Skype, Logitech webcam and Karmic video problem persists

[relic70]

I used Skype ver 2.0 seamlessly in Jaunty and earlier versions of Ubuntu. When I did a fresh install of Karmic I had to install Skype 2.1 and had the following problem. I've had the same results with the deb download from Skype and Skype in medibuntu.

Problem: No video on Test in Video options of Skype. I've tried quite a few of the suggestions in the forums regarding the Logitech QuickCams but none of them worked for me. Here's the information on my setup and some results in Karmic with the webcam

1. Output from command lsusb

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 046d:09a6 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Vision Pro


2. webcam displayed in Skype Video options
UVC Camera (046d:09a6)(/dev/video0)

3. Script in Skype shell
#!/bin/sh
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype.real "$@"

If the shell commands are given in the terminal the following error message is given when webcam is tested in the Video options

"X Error, request 133, minor 18, error code 8 BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)"

4. /usr/lib/libv4l directory contains 'v4l1compat.so' and v4l2convert.so'

The Logitech Vision Pro is a v4l2 compliant webcam. Receive the same error message given above if I use 'v4l2convert.so' in the script.

5. using 'gstreamer-properties' command in terminal good Video was produced from webcam in Multimedia Systems Selector with the Plugin: Video for Linux 2 (v4l2), Device: UVC Camera (046d:09a6)

Other available plugin "Video for Linux (v4l)" gives cannot get or set resource message

6. Good video produced from webcam UVC Camera (046d:09a6) in GUVCViewer

Any information that would help getting Skype to show video in the video options test would be appreciated.

[relic70]

Problem solved for me.

I followed some Skype forum links that led me to Cairo-Dock forum. There I found a solution that worked.

It involves the use of cairo-dock, which I use.

Stop Cairo-Dock. Make certain it is removed from Startup Applications.

Restart the xserver in the terminal with the commmand

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

After this the Test video in Skype worked for me.

Compiz is still running, so apparently doesn't interfere with Skype in my case.

Hope this helps someone else with similar problems in Skype video.

[totalhealth]

I had the same problem. I was able to solve it by starting cairo-dock with "cairo-dock -c" instead of "cairo-dock -o". It looks like the -o option is causing the problem.

[Aviendha09]

Yuck! that has to be the most awful workaround yet! I have to "not load" cairo-dock at boot to use skype? Nuts!
I'll see if I can find something better!
I saw some compatibility issues with remote latest Windows client. Meanwhile, I'll be retesting Ekiga.

[slumbergod]

I went back to the old version of skype. That always worked for me.

[Aviendha09]

Yeah? I looked for it in a few places, where did you get it?

edit: found it here, yet to be tested.

[relic70]

I had the same problem. I was able to solve it by starting cairo-dock with "cairo-dock -c" instead of "cairo-dock -o". It looks like the -o option is causing the problem.

I tried the -c option, which is "no OpenGL", and Skype does work with the dock running. But, it doesn't quite have the zip it does when its running under "OpenGL" or the -o option.

So, I guess it's whatever tickles your tummy!

[fabounet]

This is a problem in Qt4, not in Cairo-Dock.
there is a workaround for it :

export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && skype

(also work for VLC, Smplayer, and any Qt applications that do video)

[NarsilAnduril]

This is a problem in Qt4, not in Cairo-Dock.
there is a workaround for it :

export XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 && skype

(also work for VLC, Smplayer, and any Qt applications that do video)

Sorry for the newbie question, but what should I do with this command line ?

[oscarmeyer51]

See this thread for a couple of alternate solutions.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...22#post8338722