Howto: 32 bit skype, working with a webcam, on 64 bit Fedora 17

Tim ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au
Sun Oct 21 08:51:02 UTC 2012


Hi,

Just a heads up, in case anyone else decides (against all sanity) to try
using Skype, +ACo-and+ACo get a webcam working, on 64-bit Fedora 17, you get
stymied by:

   Skype being only released in 32 bit
   Skype wanting video for Linux 1
   Fedora 17 uses video for Linux 2
   Web pages offering advice for Mint and Ubuntu

So, yum install libv4l-(whatever).i686.  In my case, today, that was:

   yum install libv4l-0.8.8-2.fc17.i686

Make yourself a script to launch skype with a compatibility library

   +ACMAIQ-/bin/bash
   +ACM
   +ACM  force preloading of a 32 bit video for linux 1
   +ACM  compatibility library for video for linux 2

   LD+AF8-PRELOAD+AD0-/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so skype

Use that to start up Skype, instead of its own menu item.  No doubt you
could put that command line into a desktop launcher, with out the bin
bash shebang.  And my comments aren't needed, they're just so I don't
have to remember why I use that script.

And you're, now, related to Bob.

Tested with:
skype-4.0.0.8-fc16.i586
libv4l-0.8.8-2.fc17.i686

NB:  If you simply name your launch script +ACI-skype+ACI, and put it in your
file search path, I don't know whether it's safe to launch Skype in the
script with a one-word +ACI-skype+ACI command.  It might go around in circles.
You could change my sample launch script to use the full path to skype,
instead.  i.e.  LD+AF8-PRELOAD+AD0-/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype

Anyone care to try this and confirm that it works for more than just me?

Prior to this, I just got a black screen in Skype, instead of my webcam
(which does work, if tested in VLC).  I have noticed that I needed to
toggle the webcam off and on a few times, in Skype, before it came to
life.  So you might want to test that, too.  Toggle on/off, wait a
moment, do the opposite.

-- 
+AFs-tim+AEA-localhost +AH4AXQAk uname -rsvp
Linux 3.6.2-4.fc17.x86+AF8-64 +ACM-1 SMP Wed Oct 17 02:43:21 UTC 2012 x86+AF8-64

All mail to my mailbox is automatically deleted, there is no point
trying to privately email me, I will only read messages posted to the
public lists.





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