Laurent Pinchart wrote: > Hi Rob, > > On Wednesday 15 October 2008, Rob Owens wrote: >> Has anybody gotten a webcam to work on an LTSP-powered thin client? I >> asked on the LTSP list but apparently nobody there has done it before. > > Could you describe the problem with more details ? A quick summary of the > hardware/software setup would probably be interesting too. > LTSP is Linux Terminal Server Project. Basically it allows you to run low-power, diskless workstations (also called thin clients) completely over the network. The thin clients retrieve a basic operating system from the LTSP server, then establish a remote session (graphical or otherwise) to the LTSP server or to any other server you specify.
The key here is that there is no embedded operating system on these thin clients. They use PXE or Etherboot to get their operating system from the LTSP server. The thin clients run a local X server (downloaded from the LTSP server), and then all applications run on the LTSP server. A 200 MHz thin client with 64 MB of RAM is capable of running modern software very quickly. Well, really it's only displaying the software -- it's actually running on the server. Anyway, this causes some complications when plugging local devices into the thin client, because the server needs access to these devices. Local usb storage works. Local sound works. But I haven't come across anyone using local webcams. When I tried it, it didn't work, but I didn't try for very long. I have to borrow the webcam to do my testing, and I have limited time to do my testing. So the problem can be attacked in a few ways. All of these depend on getting the proper modules to load when the camera device is plugged in, which I think I can handle. 1) Run the video application (luvcview, for instance) locally on the thin client. LTSP calls this "local applications" and I'd consult the LTSP list for instructions on doing that. 2) Run the video application on the server (the normal way LTSP works), but convince the video application to access a video device over the network. 3) Have LTSP treat the local webcam the same way a local USB drive or a local sound card is treated. Unfortunately I don't know the specifics of that, so I was hoping to hear from somebody "sure I've done that before, it's easy!" Thanks for any advice you guys might have. By the way, I'm trying to use the ProScope HR camera at the 9 thin clients that are installed in my company's machine shop. The cameras are to be used for inspection of some very small parts. This camera does work on Linux using the uvc driver. -Rob ******************************************************** The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the addressee, any disclosure, reproduction, copying, distribution, or other dissemination or use of this transmission in error please notify the sender immediately and then delete this e-mail. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free as information could be intercepted, corrupted lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. If verification is required please request a hard copy version. ******************************************************** _______________________________________________ Linux-uvc-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/linux-uvc-devel
