Gaming How to Install a Built-in Webcam on Ubuntu?

[.Chris]

I have installed Ubuntu version 10.10, and I was wanting to install my Acer Crystal Eye Webcam. Could anyone please give me steps on how to install my Acer Crystal Eye Webcam?

And another quick question: What is the ".EXE" file for Ubuntu?

 

[Rydian]

For extra hardware drivers run the Additional/Restricted drivers (whatever it's called) in the menus.

Linux doesn't rely on file extensions the way windows does.

 

[.Chris]

For extra hardware drivers run the Additional/Restricted drivers (whatever it's called) in the menus.

Linux doesn't rely on file extensions the way windows does.

Okay thanks! That worked.

So how do i install Linux programs?

 

[Rydian]

Four ways, in order of how easy they are.

1 - Use the Software Center / Package Manager.
This is in the menus as well. It's your center for uninstalling and installing programs. Want SNES9X? Search for that (or browse the categories) and choose to install it. It'll alert you if it needs anything else (like how some windows programs need C++ runtime libraries or some DLL files), then it'll find, download, and install the whole thing for you.

2 - Add more repositories to the software center.
You may want something that's not in the base "repositories". If this is the case you may need to add the repositories it's in so your linux install knows where else to search.

3 - A package download.
Sort of the "installer" for linux. Integrates itself into the software center (for uninstallation) when done installing.

4 - Manual install.
Tends to involve command-line shit and depends on what you downloaded.

 

[Selim873]

Depends on the software, if you want general programs that are not installed, you can do this in 2 ways, you can either look in the Ubuntu Sofware Center, or you can use this command in the terminal, lets say you want to install the graphic design program called GIMP (basically a free Photoshop alternative), you would put this in the terminal.

~$ sudo apt-get install gimp

Then you put in your password, same as your login, and it'll install automatically, and in some cases, it'll install extra plugins that are required automatically as well, if prompted, answer Yes or No on some questions that may appear, you'll get used to it.

HOWEVER

If a program is NOT in the repository, have someone else help you out, because I honestly don't remember, I haven't used Ubuntu in quite a few months, and installing programs using the terminal is pretty much the only thing I can remember from the top of my head.

EDIT: Talking about repositories, if a program that you want to install is not in any repository that you've added, it won't be found+installed. This is terminal-wise.

EDIT2: And when I meant not in the repository, I mean that you downloaded a .tar.bz2 file, which is pretty much a Linux Zip file. As a beginner though, those won't be too common to you right now. Your experience with Ubuntu will gradually become more advanced, but trust me, you will barely, or even not notice. Your gonna love Linux!

 

[twiztidsinz]

I consider myself pretty tech savvy and I have no problem using the command line in Windows (grew up on DOS), but my god apt-get is a load of absolute bullshit.

sudo apt-get
downloads a bunch of stuff, then doesn't run: missing dependencies.
Google for 20 minutes to find out what you're missing
sudo apt-get somerandomfile_withzerorelation101013 /nowits /justfucking /withyou -randombullshit

Some of the stuff I had to type into the command line in Linux is just mindboggling.

 

[Selim873]

I consider myself pretty tech savvy and I have no problem using the command line in Windows (grew up on DOS), but my god apt-get is a load of absolute bullshit.

sudo apt-get
downloads a bunch of stuff, then doesn't run: missing dependencies.
Google for 20 minutes to find out what you're missing
sudo apt-get somerandomfile_withzerorelation101013 /nowits /justfucking /withyou -randombullshit

Some of the stuff I had to type into the command line in Linux is just mindboggling.

I think the best thing I've done with DOS was installing Windows 3.1, which was easier than 25% of the programs that I installed on Linux, it can be a mindfuck, but I got used to it overtime. I got pulled back into Windows 7 though, so all I remember is the apt-get command line.

Just getting Quake 3 to run WITH sound was a complete nightmare, until I found out that it ran just as well on WINE with sound... -_-

 

[Rydian]

The software center is a GUI for APT, which is why I recommend it instead of the command line.

 

[Maz7006]

The software center is a GUI for APT, which is why I recommend it instead of the command line.

i must say the software center in ubuntu 10.10 is great

"firstees" should really just stick to that.

 

[Deleted User]

I've still been tinkering around with Ubuntu as well. Most of the time there's a forum post SOMEWHERE on the Ubuntu forums that will tell you the terminal commands to install a certain program.

Try to use the Software Center unless you can find terminal commands that you can copy and paste. (If you control+c stuff, you can right-click in the terminal and paste it there). When you're entering your password in the terminal, it's important to note that it doesn't display the generic symbols; it's blank, for example, if I typed in 123456 for my password I wouldn't see anything, so you have to be aware and careful of what you're typing.

The best advice that we can give you is try to use the software center for anything you need, as it covers a comprehensive amount, but don't be afraid to search around, add repositories and get to know the terminal/command prompt even if it's just through copy & paste.

 

[twiztidsinz]

Maybe I should say something in my defense...
I have no problem using the command line in Linux, and no problem following the instructions given. The issue I have is that the commands to fix the problem don't have a relation to the problem itself.

I can't give an exact example, but I was missing a library, we'll call it libfix, to get an app working. The solution to my problem was installing gccrandom (and before anyone asks, I know what gcc is

).
I get A, I get B, and I understand C... I just have no idea how A + B + C gives X.

 

[Rydian]

Oh, you should have seen me trying to fix a sound latency issue I had. The commands I needed to run... I had to totally rip pulseaudio from my system.