compatibility issues between kernel 2.6.12 and pwc in universe

[mike powers jr.]

There are compatibility issues between the pwc-source package and the 2.6.12
kernel. The pwc module is requried for many phillips based webcams (many popular
logitech webcams are phillips based). I have ran into this problem with my
Logitech QuickCam Orbit. Below is a summary of the problem, and my current fix.

Background:
My webcam is a Logitech Quickcam Orbit, it uses the pwc kernel module. I
downloaded and suscessfully compiled the pwc-source module from universe, along
with libpt-plugins-v4l. When I plug in the camera, it creates a new device
/dev/video1, and GnomeMeeting seems to detect the device just fine.

Problem:
The problem is when enabling the webcam GnomeMeeting, the red light on the
camera comes on, but a flat gray image is displayed instead of the video stream
from the webcam.

Tracked down a bit more info on the problem. Grey output is a known issue on the
2.6.12 kernel. I found a fedora bugzilla report on the issue [1] as well as
information on the pwc driver mailing list from August [2].

I'm not sure when this plans to be fixed, but their is a workaround (worked for
me anyway).

1) Download pwc-10.0.7a.tar.bz2 from the pwc website [3]
2) rmmod pwc #remove the old module, if loaded.
3) Decompress the file, make, and make install the new module.
4) modprobe pwc # load the new module
5) unplug, and plug back in your usb webcam, and your good to go

-------------------------------------------------------
[1] fedora bugzilla - https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzill...g.cgi?id=159608
[2] psc mailing list - http://lists.saillard.org/pipermail...ust/thread.html
[3] pwc website - http://www.saillard.org/linux/pwc/files/

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

This sounds like a problem with the pwc driver (which is in universe, and should
have its bugs filed in Malone), rather than with the kernel.

Do you have any information to the contrary?

[Ben Collins (ben-collins)]

Well, sort of. I updated the in kernel drivers to 10.0.8, just pending an upload.

I was not aware of any universe drivers, but since the drivers are already in the kernel, and the 10.0.8
patches are supposed to work (as noted in another bug report), then updating them with the 10.0.8 patch seems
like the correct thing.

This bug, however, is a duplicate.

This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 21191.