How to install webcamd in FreeBSD 8.0 or later

I see that some people have problems installing webcamd. I like to help so I have written here how I have done it. Get the latest port tarballs for v4l_compat, libv4l, pwcview and webcamd. Also get the cuse4bsd source. Just follow the instructions in this howto to do so.

Download latest v4l_compat port at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/multimedia/v4l_compat/

tar xvzf v4l_compat.tar.gz
cd v4l_compat
sudo make install

Download latest libv4l port at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/multimedia/libv4l/

tar xvzf libv4l.tar.gz
cd libv4l
sudo make install

Download latest pwcview port at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/multimedia/pwcview/

tar xvzf pwcview.tar.gz
cd pwcview
sudo make install

Get cuse4bsd from svn and install it.

You can now use the cuse4bsd-kmod port instead if you want.

svn --username anonsvn --password anonsvn checkout svn://svn.turbocat.net/i4b/trunk/usbcam/cuse4bsd
cd cuse4bsd
sudo make all install

Install the port instead.

Download latest cuse4bsd-kmod port at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/multimedia/cuse4bsd-kmod/

tar xvzf cuse4bsd-kmod.tar.gz
cd cuse4bsd-kmod
sudo make install

Download latest webcamd port at http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/multimedia/webcamd/

tar xvzf webcamd.tar.gz
cd webcamd
sudo make install

restart devd

sudo /etc/rc.d/devd restart

Load cuse4bsd

sudo kldload cuse4bsd

Plugin your webcam and find out the ugen it is using.

dmesg

If it is ugen4.2

webcamd -d ugen4.2 -i 0 -v 0

If it is ugen2.2

webcamd -d ugen2.2 -i 0 -v 0

change permission of the video device

sudo chmod 666 /dev/video

Or you can add to:

/etc/rc.conf

devfs_system_ruleset="system"

/etc/devfs.rules

[system=10]
add path 'video*' mode 0666

Test if it is working

pwcview

I hope this helps.