Multiple usb cams - unable to open device

Question

I am using 2 usb cams (logitech quickcam e3500 and trust wb-1400t) plugged into my toshiba laptop running ubuntu 10.10. I am able to view both cams simoultaneously ( one opened with cheese and one with vlc).

I have configured 2 threads. Only the first cam starts (/dev/video0). the second one (/dev/video1) always says "unable to open video device". I have removed the modules for the cams (uvcvideo and gspca_pac207) and added them in different orders so that each cam is /dev/video0 at one point. Both cams work when they are /dev/video0, but none work when they are /dev/video1.

I have tried changing resolution (176x144, 320x240, 352x288), but it never helped.

the console output + messages log are from the same motion run



####################################
# console output
####################################
[0] Processing thread 0 - config file /etc/motion/motion.conf
[0] Processing config file /etc/motion/thread1.conf
[0] Processing config file /etc/motion/thread2.conf
[0] Motion 3.2.12 Started
[0] ffmpeg LIBAVCODEC_BUILD 3426306 LIBAVFORMAT_BUILD 3424258
[0] Thread 1 is from /etc/motion/thread1.conf
[0] Thread 2 is from /etc/motion/thread2.conf
[1] Thread 1 started
[1] cap.driver: "uvcvideo"
[1] cap.card: "UVC Camera (046d:09a4)"
[1] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.7-3"
[1] cap.capabilities=0x04000001
[1] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[1] - STREAMING
[1] Config palette index 8 (YU12) doesn't work.
[1] Supported palettes:
[1] 0: MJPG (MJPEG)
[1] 1: YUYV (YUV 4:2:2 (YUYV))
[1] Selected palette YUYV
[2] Thread 2 started
[0] motion-httpd/3.2.12 running, accepting connections
[0] motion-httpd: waiting for data on port TCP 8080
[1] Test palette YUYV (352x288)
[1] Using palette YUYV (352x288) bytesperlines 704 sizeimage 202752 colorspace 00000008
[1] found control 0x00980900, "Brightness", range 0,255 
[1]    "Brightness", default 128, current 128
[1] found control 0x00980901, "Contrast", range 0,255 
[1]    "Contrast", default 32, current 32
[1] found control 0x00980902, "Saturation", range 0,255 
[1]    "Saturation", default 32, current 32
[1] found control 0x00980913, "Gain", range 0,255 
[1]    "Gain", default 0, current 206
[1] mmap information:
[1] frames=4
[1] 0 length=202752
[1] 1 length=202752
[1] 2 length=202752
[1] 3 length=202752
[1] Using V4L2
[2] cap.driver: "pac207"
[2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
[2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
[2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
[2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[2] - READWRITE
[2] - STREAMING
[2] Unable to query input 1 VIDIOC_ENUMINPUT: Invalid argument
[2] ioctl (VIDIOCGCHAN): Invalid argument
[1] Resizing pre_capture buffer to 1 items
[2] Using VIDEO_PALETTE_YUV420P palette
[2] Using V4L1
[2] Resizing pre_capture buffer to 1 items
[2] Started stream webcam server in port 8082
[2] sync error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[1] Started stream webcam server in port 8081
[2] mcapture error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[2] Video device fatal error - Closing video device
[2] Closing video device /dev/video1
[2] Retrying until successful connection with camera
[2] cap.driver: "pac207"
[2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
[2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
[2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
[2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[2] - READWRITE
[2] - STREAMING
[2] Unable to query input 1 VIDIOC_ENUMINPUT: Invalid argument
[2] ioctl (VIDIOCGCHAN): Invalid argument
[2] Using VIDEO_PALETTE_YUV420P palette
[2] Using V4L1
[2] File of type 8 saved to: /home/giuseppe/Video//cam2-01-20101028182120.avi
[2] sync error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[2] mcapture error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[2] Video device fatal error - Closing video device
[2] Closing video device /dev/video1
[1] File of type 8 saved to: /home/giuseppe/Video//cam1-01-20101028182122.avi
[2] Retrying until successful connection with camera
[2] cap.driver: "pac207"
[2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
[2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
[2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
[2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
[2] - READWRITE
[2] - STREAMING
[2] Unable to query input 1 VIDIOC_ENUMINPUT: Invalid argument
[2] ioctl (VIDIOCGCHAN): Invalid argument
[2] Using VIDEO_PALETTE_YUV420P palette
[2] Using V4L1
[2] sync error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[2] mcapture error in proc 2996: Invalid argument
[2] Video device fatal error - Closing video device
[2] Closing video device /dev/video1
-----------the "retrying until successful connection with camera" part keeps repeating until motion closed ----------------------------



####################################
# /var/log/messages
####################################
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Processing thread 0 - config file /etc/motion/motion.conf
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Processing config file /etc/motion/thread1.conf
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Processing config file /etc/motion/thread2.conf
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Motion 3.2.12 Started
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] ffmpeg LIBAVCODEC_BUILD 3426306 LIBAVFORMAT_BUILD 3424258
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Thread 1 is from /etc/motion/thread1.conf
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [0] Thread 2 is from /etc/motion/thread2.conf
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] cap.driver: "uvcvideo"
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] cap.card: "UVC Camera (046d:09a4)"
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.7-3"
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] cap.capabilities=0x04000001
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] - STREAMING
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Config palette index 8 (YU12) doesn't work.
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Supported palettes:
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] 0: MJPG (MJPEG)
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] 1: YUYV (YUV 4:2:2 (YUYV))
Oct 28 18:21:09 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Selected palette YUYV
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Test palette YUYV (352x288)
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Using palette YUYV (352x288) bytesperlines 704 sizeimage 202752 colorspace 00000008
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] found control 0x00980900, "Brightness", range 0,255 
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] #011"Brightness", default 128, current 128
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] found control 0x00980901, "Contrast", range 0,255 
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] #011"Contrast", default 32, current 32
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] found control 0x00980902, "Saturation", range 0,255 
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] #011"Saturation", default 32, current 32
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] found control 0x00980913, "Gain", range 0,255 
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] #011"Gain", default 0, current 206
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.driver: "pac207"
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - READWRITE
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - STREAMING
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [1] Resizing pre_capture buffer to 1 items
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20882.224756] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] Resizing pre_capture buffer to 1 items
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] Closing video device /dev/video1
Oct 28 18:21:10 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20882.760356] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.driver: "pac207"
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - READWRITE
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - STREAMING
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20892.210031] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] Closing video device /dev/video1
Oct 28 18:21:20 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20892.894911] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.driver: "pac207"
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.card: "CIF Single Chip     "
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.bus_info: "usb-0000:00:1d.0-2"
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] cap.capabilities=0x05000001
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - VIDEO_CAPTURE
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - READWRITE
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] - STREAMING
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20902.216303] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 motion: [2] Closing video device /dev/video1
Oct 28 18:21:30 giuseppe-Satellite-M40 kernel: [20902.975189] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x83, buffer_len=2, interval=50
----------------- the pac207 part keeps repeating until motion closed ----------------------------------------------------------

Environment

Motion version:	3.2.12
ffmpeg version:	0.6-4:0.6-2ubuntu6
Libraries:	ffmpeg
Server OS:	ubuntu 10.10 i686, 2.6.35-23-generic

-- OctavianStolnicu - 28 Oct 2010

Answer

I figured it out. I was running motion with LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so.

I saw that there is a v4l1compat.so so i tried running with it instead of v4l2convert.so and it started working.

Guess it's an old cam. Thanx anyway.