046d:08da Logitech webcam freezes if there is no movement

[Walter Garcia-Fontes]

I have a webcam:

Bus 007 Device 003: ID 046d:08da Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messanger

connected through USB and with an integrated microphone. The audio is working fine.

The video freezes in any application that I have tried (Cheese, xawtv, Google+, Skype) after a while, and restarts if I pass my hand close to it, that is if there is strong movement (if I move anything strongly farther away it also restarts for a short while and freezes).

I reported this same problem already in Natty, but I changed the USB connection from a USB hub to a direct USB connection and it started working fine, but in Oneiric it does not work even if connected directly to a USB connection (I don't know if all USB connections are the same, that is if the ones directly the computer chassis are internal Hubs).

I'm still having this issue with 12.04 Beta 2, kernel 3.2.0-21-generic.

I tried a couple of upstream kernels but I'm having a lot of issues with my NVIDIA card so I couldn't fully try. The 3.3. and 3.4 series are not compatible with the current NVIDIA module, and the latest in the 3.2 series crashed when I try to run my webcam with cheese.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-14-generic 3.0.0-14.23
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-14.23-generic 3.0.9
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-14-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: wgarcia 9358 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: wgarcia 9358 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfdffc000 irq 44'
   Mixer name : 'Analog Devices AD1984'
   Components : 'HDA:11d41984,10280214,00100400'
   Controls : 21
   Simple ctrls : 14
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'U0x46d0x8da'/'USB Device 0x46d:0x8da at usb-0000:00:1d.1-1, full speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:08da'
   Controls : 3
   Simple ctrls : 2
Date: Wed Jan 18 13:51:16 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=8022cacd-48ff-470b-a1bb-086fb2be97bc
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 vboxnet0 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision WorkStation T3400
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-14-generic root=UUID=dadc68cb-c217-4aef-a751-ba0b61137c4a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-14-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-27 (113 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/04/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A09
dmi.board.name: 0TP412
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 7
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA09:bd06/04/2009:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionWorkStationT3400:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0TP412:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct7:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision WorkStation T3400
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Walter Garcia-Fontes, does nouveau allow you to test the mainline following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds ?

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

What I did is to try the webcam with my laptop, with an Intel integrated graphics card. The issue is the same, the image freezes when it does not detect movement. Actually staying close to the webcam it does not freez (20, 25 cm form the webcam) but as soon as I move back the image freezes.

Then I installed the latest kernel 3.2.12, and the issue is almost gone. I say almost because I notice a short freeze but as soon as there is movement it is OK, and except for these short (very short) freezes the webcam seem to work fine.

I attach the apport information for this other computer just in case it is useful.

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Actually apport-cli crashed while trying to produce the apport info in a file (just filed a bug for this).

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

You can update to the latest development kernel by simply running the following commands in a terminal window:

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

If you want this bot to quit automatically requesting kernel tests, add a tag named: bot-stop-nagging.

 Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Walter Garcia-Fontes (walter-garcia)]

Kernel 3.2.0-21.34 is the one that I have right now and the issue still persists. But as I said above, with 3.2.12 it's almost resolved.

[Levente Torok (toroklev)]

apt-get install libv4l-0:i386
and then by preloading the library prior to launching skype:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib//i386-linux-gnu/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/lib/skype

Does it work for you?

[cucujoidea (cucujoidea)]

Hello,

I can confirm this bug with the same symptoms, eg. sometimes the camera hangs. Attached is some system information, created with sudo lshw -html >> system_info.html .
I have observed that the hanging of the camera appears when something large and bright is in the background, eg. a window during daytime. Then, when moving the hand before the camera, the input light is not so intense anymore and the camera starts taking pictures again until it gets too bright again. To me it looks like some threshold value for brightness in the camera driver, which is set too low or shouldnt be there at all. It is a driver problem, since the problem occurs in different video applications, e.g. Kopete and skype. By the way, the suggestion from Levente Torok does not solve the problem.

Best Regards,

Phonon

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Phonon, please do not tack on your attachments to another person's report. If you are having a problem in Ubuntu, please file a new report by executing the following via the Terminal and feel free to subscribe me to it:
ubuntu-bug linux

Thanks!

[cucujoidea (cucujoidea)]

Hello penalvch,

as you can see from my description, its the same bug. Therefore, I didn't create a new report. Also, my analysis of the problem shows a clear hint to where the bug originates. To my understanding so far, its not the best way to create a duplicate of a bug if there is already one.

[aizquier (aizquier)]

This seems to be a duplicate of Bug #984603

[aizquier (aizquier)]

I achieved to make the camera work using WindowsXP under VirtualBox, using the native Logitech drivers. At least Google talk works without problems using an external microphone and not the one included in the camera (when activated, the camera froze and the microphone worked, then the opposite, and so they kept alternating). This is an ugly and inelegant workaround, I think, but enough if you are in a rush.

[cucujoidea (cucujoidea)]

I can confirm that its not a hardware problem, since on another operating system it works here as well.

[Britt Yazel (bwyazel)]

I can confirm that I do have this issue. It works great under windows, but freezes under Ubuntu, and solely Ubuntu. If I do rapid movement next to it it will reinitialize, but then instantly freeze

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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