Web Skype, Vivaldi and built in cameras

[grump_fiddle_reinstall]

OK so I have managed to get Web Skype (https://web.skype.com) to work with a PinePhone. The PinePhone appears to be fast enough to work with video chat with a Trust 640x480 resolution webcam for outgoing video and HD video incoming from a low end Android smartphone. This is over a slow 4G internet connection. 

To get it to work with video and sound I had to install the Vivaldi browser and connect an external keyboard with trackpad and an external USB webcam via the PinePhone USB-C dongle.

After connecting up the required hardware and installing Vivaldi, open Vivialdi on the PinePhone and go to web.skype.com. Log in with Skype account A. On another device log into Skype (web or client) using account B.

Call the PinePhone from the other device (account B) using the video chat button. When the call is picked up by the PinePhone (it can take a while before it responds to the incoming Skype call and it takes a while pick up the call after you have clicked on the video chat icon) you have to click on a tiny icon in the address field of Vivaldi to allow access to the microphone. If you are lucky then the icon allowing you to grant access to the external USB webcam will appear at the same time. When both are clicked then you should end up in a video chat with the other device. 

I was unable to get these icons to respond to clicks on the touchscreen on the PinePhone hence use of the external keyboard/trackpad. A USB mouse would probably be sufficient for the two clicks. Vivaldi appears to remember the settings if the USB webcam remains connected and the phone or browser are restarted.

If you cannot get the external USB webcam recognised at first and the mic is working, stay in the call and click on the three dots menu at the bottom right hand side of the video chat window. You should be able to go to the Video and Sound settings and if you are lucky then you can select the external USB webcam there. Rinse and repeat if it doesn't work first time. 

So, as the PinePhone is fast enough for video chat it is worth trying to solve the next problem. Can I get this working with either of the built in cameras on the PinePhone, preferably the on that faces you when you are looking at the screen? 

According to "Settings --> Privacy --> Camera" on the PinePhone nothing has asked to use the onboard cameras. Same for the onboard microphone. Is this a driver issue? Config issue? Any known workarounds?

The version of Mobian I am using is a build from about two weeks ago, running off an SD card.

[beta-user]

I hope this is possible, but even in Megapixels on Mobian the camera doesn't always work for me. I've never tried to use it in any other apps though.

[beta-user]

@grump_fiddle_reinstall I tried Jitsi in Firefox and it didn't ask me for camera either. Only for microphone. It doesn't seem to detect the built-in camera.

[grump_fiddle_reinstall]

@grump_fiddle_reinstall I tried Jitsi in Firefox and it didn't ask me for camera either. Only for microphone. It doesn't seem to detect the built-in camera.

I generally have that problem with Firefox under Linux on PCs. It is not supported by Skype in any case. I have had similar problems with Zoom like web browser based video chat systems. I have to admit I didn't actually try to see if FireFox will work with a USB external webcam connected to the PinePhone. I can try that today. 

As it appears that accessing the onboard cameras is a problem I will mosey on over to mobian forums to see if there is any useful information there.

[pothos]

The PinePhone camera setup is special as it uses V4L2 subdevices. The only way to get them supported in most applications is to add support for them in libcamera (which applications are slowly migrating to).

[beta-user]

The PinePhone camera setup is special as it uses V4L2 subdevices. The only way to get them supported in most applications is to add support for them in libcamera (which applications are slowly migrating to).

So at least there is hope. Any idea if anyone is working on it?

[rocket2nfinity]

The PinePhone camera setup is special as it uses V4L2 subdevices. The only way to get them supported in most applications is to add support for them in libcamera (which applications are slowly migrating to).

So at least there is hope. Any idea if anyone is working on it?

A lead developer at UBports is hard at work on it. It's for Ubuntu Touch, but will work on other distros and devices.

[grump_fiddle_reinstall]

The PinePhone camera setup is special as it uses V4L2 subdevices. The only way to get them supported in most applications is to add support for them in libcamera (which applications are slowly migrating to).

So at least there is hope. Any idea if anyone is working on it?

A lead developer at UBports is hard at work on it. It's for Ubuntu Touch, but will work on other distros and devices.

Ok that sounds hopeful. If the onboard cameras can be made to work with browser based video calling (as offered by Wire or Skype) then a PinePhone Pro would have almost everything I need to be able to replace a cheap Android phone as my main phone.