Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Webcam use

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
    #1

    Webcam use

    To renew my real-estate license, I must take 3 courses. Texas has a new rule that requires the taking of a course’s final exam to be monitored. The monitoring can be done remotely using a webcam. My laptop has a webcam. I know nothing about a webcam’s use. I read on the web that I can test to see if the webcam is working by running a program called Cheese. I installed and ran Cheese. The webcam is working. My problem now is to send to the webcam’s video (of me taking the final exam) to the school over the internet. My reading on the web tells me that “streaming the webcam’s video” is the task I face.

    So I installed the program called VLC. Info on the web told me to get my webcam’s name. I did, and it's “/dev/video0”. Then it told me to run this command “vlc v4l2:///dev/video0” but without the quote marks. I did and I got a slew of errors, which I can post here if necessary. Can someone please tell me if I’m on the right track re the use of my webcam to transmit the webcam’s video to the school?
    Last edited by wtb32141; Jan 15, 2018, 02:00 AM.
    Tags: None
    • Top
    • Bottom
    #2
    You could go to https://meet.jit.si Make your own url like e.g. meet.jit.si/takinganexam The page then loads and asks your permission to access your webcam, allow that. Once you've got it streaming in the room, you can send the room address to whoever needs to monitor you.
    • Top
    • Bottom

    Comment

      #3
      You need a cross-platform program like Skype or Go-To-Meeting. "Transmitting" your camera output isn't really possible in this context as I understand it. The way this would normally work is the monitoring company would have a web page or some tool that you would use to allow them to see the stream. I would start by finding out how they want to do it, then look for a solution.

      Please Read Me
      • Top
      • Bottom

      Comment

        #4
        In addition to what Oshunluver said, if you are going to take the exam at home, using your residential Internet connection, you should check with the Terms of Service of your ISP to see if they allow you to stream from your connection. Many do not, especially if you do not have a static Internet address. If you don't have a static IP address then most likely your ISP is sharing your IP address with several other of their clients that are also on your trunk like segment. This will confuse VLC, especially if one or more of the other clients are using the port VLC is using.

        Question: Are you taking a paper exam or is the exam on a web page? IF it is a paper exam and they want someone to watch you to make sure you do not make it an "open book" exam, then Skype, or Google Hangout is your best bet. If it is a webpage exam then TeamViewer or something similar is the way to go. TeamViewer is free for personal use. How the person monitoring you gets it is up to them.

        Here are some other options
        https://www.maketecheasier.com/best-...-desktop-apps/
        Last edited by GreyGeek; Jan 16, 2018, 01:12 PM.
        "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
        – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.
        • Top
        • Bottom

        Comment

          #5
          oshunluvr and Grey Geek: Thank you for your answer and guidance. I called the company that will be giving the exam, and re the webcam, they said they will provide me with a link. That method sounds like the one Bings suggested. I like what I have seen of Jitsi, but I have had trouble finding info about Jitsi that is geared to folks like me. The 2nd paragraph of my reply to Bings elaborates this complaint.
          Last edited by wtb32141; Jan 16, 2018, 01:21 PM.
          • Top
          • Bottom

          Comment

            #6
            Bings: Thank you for your answer and guidance. I called the company that will be giving the exam, and re the webcam, they said they will provide me with a link. That method sounds like the one you suggested. I like what I have seen of Jitsi, but I have had trouble finding info about Jitsi that is geared to folks like me.

            I am a former university professor; so I have years of experience explaining things to students so that they can understand the material easily and clearly. I would like info that says: (1) Here are the things that Jitsi can do, and presents it so that folks that are new to videoconferencing (as I am) can grasp it easily, and (2) then say, "If you want to use Jitsi, then here are the things that you must do: Step 1: ..., Step 2: ..., Step 3: ..., etc." I spent much time trying to find a user's manual for Jitsi, and I finally quit out of frustration. I still want to learn about Jitsi so that I can use it. Any suggestions you may have are welcome. Thanks again for your help.
            Last edited by wtb32141; Jan 16, 2018, 01:21 PM.
            • Top
            • Bottom

            Comment

              #7
              Well...since I have had to be grueled by multiple supposed egalatarian colleges over the last many months...

              Your ONLY real problem is to determine just EXACTLY what "application" will be used by the TESTING SITE...

              You should EMAIL THEM... to determine what "technology" and "platform" they use...

              THEN try a search on the net about which kind of "things" with which they are "compliant"...

              YOU MAY BE SURPRISED about how ...badly ... the "place" WILL BE in terms of compliance...

              But...given that... It is MY...humble experience...that just about any app that KDE will support will be compliant with the "other end" but...the problem is that "the other end" has it's own,..."USUALLY" financial stuff going on about what APPLICATION and...sometimes HARDWARE...they will "accept"...

              So...nut of this...I think that any app and any mainstream hardware that you can actully run on your KDE machine will work...the question is will the other end accept it?

              IN MOST cases...yes... the "thing between you and them" is usually neutral...

              I would just contact them and ask for a "test run".

              ACTUALLY ...THEY...should have already sent you a test...

              woodjustsayin'beentheredonethatsmoke
              • Top
              • Bottom

              Comment

                #8
                Originally posted by wtb32141 View Post
                Bings: Thank you for your answer and guidance. I called the company that will be giving the exam, and re the webcam, they said they will provide me with a link. That method sounds like the one you suggested. I like what I have seen of Jitsi, but I have had trouble finding info about Jitsi that is geared to folks like me.

                I am a former university professor; so I have years of experience explaining things to students so that they can understand the material easily and clearly. I would like info that says: (1) Here are the things that Jitsi can do, and presents it so that folks that are new to videoconferencing (as I am) can grasp it easily, and (2) then say, "If you want to use Jitsi, then here are the things that you must do: Step 1: ..., Step 2: ..., Step 3: ..., etc." I spent much time trying to find a user's manual for Jitsi, and I finally quit out of frustration. I still want to learn about Jitsi so that I can use it. Any suggestions you may have are welcome. Thanks again for your help.
                Jitsi does the video conferencing. It allows users to connect to it and streams their webcam through it to others also in the room. There are other functions in the software like being able to chat via text and use a whiteboard. Once you're in, there is a toolbar in the middle at the top with a button to start streaming your camera. Just press that and anyone else in the room can see it. There are also buttons down the left hand side, you can hover your cursor over them and they will tell you what they do.

                woodsmoke is right though, the college/exam board should be providing you guidance and help on what to do.
                • Top
                • Bottom

                Comment

                  #9
                  Yesterday I called the school, and I learned that they they can monitor me using my laptop's webcam or my phone, since it has a camera. They use an app called Zoom. I downloaded it to my phone; went to my phone's Chrome browser and entered <zoom.us/test>. It worked; so I will let them monitor me via my phone. Zoom.us also has a linux version for the desktop; so I could have used my laptop's webcam.

                  I have been playing around with Jitsi, as you suggested. I found the text box at the top of the screen and the left-side icons, the top icons, and the items on the screen's top right. I used one of them to place a telephone call using my laptop. I also discovered that Jitsi has mailing lists (users being the main list). This weekend I will try to get a meeting set up and going with some neighbors of mine.

                  Thank you very much for your help, and that's addressed to everyone who responded to my initial request for help.
                  • Top
                  • Bottom

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Jitsi is just a SIP client. To place a phone call you need to purchase a VOIP service and add it to your Jitsi settings.
                    Is that how you made a test phone call?
                    I used sip:500@ekiga.net to test Jitsi’s call and video echo test.
                    "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
                    – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.
                    • Top
                    • Bottom

                    Comment

                      #11
                      "Jitsi is just a SIP client. To place a phone call you need to purchase a VOIP service and add it to your Jitsi settings.
                      Is that how you made a test phone call?"

                      No. I just clicked on the down arrow, and an option appears that says, "Call a #". I just entered my friend's mobile phone number, and it connected. He and I conversed for 2 or 3 minutes with me speaking over my laptop's mic. That's how I discovered that my laptop has a mic. After the call, I examined the specs I received when the laptop arrived and sure enough, it says my laptop has a mic and a webcam. I knew it has a webcam, but I was unaware of the mic until that phone call with my neighbor.
                      • Top
                      • Bottom

                      Comment

                        #12
                        No. I clicked on the down arrow, and an option appeared saying, "Call a #". I entered my friend's mobile number, and it connected. We conversed for several minutes. That's how I learned that my laptop has a mic. After the call, I examined the specs that came with my laptop, and sure enough it says the laptop has a mic and a webcam. I knew it had a webcam, but I was unaware of the mic.

                        I know absolutely nothing about this stuff, but the reason it worked may be because I went to the URL that Bings posted here ( https://meet.jit.si ). That is Jitsi's test site that they use to let folks like me get a feel for Jitsi's capabilities.

                        I take if from your last post that if I install Jitsi, then I will be unable to place phone calls over the internet without first signing up for (buying) a VOIP service. I see no need to do that, but I would like to know the answer.
                        Last edited by wtb32141; Jan 19, 2018, 08:32 AM.
                        • Top
                        • Bottom

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Jitsi doesn’t come with a VOIP. Do you have Google-talk installed?
                          "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
                          – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.
                          • Top
                          • Bottom

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Not on my laptop.
                            • Top
                            • Bottom

                            Comment

                              #15
                              This is puzzling. I attempted to call my iPhone number and it failed with a dialog that I must obtain a VOIP account, which Jitsi doesn’t supply.
                              "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
                              – John F. Kennedy, February 26, 1962.
                              • Top
                              • Bottom

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 template Next
                              Working...
                              X