Stopmotion's vgrabbj can't turn on my webcam

[Blanca Mancilla]

Binary package hint: stopmotion

While trying to capture video using my HP elite's webcam, Stopmotion's vgrabbj can't start the camera. In email exchange with Jens Gecius (developer of vgrabbj) he said that his SW expects a switched on camera. He doesn't maintain vgrbbj anymore.

The camera works fine with skype, cheese and VLC. He suggested switching on the camera prior to using vgrabbj.
Since I'm new to all this multimedia stuff, I have no idea how to do that. (I've been trying to find out.)

Would this be a bug or a feature?
Cheers
bm

Some system info:

vgrabbj -s /dev/video0
vgrabbj, Version 0.9.6
Videodevice name: /dev/video0 (CKA7216)
Capabilities
Type : 1 Values can be looked up at videodev.h
Channels : 1
Audio : 0
MaxWidth : 1600
MaxHeight: 1200
MinWidth : 48
MinHeigth: 32

Current Settings:
Brightness: 32768
Hue : 32768
Color : 35839
Contrast : 20480
Whiteness : 4287
Depth : 16
Palette : YUYV (8)
Width : 352
Height : 288
Chromakey : 0

Using
Ubuntu 8.10
Stopmotion 0.6.2-1

[Luís Louro (lapisdecor)]

happens here too, ubuntu 9.04

there should be a default work for all configuration

my webcam is a labtec