Webcam Z-Star 305b doesn't work in Ubuntu

Bug #308825 reported by Paulo Mendes
14
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

My webcam Z-Star 305b was supposed to work out of the box, but it doesn't work in gutsy, hard or intrepid.

I've read lots of threads and tried some suggestions, but unsuccessfully.

At present, I'm using intrepid i386 with kernel 2.6.27-9-generic.

lsmod |grep gspca output is:

gspca_zc3xx 55936 0
gspca_main 29312 1 gspca_zc3xx
videodev 41344 1 gspca_main
usbcore 148848 9 gspca_zc3xx,gspca_main,usblp,usbhid,usb_storage,libusual,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd

lsusb output is:

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 003: ID 0e8f:0003 GreenAsia Inc.
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0ac8:305b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0305 WebCam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

I've tried the suggestions as follow:

1. Compiling gspca-source from the official repository. My outputs were:

root@paulo-desktop:/home/paulo# m-a prepare
Getting source for kernel version: 2.6.27-9-generic
Cabeçalhos de kernel disponíveis em /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-9-generic
Criando ligação simbólica ...
apt-get install build-essential
E: Não foi possível obter trava /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Recurso temporariamente indisponível)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

Feito !

root@paulo-desktop:/home/paulo# m-a a-i gspca

Informações sobre 1 pacotes atualizadas
Getting source for kernel version: 2.6.27-9-generic
Cabeçalhos de kernel disponíveis em /usr/src/linux
Criando ligação simbólica ...
Não foi possível criar a ligação simbólica /usr/src/linux !
apt-get install build-essential
E: Não foi possível obter trava /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Recurso temporariamente indisponível)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

Feito !
unpack
Extracting the package tarball, /usr/src/gspca.tar.bz2, please wait...
"/usr/share/modass/overrides/gspca-source" build KVERS=2.6.27-9-generic KSRC=/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-9-generic KDREV=2.6.27-9.19 kdist_image

This was the log file output:

 /usr/src/modules/gspca/gspca_core.c:2769: error: implicit declaration of
 │ function ‘video_device_create_file’
 │ /usr/src/modules/gspca/gspca_core.c:2780: error: implicit declaration of
 │ function ‘video_device_remove_file’
 │ /usr/src/modules/gspca/gspca_core.c: In function ‘spca5xx_probe’:
 │ /usr/src/modules/gspca/gspca_core.c:4301: error: incompatible types in
 │ assignment
 │ make[4]: ** [/usr/src/modules/gspca/gspca_core.o] Erro 1
 │ make[3]: ** [_module_/usr/src/modules/gspca] Erro 2
 │ make[3]: Saindo do diretório `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-9-generic'
 │ make[2]: ** [default] Erro 2
 │ make[2]: Saindo do diretório `/usr/src/modules/gspca'
 │ make[1]: ** [binary-modules] Erro 2
 │ make[1]: Saindo do diretório `/usr/src/modules/gspca'
 │ make: ** [kdist_build] Erro 2

2. Downloading and installing gspcav* from the developer's website (I've tried all versions with the same error messages):

root@paulo-desktop:/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224# ./gspca_build

 REMOVE the old module if present
ERROR: Module gspca does not exist in /proc/modules

 CLEAN gspca source tree
rm -r -f *.o decoder/.gspcadecoder.o.cmd decoder/*.o \
 .gspca.o.cmd *.o *.ko *.mod.* .[a-z]* core *.i \
 *.symvers *.err

 COMPILE gspca Please Wait ....!!

 INSTALL gspca in the kernel binary tree
mkdir -p /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/
rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/spca5xx.ko
rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/media/video/gspca.ko
install -c -m 0644 gspca.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/
install: impossível fazer stat em `gspca.ko': Arquivo ou diretório inexistente
make: ** [install] Erro 1

 LOAD gspca in memory
FATAL: Module gspca not found.

 PRINT COMPILATION MESSAGES if ERRORS look kgspca.err
make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build SUBDIRS=/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224 CC=cc modules
make[1]: Entrando no diretório `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-9-generic'
  CC [M] /usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.o
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:54:27: error: asm/semaphore.h: Arquivo ou diretório inexistente
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: In function ‘spca5xx_ioctl’:
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2463: error: implicit declaration of function ‘video_usercopy’
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: At top level:
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2609: error: unknown field ‘owner’ specified in initializer
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2609: warning: initialization from incompatible pointer type
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2611: error: unknown field ‘type’ specified in initializer
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: In function ‘spca50x_create_sysfs’:
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2769: error: implicit declaration of function ‘video_device_create_file’
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:2780: error: implicit declaration of function ‘video_device_remove_file’
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: In function ‘spca5xx_probe’:
/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c:4301: error: incompatible types in assignment
make[2]: ** [/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.o] Erro 1
make[1]: ** [_module_/usr/src/gspcav1-20071224] Erro 2
make[1]: Saindo do diretório `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-9-generic'
make: ** [default] Erro 2

3. Lastly, I tried the 'LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so' trick available in another bug report. In this case, the output were:

paulo@paulo-desktop:~$ LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so camorama

(camorama:10580): Gtk-WARNING **: GtkSpinButton: setting an adjustment with non-zero page size is deprecated
libv4l2: error dequeuing buf: Erro de entrada/saída

What else could I do to have my webcam ok? I've also tried cheese, camstream and camE.

I know I'm not a linux expert, but I'm not a newbie too. Am I doing anything wrong?

I would appreciate any help, because I'm completely lost. :-(

Thanks in advance!

Tags: intrepid
Revision history for this message
amdlin (amdlintuxos) wrote :

confirm, I have the same problem, but only on Interpid, with Hardy 8.04 my webcam is working fine out of the box
Webcam is not working in cheese, skype and video flash chat also.

lsusb>>
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 0ac8:305b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0305 WebCam

lsmod>>
gspca_zc3xx 55936 1
gspca_main 29312 1 gspca_zc3xx
v4l1_compat 22404 1 videodev

Revision history for this message
Paulo Mendes (pc17mendes) wrote :

Hello, people!

I forgot to say I also tried EasyCam2, but the output was the same of the number 2, as described above.

Please, help me. I am very impressed with ubuntu, and wouldn't like to come back to rwindows...

Revision history for this message
amdlin (amdlintuxos) wrote :

Hello again, seems to be exist temporary resolution of this bug.
Ubuntu 8.10 has the problem with webcam 046d:08da ( Bug #267522 )
Stéphane Marguet wrote following advice "
export LD_LIBRARY=/usr/local/lib/
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/local/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so <application>"
I checked this method with 0ac8:305b, and my webcam is working now (checked with skype and flash chat via firefox, before this actions both aplications were not working).
May be this information will help to fix this bug.

Cheers

Revision history for this message
Genti L (webmaster-setupmypage) wrote :

I have also the same problem.
I am also managing my parents computer and it happens on both, one is amd64 the other i386.

Revision history for this message
Paulo Mendes (pc17mendes) wrote :

amdlin, thank you for your help, but the issue persists. :-(

In order to discard a hardware problem, I plugged my webcam in a windows xp machine and it worked perfectly.

Any suggestion else, please?

Revision history for this message
Michele Giacomoli (michele-giacomoli) wrote :

Is there anybody who can help us solving this problem?

I'm not very competent, but I'm disposed to do the tests you ask me to do

Revision history for this message
Paulo Mendes (pc17mendes) wrote :

Hi, people!

I'm very grateful to those who tried to help me, but I gave up of my ZC0305 WebCam.

I read about UVC WebCams and decided to buy one of them (Hercules Dualpix Exchange). It worked out of the box and my problem is eventually solved. Unfortunately, I had to spend about US$ 90... :,(

If someone is interested on some information about these WebCams, please visit: http://linux-uvc.berlios.de/.

Peace and health to all of you.

Revision history for this message
Michele Giacomoli (michele-giacomoli) wrote :

I also have this WebCam, but I'll not give up of it, because I don't really need a working WebCam. Furthermore I prefer fight against this kind of problems and provide all the help I can, but I haven't the knowledge necessary to do this by myself, so if somebody can give me some suggestion about what to do, I would be very happy to help improving the world of GNU/Linux.

Revision history for this message
Michele Giacomoli (michele-giacomoli) wrote :

Is there anybody who can help us?

Revision history for this message
v1t03k (v1t03k-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Hi all,

I have the same issue on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. The web cam will be recognized, but It is not possible to see any picture in Kamoso, Skype, Pidgin, Cheese.

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so APPLICATION -> doesn't work to

Here is some output:

2.6.32-22-generic #33-Ubuntu SMP Wed Apr 28 13:28:05 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[ 85.694232] usb 4-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 2
[ 85.895435] usb 4-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 85.933309] Linux video capture interface: v2.00
[ 85.936419] gspca: main v2.7.0 registered
[ 85.937683] gspca: probing 0ac8:305b
[ 85.937686] zc3xx: Sensor Tas5130 (VF0250)
[ 85.942310] gspca: probe ok
[ 85.942328] usbcore: registered new interface driver zc3xx
[ 85.942330] zc3xx: registered

Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0ac8:305b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0305 Webcam
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

crw-rw----+ 1 root video 81, 0 2010-06-01 11:08 /dev/video0

gspca_zc3xx 49253 0
gspca_main 25031 1 gspca_zc3xx

Revision history for this message
Gustavo A. Díaz (gdiaz) wrote :

Hi guys,

I've recently upgraded to 10.10 (from 10.04) and this same webcam (Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0ac8:305b Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0305 Webcam) does not work. Is being detected but shows black image (and sometimes, with cheese/kamoso the image starts to appear very slowly)

Used to work in 10.04.

Any tip?

Logan Rosen (logan)
affects: gspca (Ubuntu) → linux (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
Brad Figg (brad-figg) wrote : Missing required logs.

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 308825

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.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
tags: added: intrepid
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

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

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
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