How to change the default webcam? Changing defaults in Multimedia selctor not working
I have Logitech c920 set up. With help from an experienced Ask Ubuntu user, I installed GUVCview, Video4 linux control panel, and QT V4L2 utility tester on here. I am able to change from my Toshiba's built in webcam to my external webcam using GUVCview.
However, when I start a videochat on Google Hangouts, it automatically selects my built in laptop camera as default. I would like to change my default settings to always use external camera, but I can't find where this option is. I'm running Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS on Toshiba Satellite L755
- memory: 3.8 Gib
- processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2410M CPU @ 2.30GHz × 4
- graphics: Intel® Sandybridge Mobile
- OS-type 64bit
- disk: 40.2 GB
EDIT: I tried Gstreamer-properties in terminal and changed default input under video to Logitech external cam. Still no luck. When I "test" I get no picture, and still get laptop cam when I open GUVC.
2nd EDIT: After installing Multi media selector in terminal, I was still not able to find it in Dash. Here's the readout after running command:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
gconf-service is already the newest version.
gconf-service set to manually installed.
gconf2 is already the newest version.
gconf2 set to manually installed.
libatk1.0-0 is already the newest version.
libatk1.0-0 set to manually installed.
libgconf-2-4 is already the newest version.
libgconf-2-4 set to manually installed.
libgnome-media-profiles-3.0-0 is already the newest version.
libgnome-media-profiles-3.0-0 set to manually installed.
libgstreamer0.10-0 is already the newest version.
libgstreamer0.10-0 set to manually installed.
dpkg is already the newest version.
gnome-media is already the newest version.
gstreamer0.10-gconf is already the newest version.
gstreamer0.10-gconf set to manually installed.
gstreamer0.10-plugins-base is already the newest version.
gstreamer0.10-plugins-base set to manually installed.
gstreamer0.10-plugins-good is already the newest version.
gstreamer0.10-plugins-good set to manually installed.
libc6 is already the newest version.
libglib2.0-0 is already the newest version.
libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 is already the newest version.
libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 set to manually installed.
libgtk-3-0 is already the newest version.
libgtk-3-0 set to manually installed.
x11-utils is already the newest version.
x11-utils set to manually installed.
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
gir1.2-ubuntuoneui-3.0 linux-headers-3.2.0-54 libubuntuoneui-3.0-1
thunderbird-globalmenu linux-headers-3.2.0-54-generic
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
If I run Gstreamer-properties in terminal I get the multimedia selector. I change default input to external,the blue light on external cam lights up(when I press "test"), but no picture.
Here's a screenshot of setings
3rd EDIT:
After running it as root with sudo gstreamer-properties I changed default input to HD webcam (same settings as previous screenshot) and stil when I open GUVC it opens as laptop camera. Here is what the readout was after running SUDO
(gstreamer-properties:15236): Gtk-WARNING **: Unknown property: GtkDialog.has-separator
(gstreamer-properties:15236): Gtk-WARNING **: Unknown property: GtkDialog.has-separator
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'artsdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sunaudiosink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'glimagesink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sdlvideosink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'v4lmjpegsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'qcamsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'v4lsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdmon'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sunaudiosrc'
When I tried to close Terminal, it said process still in use.
4TH EDIT, next day:
I followed the link below to Dumindu's
sudo apt-get install gstreamer-dbus-media-service gstreamer-tools gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-buzztard gstreamer0.10-buzztard-doc gstreamer0.10-crystalhd gstreamer0.10-doc gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg-dbg gstreamer0.10-fluendo-mp3 gstreamer0.10-gconf gstreamer0.10-gnomevfs gstreamer0.10-gnonlin gstreamer0.10-gnonlin-dbg gstreamer0.10-gnonlin-doc gstreamer0.10-hplugins gstreamer0.10-nice gstreamer0.10-packagekit gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-doc gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-dbg gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-doc gstreamer0.10-plugins-cutter gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-plugins-good-doc gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-doc gstreamer0.10-pocketsphinx gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio gstreamer0.10-qapt gstreamer0.10-sdl gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-vaapi gstreamer0.10-vaapi-doc gstreamer0.10-x
and ran that through terminal. After a few minutes, the script was done and I did not notice any failures or errors. However, when I then ran sudo gstreamer-properties I got the same "Skipping unavailable plugin" messages as above^. The default input on Multimedia systems selector is set to c920 HD cam, yet I just opened up GUVC and it opens laptop camera. Here's the readout after sudo apt get install.... TOO MANY CHARACTERS, couldn't post. Here's half:
ad-multiverse_0.10.21-1_amd64.deb) ...
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Unpacking gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-doc (from .../gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-doc_0.10.18.3-1ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libsphinxbase1.
Unpacking libsphinxbase1 (from .../libsphinxbase1_0.4.1-0ubuntu4_amd64.deb) ...
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Unpacking libpocketsphinx1 (from .../libpocketsphinx1_0.5.1+dfsg1-0ubuntu3_amd64.deb) ...
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Just wanted to double check in Ubuntu Software Center to make sure Gstreamer was installed, and it shows everything installed 
mike@Mike-Ubuntu12:~$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 04f2:b289 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:082d Logitech, Inc.
mike@Mike-Ubuntu12:~$ lsusb -t
/: Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M
|__ Port 2: Dev 3, If 0, Class='bInterfaceClass 0x0e not yet handled', Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
|__ Port 2: Dev 3, If 1, Class='bInterfaceClass 0x0e not yet handled', Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
|__ Port 2: Dev 3, If 2, Class=audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
|__ Port 2: Dev 3, If 3, Class=audio, Driver=snd-usb-audio, 480M
/: Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=ehci-pci/2p, 480M
|__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=hub, Driver=hub/6p, 480M
|__ Port 4: Dev 3, If 0, Class='bInterfaceClass 0x0e not yet handled', Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
|__ Port 4: Dev 3, If 1, Class='bInterfaceClass 0x0e not yet handled', Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
Well this kind of fell dead in the water. I don't know if I should post another thread or what. I'm simply trying to make my external webcam my default webcam. I have Gstreamer installed (pictured) I have multimedia systems selector installed. I have default settings in Multimedia systems selector to set at Webcam c920, and yet when I open video chat or GUVC, it opens laptop cam. I got some help on this, and I followed through. But I still can't seem to get it to work. Does anyone have any ideas, or should I post somewhere else? Thanks
Based on the answer from @hopeithelps, it seems that programs take /dev/video0 to be the default webcam. On my system, /dev/video0 is initially the integrated camera, while /dev/video1 appears/disappears automatically when the external webcam is attached/detached.
So I just wrote a simple command to set /dev/video0 to point to the "best available camera" -- the webcam if it's present, and the integrated camera otherwise. At present I have to invoke this script manually after plugging/unplugging the webcam. However, the microphone automatically switches to the "best microphone" because I followed this askUbuntu answer.
Rant: Shouldn't Ubuntu have a unified approach to hot-plugging of display, camera, speaker, microphone (and also keyboard, mouse, MIDI, ...?). All these things seem to require separate tinkering. I think gnome-display-manager has the ideal design: it remembers my old settings when I plug in a display I've used before.
Here's the script:
#!/bin/bash
# Make default camera /dev/video0 point to the "best" camera present.
if [ -h /dev/video0 ]; then
sudo rm /dev/video0 # not first run: remove our old symlink
elif [ -e /dev/video0 ]; then
sudo mv /dev/video0 /dev/video0.original # first run: rename original video0
fi
if [ -e /dev/video1 ]; then
sudo ln -s /dev/video1 /dev/video0 # symlink to video1 since it exists
echo "Set default camera /dev/video0 --> external camera /dev/video1"
elif [ -e /dev/video0.original ]; then # symlink to video0.original otherwise
sudo ln -s /dev/video0.original /dev/video0
echo "Set default camera /dev/video0 --> integrated camera /dev/video0.original"
else
echo "Sorry, does this machine have no camera devices?"
ls -l /dev/video*
fi
Tested with guvcview and Google Hangouts, using two different Logitech webcams. I am running Ubuntu 13.10 (actually Mint Petra) on a Thinkpad T530i.
You may have to edit the script if your webcam appears as /dev/video3 or something, as it does for @hopeithelps. (Perhaps I should have made it choose the /dev/video* device that has the most recent timestamp ...)
I don't know if its the best way, but with the same webcam and problem I found using the command sudo rm /dev/video0 removes my webcam. It is gone till reboot. You may have to cd /dev and make sure your webcam is video0 my c920 is video3.
First you need to install the application Multimedia Systems Selector
sudo apt-get install gnome-media dpkg gconf-service gconf2 gstreamer0.10-gconf gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-good libatk1.0-0 libc6 libgconf-2-4 libglib2.0-0 libgnome-media-profiles-3.0-0 libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0 libgstreamer0.10-0 libgtk-3-0 x11-utils
Then open it and in its Video section, you can change the default webcam.
** This application can be opened with Terminal by running:
sudo gstreamer-properties