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Linux Software

QuickCam VC and Linux. A Lost Cause? 23

Posted by Cliff from the why-don't-manufacturers-release-specs? dept.
Yakumo asks: "I know this is probably a common question, but I have been unable to find anything very constructive on it; is there any third-party support for the QuickCam VC for Linux? I know that neither Connectix, nor currently Logitech have released any specs on it, but I heard rumors that there have been a few reverse-engineering attempts made, and I was wondering if there was any news in that department." I really wish hardware manufacturers would release their specs. I really do.
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QuickCam VC and Linux. A Lost Cause? More

QuickCam VC and Linux. A Lost Cause?

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  • This is because old Quickcams can't use IRQ, so polling is inevitable, even though it causes huge increase of wasted processor time (I know -- I wrote qcread). Quickcam VC (parallel ones) use ECP, so this is no longer the case.

  • Bah! (Score:1)

    by _Gus ( 5251 )
    Mmm, I made the stupid mistake of buying a Quick Cam VC thinking it was a noraml Quickcam. I wrote to logitech at the time (a couple of months ago) asking for drivers/support/interface specs and they wrote back saying "we don't support linux"
  • I would love to buy several quick cams for playing with, but not until they release specs. I've emailed them and they just don't care. Someone else will eventually get my business. In the meantime, I boycott all things Logitech.

    I have seen several sites which had some kind of limited functionality out of QuickCams, but I have also heard that new models add quirks and don't work any more. They aren't better, they just changed something and only they know what. No thanks.

    --
  • That's the same sort of global as the World Series - a US variant that means 'US and Canada'.
  • Talking to support may not work well - they have an incentive to get you off their back, whereas the product manager actually controls product features such as Linux support and may listen a bit more.

    Almost all product companies have product managers, who live in the Marketing dept usually. Quantitative arguments are good to use, e.g. how many X million people use Linux, how fast it's growing, as well as competitor arguments - list the names of other videocamera suppliers who support Linux (I know there's at least one).
  • I bought a Color QuickCam VC because I saw that color quickcams were supported. Not until later when I was actuay looking closely did I see that the VC isn't supported. I'm sending a message to http://www.logitech.globalsupport.com/ [globalsupport.com] right now asking about linux support, and maybe a few others could do the same. Sometimes that works... :)

    As a side note, do any of you know of any color cameras that can be bought new and work with linux?
  • Here [globalsupport.com] is where Logitech's response to me should be posted ometime between now and June 24th (4 buisness days after my question).
  • Their reply was poorly formatted and unhelpful. I'm going to sell my logitech mice and replace them with some other company's (stupid USB mouse never worked right anyway - and I blame the drivers), and the camera's going to be sold too. No more logitech for me unless they change their tone. :)
  • get one from 3com or another company that is supported. If they do not support linux then you can either boycott them as I have or reverse engineer the driver, and go thru a few cams.
  • I have a simular problem yes I wont be buying these cams unless they work with Linux or other free unix and has a fairly good refresh rate

    so the question is WHAT WORKS ??

    is there a web page or something you mention a developer doing some work their webpage is? or email or anything

    help


    a poor student @ bournemouth uni in the UK (a deltic so please dont moan about spelling but the content)
  • I have had the same problem with Connectix/Logitech's QuickCam VC: last year, disappointed by discovering that the only drivers available were for the QuickCam Color and not for the VC, I wrote to Logitech to hear they wouldn't release the specs. Despite rumors that drivers for the VC exist, every time I tried to follow one of these leads shown me that lots of people confuse this with the Quickcam Color drivers.

    "Oh well, i'll live with it" i said, so now there's a 486DX2/66 that sits in the room *only* to drive the Quickcam VC (and rc5des for the rest of the CPU cycles).

    I would love to take the time to reverse-engineer the thing and build Linux drivers, though my efforts are best put right now on working to pay my Master's degree debts. Anybody serious willing to fund the project?
  • You know ,it seems to be Logitech and Saitk both are a little snobbish about the whole Linux OS .
    I love their products but getting them to work with Linux has been far too much work . ( logitechs mouseman being the exception )
  • Buy a Bt848 based video capture card (LIke the Hauppauge Wincast/TV) and a desktop video camera. The combo shouldn't cost you much more, and the image quality is usually better. (Plus, you can watch TV on your computer when you're not using the camera!)

    Bt848 has very good driver support under Linux because the manufacturer releases full specs. All hail BrookTree, they rule.
  • A quick glossing of the mailing list shows that a driver for the Quickcam VC does exist, and works.

    The author cannot release it until the parellel port guys update their code to support ECP, which the driver requires.
  • There is a binary module for the Connectix Color VC being developed under NDA, but this will have all of the problems associated with a binary-only module.

    Support for the Creative WebCam is forthcoming, as this is an OEM camera made by VLSI Vision, and they have released documentation. See http://home.eunet.no/~jtotland/vision/ for details.

    Despite the current lack of support for the Creative WebCam II, I have bought one, as at the very worst the documentation is now available. As soon as an initial release is made, the source will be available for improvement by all.

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