Ubuntu
kino package

  1. Bug #6290
  2. Comment #88

Comment 88 for bug 6290

Revision history for this message
Stefan Richter (stefan-r-ubz) wrote :

Re comment 87:

Eric,
thanks for describing your use case. I was vaguely aware that VLC has IEEE 1394 video capture modules, but it is interesting to learn that somebody used (is using) it as a means to deliver DV over network.

There are two IEEE 1394 modules in VLC: "DC1394", implemented by modules/access/dc1394.c, for cameras which send uncompressed video over 1394 according to the IIDC a.k.a. DCAM standard (industrial cameras, some old webcams), and "DV1394" alias "dv" alias "raw1394", implemented by modules/access/dv.c, for camcorders, perhaps tape decks etc. which send DV over 1394. From VLC v1.0 to VLC v1.1, these VLC access modules have been converted to libdc1394 v2 and to libraw1394 v2, respectively.

These updates to current low-level library API versions should mean that VLC should work with current kernels and current udev, which should provide the following interface:
a) The single global /dev/raw1394 no longer exists.
b) Instead, the kernel provides /dev/fw0, fw1, fw2, ..., one file for each IEEE 1394 node (including the local node, i.e. the controller card). These device files are binary incompatible with /dev/raw1394 but are functionally 90% compatible with /dev/raw1394.
c) Udev should set group ownership or/and access control lists for the "video" group or/and the current console owner or some other suitable owner for each /dev/fw* device file which corresponds to a video device, e.g. DV camcorder.
d) libdc1394 v2 and libraw1394 v2 are able to automatically select the proper /dev/fw* device file for device control and capture.
e) libdc1394 v2 based or libraw1394 v2 based application programs don't notice any of that, since they let the libraries deal with the kernel's device files.

Currently I don't have Ubuntu myself (I have got Gentoo Linux but am subscribed to this bug because I am involved in FireWire kernel drivers maintenance and libraw1394 maintenance), and I never tried VLC's IEEE 1394 video capture modules. I will configure my VLC installation to include these modules, try if they work here (they should work in principle), and report back.

PS,
kino should work out-of-the box on recent Ubuntu versions, using libraw1394 v2.