a way to speed up the process to get them to cherry-pick just this fix sooner. It is a seriously annoying regression!

[Doug Brown (macg3)]

Interestingly, I looked deeper and even before I wrote the comment above, the patch had already been added to the 5.10 and 5.15 stable trees. It seems that for some reason it wasn't added to the 5.4 tree. Weird...I wonder if it doesn't cleanly apply or something.

[Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew)]

Hi,
commit mentioned in comment #33 has already landed in Impish / Jammy kernels via our stable update process.

For Focal 5.4, please give this test kernel a try:
https://people.canonical.com/~phlin/kernel/lp-1956461-VF0770/

The kernel version should be:
$ uname -a
Linux larry 5.4.0-123-generic #139+lp1956461 SMP Fri Jun 24 07:38:06 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Thanks

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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