Motion exits with "sync error in proc xxxx: Invalid argument" and "mcapture error in proc xxxx: Invalid argument"

Question

Hi everybody,

I am running motion Version 3.2.11.1 on Debian Squeeze (testing) with a Logitech QuickCam Chat. When I start Motion, I get these error. Could you help me?

0] Processing thread 0 - config file /etc/motion/motion.conf
[0] Motion 3.2.11.1 Started
[0] ffmpeg LIBAVCODEC_BUILD 3412993 LIBAVFORMAT_BUILD 3415808
[0] Thread 1 is from /etc/motion/motion.conf
[0] motion-httpd/3.2.11.1 running, accepting connections
[0] motion-httpd: waiting for data on port TCP 8080
[1] Thread 1 started
[1] cap.driver: "spca561"
[1] cap.card: "Camera"
[1] cap.bus_info: "usb-0001:10:1b.0-1"
[1] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
[1] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[1] - READWRITE
[1] - STREAMING
[1] Supported palettes:
[1] 0: S561 (S561)
[1] 1: GBRG (GBRG)
[1] Unable to find a compatible palette format.
[1] Using VIDEO_PALETTE_YUV420P palette
[1] Using V4L1
[1] Resizing pre_capture buffer to 1 items
[1] Started stream webcam server in port 8081
[1] sync error in proc 3077: Invalid argument
[1] mcapture error in proc 3077: Invalid argument
[1] Video device fatal error - Closing video device
[1] Closing video device /dev/video0
[1] Retrying until successful connection with camera
[1] cap.driver: "spca561"
[1] cap.card: "Camera"
[1] cap.bus_info: "usb-0001:10:1b.0-1"
[1] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
[1] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[1] - READWRITE
[1] - STREAMING
[1] Supported palettes:
[1] 0: S561 (S561)
[1] 1: GBRG (GBRG)
[1] Unable to find a compatible palette format.
[1] Using VIDEO_PALETTE_YUV420P palette
[1] Using V4L1
[1] Codec not found: Invalid argument
[1] ffopen_open error creating (new) file [/root/motion/28-04-28_21-15-30_00_movie.avi]: Invalid argument
[1] File of type 4 saved to: /root/motion/28-04-28_21-15-30_01_image_00m.jpg
[1] Thread exiting
[1] Calling vid_close() from motion_cleanup
[1] Closing video device /dev/video0
[0] httpd - Finishing
[0] httpd Closing
[0] httpd thread exit
[0] Motion terminating

Environment

Motion version:	3.2.11.1
ffmpeg version:
Libraries:	ffmpeg, mysql, postgresql
Server OS:	Debian Squeeze (Testing), kernel 2.6.32-3-powerpc

-- StefanoRossi - 28 Apr 2010

FollowUp

I bet your issue is solved in trunk .

-- AngelCarpintero - 28 Apr 2010

Answer

You must use something like this for old webcams with v4l2:

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so motion
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so motion

I have:
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046d:092f Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Express Plus
Module spca561
Debian 6.0 / Ubuntu Lucid

And this solve the problem.

Best regards.