net-im/skype4 on FreeBSD-11.0: no video

neptunium

neptunium

I have successfully installed net-im/skype4 on 11.0-RELEASE-p2 (amd64). Everything works fine except sending video.

The port's pkg-message says:
Code: 
Skype uses /dev/videoX (usually /dev/video0). This device node is created by
the drivers for your webcam (eg. multimedia/webcamd). If you selected the VIDEO
option (default) multimedia/webcamd will be pulled in.

First please make sure your webcam works with the drivers webcamd provides; you
can use multimedia/pwcview's pwcview(1) to check that you get a good image from
your webcam; [b]if you get a good image, you will get video in Skype also[/b].
I have /dev/video0
Code: 
crw-rw-rw-  1 webcamd  webcamd  0x80 Oct 30 02:40 /dev/video0
and my webcam (via pwcview(1)) works. But I have no video in skype ("no devices detected").

The pkg-message also says:
Code: 
It also uses v4l2 interface hence you very likely need to have linux_v4l2wrapper
kernel module (which you either have in base on recent HEAD or the port will
install for you); you need to load the module before stating Skype:
# kldload linux_v4l2wrapper
To make it permanent you can:
# echo 'linux_v4l2wrapper_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf
AFAIU, this wrapper is included in 11.0 kernel.

Any ideas?
 
Being a Linux application, Skype looks for video devices in /compat/linux/dev/. Make a symlink:
Code: 
# ln -s /dev/video0 /compat/linux/dev/
and restart Skype.
(Maybe there is more "official" way doing this though, I don't use Linux emulation much).
 
Such a linking causes an immediate reboot of my laptop after starting skype. This is certainly not the right way to resolve this issue. No such a linking is needed for sound system, and it works.
 
Well, with the symlink it works fine in my ThinkPad T430...
neptunium said:
...No such a linking is needed for sound system, and it works.
Click to expand...
That statement is not correct: Skype 4 doesn't work with sound devices directly, it uses PulseAudio emulation, and the corresponding library libpulse.so is in /compat/linux.
. . . . .
I have a different issue: webcamd(8) doesn't create /dev/video0 when started as service, but does create when I run it manually.
 
neptunium said:
Such a linking causes an immediate reboot of my laptop after starting skype. This is certainly not the right way to resolve this issue. No such a linking is needed for sound system, and it works.
Click to expand...
I can confirm that launching Skype may reboot computer. However, it's not related to the symlink. Skype works fine (with video and audio) when launched from a terminal, but reboots my computer when launched with shortcut keys defined in my x11-wm/dwm.
 
Anyway, whatever is the cause, the port net-im/skype4 does not work on 11.0 as stated in the port's pkg-message ("if you get a good image, you will get video in Skype also"). I confirm that on 10.X there was not such problems.

So I guess this problem needs some attention from the maintainer...
 
I have no problem with video in Skype 4 on FreeBSD 11. I tested it with a real video conference.
As I mentioned above, it works with that symlink to /dev/video0.
The only thing I haven't figured out is why Skype reboots my (and your, neptunium ) computer in some circumstances...
 
Hi All!
FreeBSD version does not matter here.
SKYPE4 no longer see the video device after updating dependencies LINUX (linux_base-c6 and etc.).
It happened somewhere in September 2016...
But it is not the question.
I have version 10.3-RELEASE and the same problem.

For work, need:
1. multimedia/webcamd
2. detect you webcam through usbconfig
3. configure webcamd in /etc/rc.conf
4. start /usr/local/etc/rc.d/webcamd
5. after start webcamd is created device /dev/video0
5. use multimedia/pwcview for test

The problem with SKYPE is that the program tries to find a device not in /dev and in /compat/linux/dev - and there is nothing there.
I deleted the directory /compat/linux/dev and created a symbolic link /compat/linux/dev -> /dev
After that Skype detect video.

This compatibility issue - I'm such tricks were done even back in 2000-years.
The years have passed and the problem remained.
 
After further testing, I can confirm that linking ln -s /dev/video0 /compat/linux/dev/video0 solves the problem, but only if skype is invoked from the command line. Strangely, invoking through a windows manager shortcut causes system to reboot. Thanks aragats.

This info should be added to the net-im/skype4 pkg-message.
 
Hi All!
After start webcamd is created device /dev/video0
After stop webcamd - device /dev/video0 destroy
And after stop webcamd we get broken symbolic link /compat/linux/dev/video0

It certainly works, but it will have to follow.
 
Hey I was looking for a solution googling and found this tread, first thanks guys for the solution and second I do not if you know but you can add:

Code: 
link /dev/video0 /compat/linux/dev/video0

To /etc/devfs.conf.
 
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