# Cannot access /dev/video0



## Radek (Nov 8, 2010)

Hi everybody,

I have following problem: I have an integrated webcam in my laptop and this seems to be correctly recognized. It means a /dev/video0 device has been created. However I simply cannot access this webcam. Skype for example reports that there are no video devices. 
I tried to access this webcam in VLC and I'm getting following message:


```
[0x81c62f970] v4l demux error: cannot set channel (Invalid argument)
[0x81bffe930] main input error: open of `v4l:///dev/video0' failed: (null)
```

The webcam I'm trying to get to work is reported in system as:

```
ugen1.2: <HP Webcam SuYin> at usbus1, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=HIGH (480Mbps) pwr=ON
```

However I'm not sure if it does matter because I'm trying FreeBSD already on the third computer and I'm getting always the same problem. The device is there but I cannot access it.

Thanks in advance,
Radek


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## sk8harddiefast (Nov 8, 2010)

Webcams are not working with skype or amsn as far as I know.


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## Radek (Nov 8, 2010)

too bad 

Thank you very much


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## femc7488 (Nov 9, 2010)

If you already installed mplayer, you can use this code to test your webcam working or not.


```
mplayer tv:// -cache 128 -tv driver=v4l2:width=640:height=480:device=/dev/video0 > /dev/null 2>&1
```

The other way, install multimedia/pwcview. Same as above.

Be sure user have permission to read/write /dev/video0, check

```
crw-rw-rw-  1 root  wheel    0,  73 11  9 21:33 video0
```


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## sk8harddiefast (Nov 9, 2010)

This is how to make a camera to work. But even is working, skype will not recognise it. Me too I can see my self via my camera on FreeBSD. But amsn or skype refuse to understand that I have camera.
If is how to setup a camera, see this: http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=15224&highlight=camera


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## femc7488 (Nov 10, 2010)

i am use emesene, and it worked fine with webcam
you can try it. have fun.


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