Thinkpad T430u webcam no longer working in Skype or Google Talk

[bmaupin]

I recently installed updates and my webcam stopped working in Skype and Google Talk. The problems started when I upgraded to kernel 3.2.0-38.generic. Everything worked fine in 3.2.0-37.generic. In Skype and Google Talk the light on my camera comes on, but only a black rectangle is shown on the screen.

Camera still works in Cheese, although it skips a lot and isn't very smooth.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-38-generic 3.2.0-38.61
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-38.61-generic 3.2.37
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-38-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VC Analog [ALC269VC Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: bryan 1995 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xf1810000 irq 47'
   Mixer name : 'Intel PantherPoint HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,17aa500c,00100203 HDA:80862806,80860101,00100000'
   Controls : 31
   Simple ctrls : 13
Card29.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw unknown'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC (unknown)'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
CheckboxSubmission: 0f4e55dc6f3e211b5e23a7a40efd98d8
CheckboxSystem: bb422ca46d02494cdbc459927a98bc2f
Date: Tue Mar 5 14:48:52 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=4afa8032-cfe5-45f4-a626-738ab33904ac
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120823.1)
MachineType: LENOVO 3351CTO
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-38-generic root=UUID=2d445ceb-b77f-4a11-b57b-9a9a7f59c222 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-38-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-38-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: rts_pstor mei
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/27/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: H6ET61WW (2.02 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 3351CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Win8 STD DPK TPG
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrH6ET61WW(2.02):bd08/27/2012:svnLENOVO:pn3351CTO:pvrThinkPadT430u:rvnLENOVO:rn3351CTO:rvrWin8STDDPKTPG:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 3351CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T430u
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Fernando Briano (fernando-6)]

Same issue on Ubuntu 12.10 64 bits, on a Lenovo Ideapad U410. I've been using the included webcam with Skype and Google Hangout with no issues. At some point in time, I noticed on Google Hangouts some update made the cam stop working.

So, now I test something like VLC to "Open Capture Device". The webcam turns on, but there's no image. Same thing on Skype, I test the video and the cam turns on, but no image. At some point, the camera disappears from lsusb and I can't see it there anymore.

lsusb:
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 04f2:b2e1 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd

It's failing on linux-image-3.5.0-25 and linux-image-3.5.0-24. Booting with linux-image-3.5.0-23 makes the webcam work.

[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] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

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-rc1-raring/

[bmaupin (bmaupin)]

Disregard my last comment. I went ahead and tested the latest upstream kernel, and the webcam works fine in Skype and Google Talk.

[Mike Manley (mimauk)]

Ubuntu 12.10 64bit 3.5.0-25 laptop inbuilt cam does not work in Skype but works with 3.5.0-23.

lsusb gives

Bus 003 Device 003: ID 04f2:b34c Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd

[randallw (rwayth)]

Same problem on thinkpad X131e using 12.04 64bit.

[Dupg (gabrieldupaul)]

I have an Acer V5 with a Suyin Camera. At the begining when I boot for the first time onto both Ubuntu 12.10 and 12.04, the camera works with skype without problem, but after a day or two the black screen comes! I have posted my problem here with all the specifications. http://askubuntu.com/questions/258832/suyin-amera-problem

Currently using 12.04 64 bits

[bmaupin (bmaupin)]

Dupg,

Did you try booting to a different kernel? Did that fix your problem? Could you list which kernel versions you've tried that don't work and which ones do work?

[MorrisseyJ (morrissey-james1)]

Same as randallw (rwayth): Skype and Google hangout video stopped working with all kernels after 3.5.0-23 (both 24 and 25) on a Thinkpad x131e running 64 bit. Also webcam in guvcview works really poorly.

All works fine when booting back to 3.5.0-23.

[Anish Ravindran (anish006)]

Same issue on Ubuntu 12.10 64bit on Lenovo Ideapad Z480.
The camera is not working with Kernel version 3.5.0-25.
But it was working fine with 3.5.0-23

[Garrett Warnell (warnellg-t)]

Same issue with 12.10 64-bit UEFI on a Lenovo U410. Webcam works fine if I boot into 3.5.0-23, but not in 3.5.0-24 or 3.5.0-25. Using those kernels, light comes on but the video is black.

[V (tkvv-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Same issue with Lenovo U310 and 12.10 64-bit.

[Sam Daniel (dannynnad)]

Same issue with Lenovo Z580 and 12.10 64-bit after taking recent update to 3.5.0-25-generic

[Keng-Yu Lin (lexical)]

The patches fixing this bug shall be in 3.5.0-26.40 (https://chinstrap.canonical.com/~lexical/bugs/lp1151807/)

[Keng-Yu Lin (lexical)]

Sorry, the URL is http://people.ubuntu.com/~lexical/bugs/lp1151807/

[randallw (rwayth)]

You're fixing this in 12.04 too, right? This was a regression...

[MorrisseyJ (morrissey-james1)]

This appears to have been fixed, after installing the latest version of the kernel: 3.5.0-26-generic

Thanks for sorting it out.

[Sam Daniel (dannynnad)]

After updating to 3.5.0-26-generic fixed the problem. Thanks for the fix.

[bmaupin (bmaupin)]

Fixed in 12.04 with 3.2.0-39-generic. Thanks!