Logitech webcam works with Cheese but not with Skype

[Aquern]

Hello,

I'm new to Fedora, just installed Fedora 11. Been using other Linux distros (Ubuntu & derivatives like Linux Mint) for about one year, so still fairly new to Linux in general as well.

I was impressed with the hardware detection in Fedora -- it picked up my wireless & webcam right out of the box. The odd thing is, that Fedora picked up the webcam right away, and it worked perfectly in Cheese (I was able to take both photos & video), but when I try to use it in Skype all I get is green "snow". The webcam is a Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX.

Has this happened to anyone else? Anybody got any ideas as to how I might be able to fix it?

Thanks!

[alfonso_V1]

Hi Aquen,
I had to load an earlier version of skype, 20.0.72. then change the command line in the skype icon to "env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype" Camera works fine now.

regards alfonso_V1

[giuliopepe]

Alfonso,

thank you

That worked for me with F11 Kernel 2.6.30.5 and Skype 2.1.0.47. I had exactly the same problem and my webcam is a cheap "PC Line". lsusb gives:

Bus 002 Device 002: ID 093a:262a Pixart Imaging, Inc.

Hope this helps anyone with the same problem.

[Costheta]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm having the same problem as Aquern: my Logitech webcam works with Cheese, but is just green fuzz on Skype.

I tried alfonso_V1's trick of starting Skype up with "env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype", and I got this message:

ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored.

Skype starts up despite the error message, but the video is still green fuzz. Help, please?

[jotis02]

Costheta, I had a similar problem as you do but fixed it.

If you run the following command in terminal, it will tell you all of the package dependencies that are necessary to run skype. Keep in mind if you are running 64 bit Linux, you still have to install the 32 bit packages with Skype I have found.

ldd /usr/bin/skype

Once you install all of the necessary dependencies (use YUM or search online for .rpm files containing those libraries), use the

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

or

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype

commands to start up skype and test your webcam out. It worked for me so give it a try.

[mhzuchini]

Originally Posted by jotis02

[...]

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype

commands to start up skype and test your webcam out. It worked for me so give it a try.

Jotis02, this saved my life. As strange it can seem, the same didn't work on FC12, but works correctly in FC13! It's almost an year without skype video!

By the way, if someone wants to put the command at the Gnome menu icon, it is necessary to edit the menu icon properties and put

env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so skype

or

env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

The first one worked fine on FC13 64bits.

Thanks all!

[jgsheppard]

Originally Posted by alfonso_V1

Hi Aquen,
---- change the command line in the skype icon to "env LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype" Camera works fine now.

regards alfonso_V1

Thank you.

This also works fine with F14, kernel 2.6.35.10-72 and a Logitech QuickCam.