My webcam is not working. What can I do? - TUXEDO Computers

With some TUXEDO notebooks, the webcam integrated in the device can be activated or put into standby mode with the key combination FN+F10 (the function key for this usually shows the symbol of a camera). To do this, press FN and hold down the function key F10 for about two seconds.

If the webcam symbol on the keyboard of your TUXEDO book is on another key, then of course use that key. Please note: Some models do not have an extra button for the camera, as it can also be deactivated via the BIOS. If this is the case with your device, then the webcam is activated in the BIOS per default (or in standby mode until an application accesses it).

On notebooks with a camera key, on the other hand, in some cases you must first activate the integrated webcam module after a system start via the corresponding hotkeys. In this case, the switch is made at the hardware level, i.e. the webcam can no longer be found in a switched-off state via the output of lsusb, for example. Other programmes will also report that they cannot detect a webcam in the system.

Note: The de-/activation does not provide any visual or acoustic feedback. TUXEDO OS itself does not yet display a notification on the desktop. For testing purposes, we therefore recommend applications such as Kamoso, Cheese, Webcamoid or the media player VLC preinstalled under TUXEDO OS, which can also address the webcam.

How to test the webcam under TUXEDO OS

1. Activate the webcam via the corresponding key combination. On most TUXEDO notebooks this is FN+F10.
2. Search for webcam in the start menu and start the application that is already preinstalled in your system, for example Kamoso under TUXEDO OS. Is a picture displayed?
3. If not, press FN+F10 again and restart the webcam application once.

Alternatively, use the media player VLC preinstalled under TUXEDO OS. After starting the programme, open the Media menu and tap on the entry Open capture device…. In the dialogue, select the capture mode Video camera and in the device selection /dev/video0 as the video device and hw:0,0 as the audio device. Click on Playback to start the display of the webcam.

Note: At the file level, TUXEDO OS numbers the audio and video devices found in the system (/dev/videoX for video, hw:X,Y for audio). If your notebook has a webcam with IR module or several input and output devices, such as another webcam connected via USB, then VLC offers more than just /dev/video0 as a video device. You may have to test here which is the right device.

If the system still does not display an image from the webcam, the camera cannot be found or there is another problem, please rule out the most common causes for this in the next step.

Possible (software) causes

Conflicts with other webcam tools

Currently, only one programme can access the webcam under TUXEDO OS. If you start a second application that wants to use the image of the webcam at the same time, conflicts will occur. Not every programme, such as the TUXEDO Control Centre, displays intuitive error messages in this case; some simply display a black image or even crash. Therefore, check whether the webcam is not already being used by a programme.

Picture is black/white and flickers

Some TUXEDO notebooks have two camera modules. More precisely, a “normal” camera sensor for the webcam image and a special infrared module to obtain depth information. Operating systems use this information to improve security when logging in via facial recognition. This prevents attackers from simply holding a photo in front of the camera and thus gaining access to the desktop.

Programmes such as Kamoso offer both webcam modules for selection. If the camera image only appears in black and white and possibly flickers, then you have most likely selected the wrong webcam module. Open the settings and adjust the camera selection accordingly – note that the names of the cameras often do not differ.

The webcam has been deactivated in the TUXEDO Control Center

Check in the TUXEDO Control Center whether the setting Webcam status (on/off) is set to on in the currently active energy profile (check box with tick).

The webcam has been deactivated in the BIOS

Check the setting in the BIOS by shutting down your TUXEDO notebook and immediately pressing the key to enter the BIOS/UEFI repeatedly after switching on the unit again. On most devices this is F2, but on some models it may also be DEL or ESC.

On most newer models, the corresponding setting is located under Advanced » Advanced Chipset Control » Device Configuration. The configuration must be set to Enabled so that the system can use the webcam. After a reboot to TUXEDO OS, the webcam should be available.

A changed or faulty system configuration

Test in a live system booted from a USB memory stick whether the webcam works. Instructions for starting a live system can be found in our Help and Support Area. In the live system, please follow the previous instructions.

Note: If the webcam does not work even in a live system (prerequisite: webcam is activated in the BIOS), please contact our Support. For quick help we need the answers to the following questions:

• In which application does the webcam not work?
• Does the webcam work, but there are image disturbances?
• Does the webcam show a picture in applications like Kamoso, Cheese or Webcamoid?
• Use the command sudo modprobe -v uvcvideo to check whether the kernel was able to load the webcam module without any problems.

Please also note the article: Why is my webcam not recognised only in software XY?

Note on Cheese

If you use Cheese and the resolution cannot be selected higher than 640 x 480 pixels, this is a known limitation of Cheese. In this case, please use one of the other webcam applications mentioned above. In the Discover package management of TUXEDO OS you will find numerous applications for the keyword “webcam”.