Sunday, October 31, 2004
Creative Video Blaster Webcam 5 (WDM, pd1000)
This is another problem I have. My webcam doesn't work under Linux (Mandrake 10.0). It does under Windows.
Somewhere I picked up I had a Philip's chip in the cam and then I got to this URL giving me really alerting news: http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/
It turns out, however, not only Linux developers are to blame here, since a take at the problem from the Mac OSX people give at the hand, Philips also has a part in the problem. (Why do hardware developer hide their spec.? Shouldn't it be desirable to produce products that work in as many situations as possible?)
I've also managed to determine that the chipset for the pd1000 (a webcam 5 camera) is SAA8116HL from Philips.
I'll examine this further!
Somewhere I picked up I had a Philip's chip in the cam and then I got to this URL giving me really alerting news: http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/
It turns out, however, not only Linux developers are to blame here, since a take at the problem from the Mac OSX people give at the hand, Philips also has a part in the problem. (Why do hardware developer hide their spec.? Shouldn't it be desirable to produce products that work in as many situations as possible?)
I've also managed to determine that the chipset for the pd1000 (a webcam 5 camera) is SAA8116HL from Philips.
I'll examine this further!
USB Printing in Linux
The first time I installed Mandrake 10.0 linux it got my printing (on a Samsung ML-1710P) up and running (with a few irritating nags in the system; if I print before the printer is really up and running -- stops making sounds -- the printing crashes and I have to go into the printing setup -- see below -- and go through the config wizard to get it up and running again). Then, when I had to change my motherboard (and processor) due to some problems (I may describe these later on... if I get agitated enough) the printing was no more.
Windows managed to get the printing up and running (but that was only after I had to reinstall the whole OS, something I didn't have to do in Linux everytime I change motherboard or processor).
Long story short. I tried to reinstall the printer (next time I'll do it I'll edit and put info on how, here -- try the setup described here) and I tried to set it up in the Mandrake control panel (Star > System > Configuration > Configure your computer, then select hardware > printers for the printing wizard), I even tried to setup what little could be set up in CUPS.
Nothing resulted in any change, so in a throw of my usual, "what the hell, nothing can get worse, right?" I shut the system down, put in the original Mandrake 10.0 install discs and performed an update (note: that's update, not install).
After rebooting -- so far -- the printing works again! However the update does create some other annoyances, such that your RPM media has been reset to use CDs (I had it set to use an ftp site for core RPM packages), but part from that it seems that printing is up and running.
Update 2005-03-04:
This is how I've solved this issue for now: When I start the printer I always let it warm up, all the way until it goes silent, before I start printing. I cannot stop a printout in the middle or printing will stop working again. If it does, at least under Mandrake 10.1 I'm able to restart the whole system and get printing back up and running. Is this crappy? Yeah it is.... but I get my printouts and that's always something.
Windows managed to get the printing up and running (but that was only after I had to reinstall the whole OS, something I didn't have to do in Linux everytime I change motherboard or processor).
Long story short. I tried to reinstall the printer (next time I'll do it I'll edit and put info on how, here -- try the setup described here) and I tried to set it up in the Mandrake control panel (Star > System > Configuration > Configure your computer, then select hardware > printers for the printing wizard), I even tried to setup what little could be set up in CUPS.
Nothing resulted in any change, so in a throw of my usual, "what the hell, nothing can get worse, right?" I shut the system down, put in the original Mandrake 10.0 install discs and performed an update (note: that's update, not install).
After rebooting -- so far -- the printing works again! However the update does create some other annoyances, such that your RPM media has been reset to use CDs (I had it set to use an ftp site for core RPM packages), but part from that it seems that printing is up and running.
Update 2005-03-04:
This is how I've solved this issue for now: When I start the printer I always let it warm up, all the way until it goes silent, before I start printing. I cannot stop a printout in the middle or printing will stop working again. If it does, at least under Mandrake 10.1 I'm able to restart the whole system and get printing back up and running. Is this crappy? Yeah it is.... but I get my printouts and that's always something.
