NAME¶
fswebcam - Small and simple webcam for *nix.
SYNOPSIS¶
fswebcam [
<options>]
<filename>
[[
<options>]
<filename> ... ]
DESCRIPTION¶
fswebcam is a small and simple webcam app for *nix. It can capture images from a
number of different sources and perform simple manipulation on the captured
image. The image can be saved as one or more PNG or JPEG files.
The PNG or JPEG image can be sent to stdio using the filename "-". The
output filename is formatted by
strftime.
CONFIGURATION¶
Configuration File¶
- Config files use the long version of options without the
"--" prefix. Comments start with a # symbol at the beginning of
the line.
-
General Options¶
- -?, --help
- Show a usage summary.
- -c, --config
- Load options from a file. You can load more than one config
file, and can mix them with command-line arguments.
Note: This option can not be used from within a configuration file.
- -q, --quiet
- Hides all messages except errors.
- -v, --verbose
- Print extra information during the capture process.
- --version
- Print the version number and exit.
- -l, --loop <frequency>
- Continually capture images. The time between images is
specified in seconds.
- Default behaviour is to capture a single image and
exit.
- Note: The time to capture the next image is
calculated relative to the epoch, so an image will not be captured
immediately when the program is first started.
- --offset <seconds>
- Sets the offset to use when calculating when the next image
is due in loop mode. Value can be positive or negative.
- -b, --background
- Run in the background. In this mode stdout and
console logging are unavailable.
- --pid <filename>
- Saves the PID of the background process to the specified
file. Ignored when not using background mode.
- --log [file/syslog:]<filename>
- Redirect log messages to a file or syslog. For example
- --log output.log
--log file:output.log
--log syslog
- --gmt
- Use GMT instead of the local timezone when formatting text
with strftime.
Capture Options¶
- -d, --device [<prefix>:]<device
name>
- Set the source or device to use. The source module is
selected automatically unless specified in the prefix.
- Default is /dev/video0.
- Available source modules, in order of preference:
- V4L2 - Capture images from a V4L2 compatible video device.
V4L1 - Capture images from a V4L1 compatible video device.
FILE - Capture an image from a JPEG or PNG image file.
RAW - Reads images straight from a device or file.
TEST - Draws colour bars.
- -i, --input <input number or
name>
- Set the input to use. You may select an input by either
it's number or name.
- Default is "0".
- --list-inputs
- List available inputs for the selected source or
device.
- fswebcam -d v4l2:/dev/video1 --list-inputs
- -t, --tuner <tuner number>
- Set the tuner to use.
- -f, --frequency <frequency>
- Set the frequency of the selected input or tuner. The value
may be read as KHz or MHz depending on the input or tuner.
- -p, --palette <name>
- Try to use the specified image format when capturing the
image.
- Default is to select one automatically.
- Supported formats:
- PNG
JPEG
MJPEG
S561
RGB32
RGB24
BGR32
BGR24
YUYV
UYVY
YUV420P
BAYER
SGBRG8
SGRBG8
RGB565
RGB555
Y16
GREY
- -r, --resolution
<dimensions>
- Set the image resolution of the source or device. The
actual resolution used may differ if the source or device cannot capture
at the specified resolution.
- Default is "384x288".
- --fps <frames per second>
- Sets the frame rate of the capture device. This currently
only works with certain V4L2 devices.
- Default is "0", let the device decide.
- -F, --frames <number>
- Set the number of frames to capture. More frames mean less
noise in the final image, however capture times will be longer and moving
objects may appear blurred.
- Default is "1".
- -S, --skip <number>
- Set the number of frames to skip. These frames will be
captured but won't be use. Use this option if your camera sends some bad
or corrupt frames when it first starts capturing.
- Default is "0".
- -D, --delay <delay>
- Inserts a delay after the source or device has been opened
and initialised, and before the capture begins. Some devices need this
delay to let the image settle after a setting has changed. The delay time
is specified in seconds.
- -R, --read
- Use read() to capture images. This can be slower but more
stable with some devices.
- Default is to use mmap(), falling back on read() if mmap()
is unavailable.
- -s, --set
<name=value>
- Set a control. These are used by the source modules to
control image or device parameters. Numeric values can be expressed as a
percentage of there maximum range or a literal value, for example:
- --set brightness=50% --set framerate=5
- Non-numeric controls are also supported:
- --set lights=on
- V4L2 features a type of control called a 'button'. These
controls do not take any value, but trigger an action. For example:
- --set "Restore Factory Settings"
- Control names and values are not case sensitive.
- Note: Available controls will vary depending in the
source module and devices used. For more information see the
--list-controls option.
- --list-controls
- List available controls and their current values for the
selected source module and device. For example:
- fswebcam -d v4l2:/dev/video2 --list-controls
Output Options¶
- These options are performed in the order they appear on the
command line, only effecting images output later on the command line. For
example:
- fswebcam -r 640x480 output1.jpeg --scale 320x240
output2.jpeg
- Will create two images, "output1.jpeg" containing
a full resolution copy of the captured image and "output2.jpeg"
containing the same captured image but scaled to half the size.
- --no-banner
- Disable the banner.
- --top-banner
- Position the banner at the top of the image.
- --bottom-banner
- Position the banner at the bottom of the image.
- This is the default.
- --banner-colour <#AARRGGBB>
- Set the colour of the banner. Uses the web-style
hexadecimal format (#RRGGBB) to describe the colour, and can support an
alpha channel (#AARRGGBB). Examples:
- "#FF0000" is pure red.
"#80000000" is semi-transparent black.
"#FF000000" is invisible (alpha channel is at maximum).
Default is "#40263A93".
- --line-colour <#AARRGGBB>
- Set the colour of the divider line. See
--banner-colour for more information.
- Default is "#00FF0000".
- --text-colour <#AARRGGBB>
- Set the colour of the text. See --banner-colour for
more information.
- Default is "#00FFFFFF".
- --font <[file or font name]:[font
size]>
- Set the font used in the banner. If no path is specified
the path in the GDFONTPATH environment variable is searched for the font.
Fontconfig names may also be used if the GD library has support.
- If no font size is specified the default of "10"
will be used.
- Default is "sans:10".
- --no-shadow
- Disable the text shadow.
- --shadow
- Enable the text shadow.
- This is the default behaviour.
- --title <text>
- Set the main text, located in the top left of the banner.
- --no-title
- Clear the main text.
- --subtitle <text>
- Set the sub-title text, located in the bottom left of the
banner.
- --no-subtitle
- Clear the sub-title text.
- --timestamp <text>
- Set the timestamp text, located in the top right of the
banner. This string is formatted by strftime.
- Default is "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M (%Z)".
- --no-timestamp
- Clear the timestamp text.
- --info <text>
- Set the info text, located in the bottom right of the
banner.
- --no-info
- Clear the info text.
- --underlay <filename>
- Load a PNG image and overlay it on the image, below the
banner. The image is aligned to the top left.
- Note: The underlay is only applied when saving an
image and is not modified by any of the image options or effects.
- --no-underlay
- Clear the underlay image.
- --overlay <filename>
- Load a PNG image and overlay on the image, above the
banner. The image is aligned to the top left.
- Note: The overlay is only applied when saving an
image and is not modified by any of the image options or effects.
- --no-overlay
- Remove the overlay image.
- --jpeg <factor>
- Set JPEG as the output image format. The compression factor
is a value between 0 and 95, or -1 for automatic.
- This is the default format, with a factor of
"-1".
- --png <factor>
- Set PNG as the output image format. The compression factor
can be a value between 0 and 9, or -1 for automatic.
- --save <filename>
- Saves the image to the specified filename.
Note: This isn't necessary on the command-line where a filename alone is
enough to save an image.
- --revert
- Revert to the original captured image and resolution. This
undoes all previous effects on the image.
Note: This only reverts the image itself, and not options such as font,
colours and overlay.
- --flip
<direction[,direction]>
- Flips the image. Direction can be (h)orizontal or
(v)ertical. Example:
- --flip h Flips the image horizontally.
--flip h,v Flips the image both horizontally and vertically.
- --crop <dimensions[,offset]>
- Crop the image. With no offset the cropped area will be the
center of the image. Example:
- --crop 320x240 Crops the center 320x240 area of the image.
--crop 10x10,0x0 Crops the 10x10 area at the top left corner of the image.
- --scale <dimensions>
- Scale the image.
- Example: "--scale 640x480" scales the image up or
down to 640x480.
- Note: The aspect ratio of the image is not
maintained.
- --rotate <angle>
- Rotate the image in right angles (90, 180 and 270
degrees).
- Note: Rotating the image 90 or 270 degrees will swap
the dimensions.
- --deinterlace
- Apply a simple deinterlacer to the image.
- --invert
- Invert all the colours in the image, creating a negative.
- --greyscale
- Remove all colour from the image.
- --swapchannels <c1c2>
- Swap colour channels c1 and c2. Valid channels are R, G and
B -- for Red, Green and Blue channels respectively.
Example: "--swapchannels RB" will swap the red and blue channels.
- --exec <command>
- Executes the specified command and waits for it to complete
before continuing. The command line is formatted by strftime.
SIGNALS¶
- SIGHUP
- This causes fswebcam to reload it's configuration.
- SIGUSR1
- Causes fswebcam to capture an image immediately without
waiting on the timer in loop mode.
KNOWN BUGS¶
The spacing between letters may be incorrect. This is an issue with the GD
library.
REPORTING BUGS¶
Please report bugs to <phil@sanslogic.co.uk>.
SEE ALSO¶
ncftpput(1), strftime(3)
AUTHOR¶
Written by Philip Heron <phil@sanslogic.co.uk>.