Webcam not working on HP Truvision HD

Question

I am using an HP 15-ac650tu. Any app/google meet says can't detect any webcam . Here is the error on calling cheese or sudo cheese. Both of the commands throw the same error on the terminal and the window goes all black.

(cheese:5569): Gtk-WARNING **: 08:55:07.899: Theme parsing error: cheese.css:7:35: The style property GtkScrollbar:min-slider-length is deprecated and shouldn't be used anymore. It will be removed in a future version
** (cheese:5569): CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.980: cheese_preferences_dialog_on_source_change: assertion 'tmp2 > ((guint) 0)' failed
(cheese:5569): cheese-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.980: cheese_camera_device_get_name: assertion 'CHEESE_IS_CAMERA_DEVICE (device)' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.980: g_variant_new_string: assertion 'string != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.980: g_variant_ref_sink: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.980: g_settings_schema_key_type_check: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.981: g_variant_get_type_string: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.981: g_settings_set_value: key 'camera' in 'org.gnome.Cheese' expects type 's', but a GVariant of type '(null)' was given
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.981: g_variant_unref: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
** (cheese:5569): CRITICAL **: 08:55:11.981: cheese_preferences_dialog_setup_resolutions_for_device: assertion 'device != NULL' failed
** (cheese:5569): CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.697: cheese_preferences_dialog_on_source_change: assertion 'tmp2 > ((guint) 0)' failed
(cheese:5569): cheese-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: cheese_camera_device_get_name: assertion 'CHEESE_IS_CAMERA_DEVICE (device)' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_variant_new_string: assertion 'string != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_variant_ref_sink: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_settings_schema_key_type_check: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_variant_get_type_string: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_settings_set_value: key 'camera' in 'org.gnome.Cheese' expects type 's', but a GVariant of type '(null)' was given
(cheese:5569): GLib-CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: g_variant_unref: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
** (cheese:5569): CRITICAL **: 08:55:13.698: cheese_preferences_dialog_setup_resolutions_for_device: assertion 'device != NULL' failed
(cheese:5569): cheese-WARNING **: 08:55:13.752: Could not read from resource.: gstv4l2bufferpool.c(1040): gst_v4l2_buffer_pool_poll (): /GstCameraBin:camerabin/GstWrapperCameraBinSrc:camera_source/GstBin:bin19/GstV4l2Src:v4l2src2:
poll error 1: Invalid argument (22)

Now I have seen some similar questions on the platform but no real solution. I am on Ubuntu 18.04.5 and here are some more info.

$ hwinfo --usb
08: USB 00.0: 0000 Unclassified device
  [Created at usb.122]
  Unique ID: +rmv.PHDpAsyWur2
  Parent ID: pBe4.2DFUsyrieMD
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb2/2-5/2-5:1.0
  SysFS BusID: 2-5:1.0
  Hardware Class: unknown
  Model: "Chicony Electronics HP Truevision HD"
  Hotplug: USB
  Vendor: usb 0x04f2 "Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd"
  Device: usb 0xb50a "HP Truevision HD"
  Revision: "19.17"
  Serial ID: "200901010001"
  Driver: "uvcvideo"
  Driver Modules: "uvcvideo"
  Device File: /dev/input/event11
  Device Files: /dev/input/event11, /dev/input/by-id/usb-Generic_HP_Truevision_HD_200901010001-event-if00, /dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:5:1.0-event
  Device Number: char 13:75
  Speed: 480 Mbps
  Module Alias: "usb:v04F2pB50Ad1917dcEFdsc02dp01ic0Eisc01ip00in00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: uvcvideo is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe uvcvideo"
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #16 (Hub)

$ ls -ltr /dev/video*
crw-rw----+ 1 root video 81, 0 Apr 21 16:02 /dev/video0

$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:8000 Intel Corp. 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 04f2:b50a Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd 
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0bda:b006 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. 
Bus 002 Device 007: ID 0b0e:0305 GN Netcom 
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 413c:2107 Dell Computer Corp. 
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 413c:301a Dell Computer Corp. 
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

$ v4l2-ctl --list-devices
HP Truevision HD: HP Truevision (usb-0000:00:14.0-5):
    /dev/video0

Appreciate it if someone can throw some light on this issue.

Answer 1

EDIT: As per this, it may be a bug. Try accessing the webcam with camorama or gstreamer, and check if that works. If so, you are probably experiencing this bug.

Related:

1. https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/usb3-camera-error/83867

---

Suggestions to try solving the problem:

1. Use sudo when calling cheese (ref).

Suggestions to increase your chances of getting help and the problem solved, if the solution proposed doesn't work:

1. Post exactly what you mean by "when trying to start".

2. Post the output of the commands listed in HP Truevision HD built-in webcam not working in ubuntu 18.04

3. Whenever you post the output of a command, post the exact command that you used to produce it.

4. Focus on readability of your question. Edit and reorganize slightly if that improves readability.