Mandrake9.2 and webcam issues

[arthurking]

Hi all,

I'm having problems with my Philips pcvc680k webcam.

If I hotplug it into Mandrake9.2, the OS freezes, terminally, requires a hard reset.

If I have it connected when booting up I get module errorsduring boot up and the screen scrolls like mad, eventually stops where there is some error like;

 

<0>Kernel panic: Aiee, Killing interrupt handler!

In interrupt handler - not syncing

 

Haven't yet loaded the pwc module for the camera in 9.2.

 

No probs in winXP, and even though I deleted mandrake9.1 I had no problems with the webcam

 

I am about to load the pwc module for the webcam but I ain't holding my breath.

If anyone has got their philips cam working(or not) in 9.2 I'd like to hear from you.

 

mind you this is not a critical system, testing purposes only

 

cheers.

 

edit; I'd just done a

# insmod pwc

 

and I get this...

 

Using /lib/modules/2.4.22-6mdk/kernel/drivers/usb/pwc.o.gz

/lib/modules/2.4.22-6mdk/kernel/drivers/usb/pwc.o.gz: uresolved symbol video_register_device_Rbdd20592

/lib/modules/2.4.22-6mdk/kernel/drivers/usb/pwc.o.gz: uresolved symbol video_unregister_device_Rca930d10

 

and of course the module doesn't load

is this a bug ? I don't know about this stuff :unsure:

 

Edit#2; I found that insmod videodev fixed that error, but the pwc module is causing problems in 9.2 . I have read others with the same problem with pwc module and other cams too.

Edited November 2, 2003 by arthurking

[Steve Scrimpshire]

I'm not sure what you mean by causing problems, but I found on this site:

 

http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/

 

that you can install a module called pwcx.o that could/should be loaded after pwc.o. Maybe try that?

[aRTee]

Quick fix:

 

su
(password)
echo "snd-usb-audio" >> /etc/hotplug/blacklist
(ctrl-d to get out of root-mode)

 

They found this and the updated kernel (that they released also to fix the LG cdrom drive problems) should include a better fix. So if you get around to installing that (I haven't had the time)...

 

I have found that to avoid problems with mplayer, I need to unplug the camera anyway; it wouldn't play divx or any other movies anymore (would start though).

 

Oh and in the KDE CC you have to uncheck 'load artsd at login', to avoid the arts related error you may get.

 

 

Basically, there's something wrong with the usb audio stuff, and the webcams have a builtin microphone....

 

[edit]

check my website on how to setup the pwcx extra module for proper use (from smcc demon site), ... however, this is not your (my) problem. If you blacklist that one module, you can safely plug in and use the webcam.

At least, I hope so. Please let me know if it works.

Edited November 2, 2003 by aRTee

[arthurking]

Christ I hope this post come through this time.

I think it took me 30 minutes B4 I realised that there was no way that my reply to steve was gunna get through.

Any how if you can read this :unsure: , you'll both get an appreciative thanks for your replies.

I should have said (although it was probably obvious in the edit) that I was running 2.4.22-6kernel, so I updated to -21kernel (yep with the LG fix(did they disable packet writing?)) and that fixed the rebooting. All the stuff I read over the net seemed to point to the early release kernel, so I thought that may have helped :D

aRTee;

I'm going to look up that pwcx thingy on your site thanks, I couldn't figure out a thing they were trying to say on smcc.

 

thanks again, I'll be back :P

[arthurking]

I think it posted :D

[arthurking]

I think I maybe having trouble with my router? dunno.

If this post appears 7 times like my last one, thats why.

aRTee, with the pwcx install, I'm assuming you have pointed to the mdk9.1 directory for the pwcx module ??

I did a search for pwcx and it returned nothing. I removed 9.1 for space.

Now after I used your pwcx tip, the command was written to the modules.conf file, but now my pwc module doesn't load.

'insmod or modprobe' pwcx produce errors that say pwcx doesn't exist.

I downloaded the pwc-8.12.tar.gz module from smcc, but I'm clueless on how to load/install it.

thanks.

[aRTee]

From memory:

 

for 9.2 I just copied the pwcx.o from the smcc site to the 9.2 kernel modules dir, instead of the 9.1 path (which I mention on my website). Then I added the line to /etc/modules.conf (with the path to the 9.2 kernel modules, where I put it myself..).

You can load it manually (as root) to see if it works.

 

Btw, the pwc-8.12.tar.gz is just a zipped file, unzip with

tar -zxvf pwc-8.12.tar.gz

and it will give you something like: pwc.o

Hang on! You should get the pwcx.something from smcc, not pwc; the pwc module is included in mdk... Anyway, unpacking is still with the same command.

 

BTW with the updated kernel, you still have this webcam problem?? They did an earlier kernel update to fix the pwc stuff, hope in fixing the LG drive problem they didn't forget the pwc fix...

[arthurking]

The 2.4.22-21 kernel is OK with the webcam, in that it doesn't random re-boot. But I'm having troubles with getting any pictures with my cam and having lots of trouble with understanding the 'copying' the pwcx.o file to lib/modules/...... dir

I've checked the dir and all other module/drivers are abc.o.gz file types whereas my pwcx.o hasn't got a .gz :o Where did my .gz go? :lol:

I found a bit of a module howto in the kernel.org site but they speak in an ancient Aramaic yiddish slang that only three other people in history ever bothered to learn(too much time on their hands).

Dont I have to make modules and make modules install or something :unsure:

 

thanks for your patience.

[aRTee]

I have done this (open a konsole and type this) :

 

 su
(password of root)
cp /path/to/pwcx-gcc32.o /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk-i686-up-4GB/kernel/drivers/usb/.
echo "/sbin/insmod --force /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk-i686-up-4GB/kernel/drivers/usb/pwcx-gcc32.o >/dev/null 2>&1  || :" >> /etc/modules.conf

 

It may be that you have to put things in /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk/kernel/drivers/usb/. instead of /lib/modules/2.4.22-10mdk-i686-up-4GB/kernel/drivers/usb/. in case you don't have the latter. Basically, it could be anywhere...

 

Also, you can just give the 'insmod' command as root (the part in the echo command between quotes ' ' )to see if everything is ok.

 

BTW I just checked, nowadays you can get this file:

http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/pwcx-8.2.2.tar.gz

just save to some place, then do

tar -zxvf pwcx-8.2.2.tar.gz

which will create a directory for you with a bunch of subdirectories; the file you need is:

usb-pwcx-8.2.2/x86/gcc-3.2/pwcx-2.4.20.o

(instead of in my example above:

pwcx-gcc32.o

)

So just substitute those names, and you'll be fine.

[arthurking]

That's exactly what I've done and she won't work.

I just did a # insmod --force pwcx

and it returned a warning and error saying that the pwcx.o was compiled for kernel 2.4.20 and I have kernel 2.4.22-21mdk, then unresolved symbols pwc_decompressor_version etc....

Its looking like I'm I going to have to compile or something ??

That explains why it worked in 9.1 for me.

And you say that you have pwcx-gcc32.o ?

I'll persevere for a little bit, but as I'm only trialing 9.2rc2, I was going to format and start again soon anyway.

Oh! another thing I noticed was that with the auto-loading pwcx script I've added to modules.conf, pwc wont load when the camera is connected. If I comment out the script then it will load OK. Must be caused by the pwcx.o version conflict.

 

thanks again.

Edited November 6, 2003 by arthurking

[aRTee]

When you do the #insmod --force, does it really give an error or just the warning that it's for another kernel (which is not a problem) and another warning that the loading of this closed source module has now tainted your kernel...?

 

I have to have a look with the new module (I'm using an older version), but I think this should not be a problem.

 

Also, the pwcx not loading should not do anything to the pwc loading or not... strange.

Please post the exact output when you do the #insmod --force (etc) and your /etc/modules.conf

[arthurking]

You're right about it being a warning and not an error. I should have read it more carefully.

Another point is to keep trying. I just spent 15 minutes typing in the warning, and typing various commands at the prompt only to figure out that what I needed was to # modprobe pwc for the modules to load and not insmod !

Thanks aRTee, I'll see how it goes from here.

Another question is what program(s) do you use to see how well the webcam works. I generally use gnomemeeting for some video conferencing but I can't seem to get it to work in 9.2.

gnomemeeting: relocation error: gnomemeeting: undefined symbol: _ZTI5H323VideoDevice

 

edit: Forget the gnomemeeting error, I re-installed and updated to 0.98.5mdk and it works perfectly now with the webcam.

cheers.

Edited November 7, 2003 by arthurking

[aRTee]

Hey,

 

You tha KING!! :D

 

Now enjoy linux!