Created attachment 27421 [details] deep testing of 2 kernels Notebook: Packard Bell EasyNote MX67-P-023 lsusb: Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0402:5602 ALi Corp. Video Camera Controller This webcam does "not" work with: Ubuntu Karmic: 2.6.31 Ubuntu Lucid: 2.6.32-21, 2.6.32-24 , 2.6.35-14 Maverick: 2.6.35 Latest versions (downloadable on august 7th 2010) of: Slax, Slax Remix, Knoppix, DSL, Puppy, Mint, Mandriva, openSUSE - I can't try them all again to know the exact kernel version, I don't have them anymore, but I'm pretty sure they all have kernel 2.6.30 or higher, so I think that the problem is from kernel 2.6.30 to 2.6.35 Webcan "works" with: Ubuntu Jaunty: 2.6.28-11 , 2.6.28-19 Ubuntu Karmic: 2.6.29 (originally shipped with 2.6.31, then I installed kernel 2.6.29 and webcam worked, but there where major system problems with this combination) I think it's not a particular distro's problem, but a kernel issue that does not work with the available drivers and newest kernels (I mean higher than 2.6.29) http://hardware4linux.info/component/26591/ reports 2.6.29-x kernel as the last working Many people all over internal forums report webcam stopped working after a kernel update ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In programs like gstreamer-properties, Camorama, aMsn, Emesene, Skype or Cheese it's recognized as "USB 2.0 Camera" All v4l, v4l2, gstreamer (v4l selection not possible, v4l2 yes) and other plugins installed For example, in aMSN->preferences->other->Audio Video: - select device box: "v4l2: USB 2.0 Camera" - select channel box:" ALi m5602" - and in the video box where image should appear: "unable capture from device" = blank screen These 2 terminal commands give no different result: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so program_to_test or LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l2convert.so program_to_test ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just one thing a noticed...but i don't know if it's important or not: when trying the unlucky (for me) kernels webcam light was off and it went on only when a program requested it; with the lucky (for me) kernels webcam light is always on since startup; I have to underline that my webcam has no button activation (like some FN+x or hardware button) nor it require a particular software activation... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VERY IMPORTANT: Please see attachment for more info and screenshots ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Created attachment 27437 [details] Only lucid lynx outputs
Created attachment 27439 [details] Only Jaunty Jackalope outputs
Created attachment 27440 [details] Testing of the 6 different sensors in lucid
Another sign that it's a kernel bug: Mandriva 2009....kernel 2.6.29 -> webcam works Mandriva 2010....kernel 2.6.3x -> webcam doesn't work Now i'mcompletely sure it's not a particular distro's problem, but a kernel problem....but no one is listening to me :(
I have this particular webcam on my Aspire 5100 running 32bit Ubuntu 10.10, kernel 2.6.35-22. I was experiencing some problems with low exposure (dark image) so I wrote about that on Ubuntu forums and was asked to report my case to this bug. So basically I'm getting THE SAME errors as people reporting that their cams won't work but mine DOES WORK (Although not perfectly). More info about my case at: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1603083 Hope this helps..
My webcam doesn't work even in 10.10 and I notice my lsusb is slight different: Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0402:5602 ALi Corp. Video Camera Controller insted of: Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0402:5602 ALi Corp. M5602 Video Camera Controller the second (not mine) is more specific....
Experiencing possibly same issue on Gentoo(64bit) with kernel 2.6.34(r12) (Acer aspire 5100) Module loads properly detects an s5k83a sensor. When used with skype, it looks like a protocol mismatch, bits of green and random garbage appear in testing window in addition the whole thing flickers. Curiously, Hjaddaad above, managed to get it working on hardware identical to mine and a fresh kernel, so could this be an issue of 32 vs.64 bit?
Closing as obsolete, if this is still seen with a modern kernel please update
Problem persists using newer kernels; on 3.19, 4.2 & 4.4, the ALi webcam doesn't work: it is recognized as present, but there's no video capture (just a black captured frame)
Problem persists with Kernel 5.0.0-32-generic and Linux Mint.
Problem persists with kernel 5.4.0-47-generic on Ubuntu 20.04. Not resolved.