SDB:Setting up surveillance system with your WebCam

From openSUSE

The following article describes how to make fun and/or profit with a survellience WebCam on your (open)SUSE Linux box.

Installation

If your WebCam is not supported by the V4L drivers included in the kernel, you will probably need to look for an appropriate driver. The following site includes a comprehensive list of V4L resource avalable on the net:

http://www.exploits.org/v4l/

• From now on I assume your WebCam is up and running. Tip: If you don't know how to check it you can run the gqcam program.
• Install Apache Web Server from your CDs/DVD.
• Download and install Motion, a software motion detector. You can get it from here:

http://www.lavrsen.dk/twiki/bin/view/Motion/

It's licensed with GPLv2 or later. Installation:

$ tar -xzvf motion-?.?.?.tar.gz
$ cd motion-?.?.?.tar.gz
$ ./configure
$ make
$ su 
# make install

By default, motion gets installed to /usr/local/bin/motion, sample config file can be found in /usr/local/etc/motion-dist.conf

• Synchronize motion with Apache

• • Create the directory in which the captured images will be stored:

# mkdir /srv/www/htdocs/cam

• • Edit the configuration file so it points to this directory:

# sed -e  "s|/usr/local/apache2/htdocs/cam1|/srv/www/htdocs/cam|"\
/usr/local/etc/motion-dist.conf  > /usr/local/etc/motion.conf

• • Edit the Apache configuration file adding the following lines:

<Directory "/srv/www/htdocs/cam">
        Options Indexes
        AllowOverride Indexes
</Directory>

It's time to execute motion

morte:~ # motion
[0] Processing thread 0 - config file /usr/local/etc/motion.conf
[0] Unknown config option ...
[...]
[0] Unknown config option ...
[0] Motion going to daemon mode
morte:~ #

Done! Sit back and relax.

Example

pending ;)

Known problems

If the light density is to high, your WebCam can be saving a pictures every second, even though there is no motion.