[SLUG] webcam vs nvidia

From: Eben King (eben01@verizon.net)
Date: Fri Nov 21 2008 - 20:48:32 EST


I got a webcam today. As a first step to finding something to do with it is
making sure it works, so I installed xawtv (and all the stuff it drags in).
One member of its entourage is 'v4l-conf'. It uses DGA by default,
framebuffer if so instructed, and the console driver on mklinux. That last
is a no-go obviously. DGA:

eben@pc:~$ v4l-conf -d :0
v4l-conf: using X11 display :0
dga: version 2.0
X Error of failed request: XF86DGANoDirectVideoMode
   Major opcode of failed request: 128 (XFree86-DGA)
   Minor opcode of failed request: 1 (XF86DGAGetVideoLL)
   Serial number of failed request: 13
   Current serial number in output stream: 13

When I went looking for [dD][gG][aA] in xorg.conf, I found this:

Section "Module"
     SubSection "extmod" # don't initialise the DGA extension
       Option "omit xfree86-dga" # the nvidia driver doesn't support it,
     EndSubSection # so why use the RAM?
EndSection

That would suck. Is that really the case?

When I tell it to use the framebuffer:

eben@pc:~$ v4l-conf -f
ioctl VT_GETSTATE: Invalid argument

How do I enable fb? Only by recompiling the kernel?

I've already got a VM set up running 64-bit Ubuntu. Sounds like the asiest
thing might be to use the webcam only in there. That is, unless there are
other tools that depend on neither fb nor DGA. Are there?

-- 
-eben      QebWenE01R@vTerYizUonI.nOetP      royalty.mine.nu:81
VIRGO:  All Virgos are extremely friendly and intelligent - except
for you.  Expect a big surprise today when you wind up with your
head impaled upon a stick. -- Weird Al, _Your Horoscope for Today_
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