Skype Webcam Issues

General support questions
desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/04 22:23:39

I saw the issue on sound cards and thought I'd post this. For a very long time I had a Logitech C525 webcam, which has never given me any problems. Soon after that raft of recent firmware updates, I went to make a Skype connection, clicked on the camera and... NOTHING!! Checked Tools --> Audio and Video Settings --> and discovered that it could not find the webcam. Checked Phonon --> Audio Setup --> Video Recording --> Test and it showed I had video. Did the same with Cheese. No problem with Cheese. Checked Skype but Skype still said no webcam detected. Unplugged the webcam and then plugged it back in; Presto!! I have a webcam. That said this was hit or miss -- sometimes it could take several minutes plugging and unplugging the webcam before I got a connection. Though unlikely that it might be something with the webcam itself, I bought a Logitech C615, also suppose to work out of the box. Plugged it in and... Nothing!!! Plugged and Unplugged it several times before I got it too to work. As was the case in the C525 both Phonon and Cheese neither had no problem showing video. Just in case it matters the version of Skype I am currently running is 8.14.0.10 Stable.

I'm curious if anyone else has had problems with Skype webcam issues of issues as of late, and if you did how did you fix it beyond plugging and unplugging the camera several times before it makes a connection.

Thanks

sqsq3
Posts: 7
Joined: 2013/11/21 20:52:13

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by sqsq3 » 2018/02/05 23:45:40

I had to fall back to skypeforlinux-8.11.0.4-1.x86_64 because the .12 and .13
versions not only had choppy sound but also wouldn't display video from the webcam
in a manner similar to the one you describe.

Cheers.

desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/06 06:40:15

sqsq3 wrote:I had to fall back to skypeforlinux-8.11.0.4-1.x86_64 because the .12 and .13
versions not only had choppy sound but also wouldn't display video from the webcam
in a manner similar to the one you describe.

Cheers.
Hummm. Great minds must think alike. That was what I was thinking too, just did not know if it would work. Now how do I download 8.11.0.4, and where can I get it??

Thanks

desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

[SOLVED ?] Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/06 08:00:01

OK I managed to get skypeforlinux-8.11.0.4-1.x86_64 re-installed but it took several attempts, but it *seems* to now be working and the webcam issue *seems* at first blush to have been solved. I am also going to advise my buddy who has microphone issues to likewise consider rolling back to skypeforlinux-8.11.0.4-1.x86_64 to see if that will fix his problems. I have disabled both skype-stable.repo and skype-unstable.repo in /etc/yum.repos.d. Hopefully someone will iron out this this webcam problem at some point. I just need to not have to worry about having to repeatedly have to plug and unplug the webcam just to get a connection.

Thanks for your help

kt53
Posts: 48
Joined: 2016/05/12 05:12:02

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by kt53 » 2018/02/07 04:39:55

Once upon a time, Skype was a light weight software that worked well. Then Micro$oft acquired it and added its Midas touch. It is now a bloated software. Here is a history of the (CentOS yum) updates since December 15th - seven updates.

2017-12-15: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.13.76.6-1 skype-stable 98 M
2018-01-04: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.13.76.8-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-23: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.76.4-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-25: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.76.8-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-26: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.1-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-02-01: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.2-1 skype-unstable 100 M
2018-02-02: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.7-1 skype-unstable 100 M


It is even updated on consecutive days!
I used it tonight and it appeared to work OK.

desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/07 08:06:17

kt53 wrote:Once upon a time, Skype was a light weight software that worked well. Then Micro$oft acquired it and added its Midas touch. It is now a bloated software. Here is a history of the (CentOS yum) updates since December 15th - seven updates.

2017-12-15: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.13.76.6-1 skype-stable 98 M
2018-01-04: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.13.76.8-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-23: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.76.4-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-25: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.76.8-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-01-26: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.1-1 skype-unstable 98 M
2018-02-01: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.2-1 skype-unstable 100 M
2018-02-02: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.15.76.7-1 skype-unstable 100 M


It is even updated on consecutive days!
I used it tonight and it appeared to work OK.
Make that at least EIGHT updates: You missed skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.0.10-1 skype-stable.
Maybe NINE updates as today there was an 8.15.x.y skype-stable.

For the time being I'm going to stick with skypeforlinux-8.11.0.4-1.x86_64 which I know works. I wonder if all those updates were over the webcam issue?

kt53
Posts: 48
Joined: 2016/05/12 05:12:02

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by kt53 » 2018/02/10 02:08:11

No, I do not believe that I have missed any versions.
If you look at the version history, you see that all of them have the sub-version number 76. Same for the latest one tonight:

2018-02-09 skypeforlinux x86_64 8.16.76.1-1 skype-unstable 100 M

So perhaps (pure guess) yum takes a look at computer hardware and pulls the correct repo. This could be the reason I have not had problems.
Trust in yum.

desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/10 10:04:20

kt53 wrote:No, I do not believe that I have missed any versions.
If you look at the version history, you see that all of them have the sub-version number 76. Same for the latest one tonight:

2018-02-09 skypeforlinux x86_64 8.16.76.1-1 skype-unstable 100 M

So perhaps (pure guess) yum takes a look at computer hardware and pulls the correct repo. This could be the reason I have not had problems.
Trust in yum.
EXCELLENT Observation!! Though I tried one (can't remember which one) from the unstable tree and still had webcam problems. It also begs the question why M$ is releasing so many versions on the unstable tree -- that many suggests that there must be something very wrong they are trying to fix. Out of sheer curiosity -- an occupational hazard for cats of all stripes -- which webcam are you using??

desertcat
Posts: 843
Joined: 2014/08/07 02:17:29
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by desertcat » 2018/02/10 10:17:20

kt53 wrote:No, I do not believe that I have missed any versions.
If you look at the version history, you see that all of them have the sub-version number 76. Same for the latest one tonight:

2018-02-09 skypeforlinux x86_64 8.16.76.1-1 skype-unstable 100 M

So perhaps (pure guess) yum takes a look at computer hardware and pulls the correct repo. This could be the reason I have not had problems.
Trust in yum.

Hummmmm. While I was looking I noticed that in the stable-tree the versions all seem to have the sub-version number of .0. as in skypeforlinux x86_64 8.14.0.10-1 skype-stable. Maybe -- pure guess -- .76. indicates the unstable-tree and the .0. indicates the stable-tree.

kt53
Posts: 48
Joined: 2016/05/12 05:12:02

Re: Skype Webcam Issues

Post by kt53 » 2018/02/10 16:28:33

May be, but the update on December 15th was a "stable" release.

2017-12-15: skypeforlinux x86_64 8.13.76.6-1 skype-stable 98 M

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