# Help info for webcam and uvc camera in Linux. I am using LinuxMint 19, similar to Ubuntu 19. # tested with a generic F60 Allwinner V3 action camera. # * disable screen-saver / screen time out on the camera # open a terminal and install "v4l-utils" package to get the "v4l2-ctl" command to tweak camera stuff sudo apt-get install v4l-utils -y # open a terminal and install "uvcdynctrl" command line tool to tweak camera stuff sudo apt-get install uvcdynctrl -y # open a terminal and install "guvcview" or "cheese". just one app is okay. # these are graphical / visual applications that are easy to use # "guvcview" is very nice but "cheese" was not working for my 2nd webcam on /dev/video1 sudo apt-get install guvcview -y sudo apt-get install cheese -y # can start "guvcview" in a terminal and show verbose information for a webcam guvcview -w 1 -d /dev/video0 # use uvcdynctrl to list, control and get info for webcams/uvc cams # use -d /dev/mediaX and change X to a number 0, 1, or 2 etc for different cameras # if /dev/mediaX does not work, try /dev/videoX uvcdynctrl -l # list available devices uvcdynctrl -d /dev/video0 -f # show available video formats for 1st webcam uvcdynctrl -d /dev/video0 -c # show available image controls for 1st webcam # also use v4l2-ctl to get info for webcams/uvc cams # change /dev/videoX to /dev/video0 or another # or maybe use /dev/mediaX and change /dev/mediaX to /dev/media0 or another v4l2-ctl --list-devices # list available devices v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --list-ctrls # list settings of the camera device # get more information in a terminal how to use these tools and applications... man guvcview man cheese man uvcdynctrl man v4l2-ctl # open a terminal and do these commands to see what video and uvc modules (software drivers) are loaded # if no video or uvc modules are loaded, then see the information online websites lsmod | grep uvc lsmod | grep video # also see these websites links for more info https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Webcam https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UVC http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/ https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v4.13/media/v4l-drivers/uvcvideo.html