MAC Safari browser vs. Firefox on FC6

[Jeff G]

I just purchased a D-Link 950G internet camera that works with Windows
(Active X) and supposedly with a MAC/safari.

I tried to use Firefox directly from FC6 and it doesn't work -- no idea what
is going on.

Any suggestions on what to try, as I thought Macs were running a linux OS
these days.

Thanks.

Jeff

[Howard Howell]

On Sun, 2007-04-29 at 12:49 -0400, Jeff G wrote:
> I just purchased a D-Link 950G internet camera that works with Windows
> (Active X) and supposedly with a MAC/safari.
>
> I tried to use Firefox directly from FC6 and it doesn't work -- no
> idea what is going on.
>
> Any suggestions on what to try, as I thought Macs were running a linux
> OS these days.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jeff

Hi, Jeff,
    I don't think anyone here understands your problem(s) from your
subject line or text.

It appears you have several issues.  
    1.  You have a new camera and don't know how to install it or get it
to work.
    2.  Firefox doesn't appear to work in FC6 for you.
        A.  Do you mean you cannot browse?
         B.  Do you mean you cannot see video?
        C.  Do you mean you cannot hear audio?
        D.  Do you mean that firefox won't open?
        or what is your question on firefox?
    3.  you said you thought Macs were running a linux OS these days.  I
believe it is either Linux or BSD related, but has some Apple specific
tweaks in it.  You can google this question and get more answers about
the history/entomology of OSX.

OK, do you get any error messages?  What is not working?  What do
you want to do that is not right now?  AND is this for FC6, or are you
running OSX?  If FC6, then you are in the right place.  IF you are
running OSX, then you should try Apple's support pages, and google the
questions via OSX.

I cannot personally help much, but if you create messages with the
appropriate subject lines for the questions you need answered, and it
concerns FC6, I am sure someone will answer you here.  IF you are in
OSX, then you will need  Apple support to proceed.

Regards,
Les H

[Jeff G]

On 4/29/07, Les  wrote:
> On Sun, 2007-04-29 at 12:49 -0400, Jeff G wrote:
> > I just purchased a D-Link 950G internet camera that works with Windows
> > (Active X) and supposedly with a MAC/safari.
> >
> > I tried to use Firefox directly from FC6 and it doesn't work -- no
> > idea what is going on.
> >
> > Any suggestions on what to try, as I thought Macs were running a linux
> > OS these days.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Jeff
>
> Hi, Jeff,
>    I don't think anyone here understands your problem(s) from your
> subject line or text.
>
> It appears you have several issues.
> You have a new camera and don't know how to install it or get it
>
> to work.
>    2.  Firefox doesn't appear to work in FC6 for you.
>        A.  Do you mean you cannot browse?
>         B.  Do you mean you cannot see video?
>        C.  Do you mean you cannot hear audio?
>        D.  Do you mean that firefox won't open?
>        or what is your question on firefox?
>    3.  you said you thought Macs were running a linux OS these days.  I
> believe it is either Linux or BSD related, but has some Apple specific
> tweaks in it.  You can google this question and get more answers about
> the history/entomology of OSX.
>
> OK, do you get any error messages?  What is not working?  What do
> you want to do that is not right now?  AND is this for FC6, or are you
> running OSX?  If FC6, then you are in the right place.  IF you are
> running OSX, then you should try Apple's support pages, and google the
> questions via OSX.
>
> I cannot personally help much, but if you create messages with the
> appropriate subject lines for the questions you need answered, and it
> concerns FC6, I am sure someone will answer you here.  IF you are in
> OSX, then you will need  Apple support to proceed.
>
> Regards,
> Les H

I am on FC6.  The camera is installed and works fine on MS.  The problem is
that the camera uses and OCX in the web page it spits out, and that OCX is
needed to work properly.  The supports folks says it works on a MAC as well,
so I assume that either MACs can run OCX's (I doubt this, though possible),
or the camera ALSO supports another method -- but perhaps only when it sees
a MAC browser.  If the MAC is running a linux derivative, then there is hope
I can get my FC6 browser to work with the camera as well.  Maybe, all it
needs is to be fooled that I am using a MAC browser?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Tim]

On Sun, 2007-04-29 at 15:35 -0400, Jeff G wrote:
> The problem is that the camera uses and OCX in the web page it spits
> out, and that OCX is needed to work properly.

A Firefox problem then.  Does it work with Firefox on those other OSs
you mentioned, or with a different browser?

You probably need to look into some Windows-like add-ons for Firefox.

[Scott van Looy]

Today Tim did spake thusly:
> On Sun, 2007-04-29 at 15:35 -0400, Jeff G wrote:
> > The problem is that the camera uses and OCX in the web page it spits
> > out, and that OCX is needed to work properly.
>
> A Firefox problem then.  Does it work with Firefox on those other OSs
> you mentioned, or with a different browser?
>
> You probably need to look into some Windows-like add-ons for Firefox.

the OP is probably confused by the thing. The OCX will talk to the 
software driver, it's probably that that's missing.

If we knew which webcam it was, perhaps we could sort it out...

[Tim]

Jeff G:
> > > The problem is that the camera uses and OCX in the web page it spits
> > > out, and that OCX is needed to work properly.

Tim:
> > A Firefox problem then.  Does it work with Firefox on those other OSs
> > you mentioned, or with a different browser?
> >
> > You probably need to look into some Windows-like add-ons for Firefox.

Scott van Looy:
> the OP is probably confused by the thing. The OCX will talk to the 
> software driver, it's probably that that's missing.
>
> If we knew which webcam it was, perhaps we could sort it out...

Their first post said it was a D-Link 950G internet camera.  Those
things work as their own webserver, and you view them in your
webbrowser.  Unfortunately, it's typical for some of these things to
only work in MSIE, because they serve pages that use goofy scripting or
goofy Java, when they could have done their trick in a far more
compatible manner.

The specs say it requires ActiveX (see below page address), though it
might be possible to directly ask for a JPEG instead of browsing a page
from the camera.  I saw less than stellar reviews of it in an Amazon
page.

Specs:
http://www.dlink.com/products/resource.asp?pid=365&rid=1340&sec=0

I've a client who wants to do something similar, put cameras around his
place, and have me keep an eye on things (amongst others).  But I'm
damned if I'm going to dirty my PC with Windows just to check on them.
I hadn't come across one that he could afford that didn't require
Windows, or an awful lot of tomfoolery to pretend that you're using MSIE
on it.  He wanted something that could be wired directly to a modem, and
not need a computer running locally.

[Chris Jones]

> Maybe, all it needs is to be fooled that I am using a MAC browser?

This can be tested. With konqueror for instance, simply go to tools -> change 
browser identification. In there you can make konqueror pretend to be various 
different browsers. It can even be arranged to do this automatically for 
various sites. I believe firefox has a plugin for this, but I've never need 
to use it, as I normally use konqueror.

Chris

[Tony Nelson]

At 12:03 PM -0700 4/29/07, Les wrote:
 ...
> you said you thought Macs were running a linux OS these days.  I
>
> believe it is either Linux or BSD related, but has some Apple specific
> tweaks in it.  You can google this question and get more answers about
> the history/entomology of OSX.

"Macs" today run a mutant form of BSD with a mutant Mach microkernel.  It
is best thought of as NeXTstep, as it isn't an old-style Mac, or Linux, or
really quite BSD.