Issue with Chrome or webkit applications accessing web cam

From the prerequisites on the AUR, it runs under Electron, which means it’s likely to have the same problem as the other Electron apps I’ve tried…which is the same problem Chrome and Edge have. Appreciate the effort though. I think I’m going to open a new thread with a better description of the issue and just mark this “solved.”

Originally this presented as a FB Messenger/Browser issue, some troubleshooting narrowed it down though, and the original thread was no longer descriptive, so I solved it to create a new one. The original thread is here for reference (Facebook Messenger calls, which browser?) But essentially what we have is anything webkit based being unable to access a webcam device. Doesn’t matter if they’re AUR or Flatpak. Happens with Chrome, Chromium, Edge, and any Electron-backed application. I set up OBS to test it and try to set up a virtual cam to use instead, the webkit applications don’t see the virtual either.

Output of v4l2-ctl --list-devices:

OBS Virtual Camera (platform:v4l2loopback-000):
	/dev/video2

Integrated Camera: Integrated C (usb-0000:00:14.0-1):
	/dev/video0
	/dev/video1
	/dev/media0

Chrome and Edge only see “Integrated Camera (04f2:b61e).” I’ve done a chmod +r on all the video devices, not that that’s an issue if Firefox and OBS can see them. Both native Firefox and a Firefox flatpak can see the real webcam device and get video from it.

Had some good suggestions in the original thread that helped get more info on the issue, but it’s no longer a “FB Messenger” thing, it appears to be any application that uses the Chromium or webkit front end so I can’t even use an Electron app to get around it. So now that we have a better idea of the issue I thought we could look at it from a fresh perspective.

I merged these topics together since it is basically the same issue still. Feel free to edit the title of this topic to be more appropriate now that you have narrowed down the issue some.

I cant edit it, that’s why I closed it and created a new topic.

Do you not have this pencil available?
image

If not, let me know and I will edit it for you.

I don’t know if your problem is related to hardware or software, I’ve just tested my webcam on Google Chrome on this page and it works fine.

Some info about my hardware and software:

OS: EndeavourOS Linux x86_64 
Host: Satellite L55t-B PSKTLU-001NC1 
Kernel: 5.18.14-arch1-1
DE: Cinnamon 5.4.8
CPU: Intel i5-5200U (4) @ 2.700GHz 
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5500 
Memory: 4400MiB / 7865MiB

$ v4l2-ctl --list-devices
TOSHIBA Web Camera - HD: TOSHIB (usb-0000:00:14.0-6):
    /dev/video0
    /dev/video1
    /dev/media0

aur/google-chrome 103.0.5060.134-1 (+2154 13.39) (Installed)
    The popular and trusted web browser by Google (Stable Channel)

No, I do not. Apparently that’s not available to everyone. Heck my account was on hold literally when I first created it, I’ve had nothing but issues since trying to use this forum in the first place.

discourse uses trust levels to determine what features you have access to. As your trust level increases, so does your access to functionality. Your trust level should be increasing soon to level 2.

In the meantime, I have renamed the topic for you.

3 Likes

2022-07-26_19-15

Just checked chrome browser and facebook messenger, and it was indeed not working the first time but after going into setting/Privacy and Security/Side Settings/Camera choose the camera you want to use (if you have the wrong one chosen there it will not show up) remove facebook permission the camera was shown up in messenger:

2022-07-26_19-21

2022-07-26_19-22

This is a default XFCE4 install

1 Like

Well, that didn’t fix it but now the browser seems to be willing to launch a call now. But no video from my cam at either end, and my wife at the other end says my voice sounds robotic, so maybe the mic isn’t being handled so well either.

I guess that’s progress. But if I can’t fix this I won’t be able to use this laptop this way Firefox is working like crap on my work PC, I get the sense they don’t like anything that doesn’t do tracking for them. :wink:

Just stumbled over something very interesting. First, I had the cover closed on the cam, doh! Apparently the camera will connect and display video when connected to my USB C dock (which has dual HDMI), but the mic doesn’t pick up audio. When disconnected from the dock, Chrome will not find the webcam and not connect a FB call at all . Even though the cam is built into the laptop and not connected to the dock.