Webcam autostart

[Suncatcher]

Is it possible to to make webcam start automatically in guest OS? I mean without going to Devices menu and checking webcam checkbox.
Especially I'm interested in headless mode via VRDP.

[noteirak]

Use USB filters within the VM configuration

[Suncatcher]

Use USB filters within the VM configuration

But I cannot find my webcam among them. My laptop is Asus S500CA
How to determine which of the devices is webcam? I see one "unknown device" among them but it doesn't seem to be webcam because I tried to add it and haven't succeed.

[noteirak]

Webcam on laptop usually mean it can't be used, since they are directly locked by the host OS without a way to disconnect the webcam and get the lock on Virtualbox.

[Suncatcher]

Webcam on laptop usually mean it can't be used, since they are directly locked by the host OS without a way to disconnect the webcam and get the lock on Virtualbox.

It's sad.
But on the Windows 7 guest webcam works stable if connected manually.
Or do you mean that it's impossible to autoconnect webcam on laptops?

[noteirak]

I mean the host OS locks the webcam, and it cannot be unplugged to release the lock. So Virtualbox can never get a lock on it, and pass it to the guest.

[Suncatcher]

I mean the host OS locks the webcam, and it cannot be unplugged to release the lock. So Virtualbox can never get a lock on it, and pass it to the guest.

But as I say

But on the Windows 7 guest webcam works stable if connected manually.

I mean my Win 7 guest is running on the same laptop.
Is is a pleasent exception and undocumented feature? It shouldn't be so?

[noteirak]

So the list is not the same while the VM os running or powered off?

[Suncatcher]

So the list is not the same while the VM os running or powered off?

Yes. List is not the same. If I do not connect webcam via Devices menu list will look like this:

no cam.png (21.62 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

If I connect it, the unknown device will transform into Azurewave USB2.0 UVC HD Webcam

connected-1.png (6.67 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

Then I made some trick. I've added cam to USB filters during machine run when it recognized.

cam filter.png (36.74 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

[Suncatcher]

But trick had no sense - it haven't been connected during boot. Furthermore, if the filter is enabled it doesn't work even if connected manually.
It can be seen on screenshot - Skype tried but couldn't get picture from cam and then wrote "Cannot use. The device is busy by other program" or something similar.

connected.png (102.9 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

But I don't give up so easy and I've made some tests.
Some cases all was wonderful: the cam was connected on boot and it worked!!!
Some cases failed: the device have been unrecognized and and have been listed as "unknown usb device".
Some cases were 50/50: the device worked (when connected via Device/Webcam) but not listed correctly (the screens were made during the same boot):

yes-no.png (96.79 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

yes-no1.png (12.22 KiB) Viewed 3138 times

In some cases the device didn't worked and didn't listed correctly.

I can conclude that I wasn't able to achieve unambiguous behavior of the program.

[noteirak]

In the Device Manager in the host, do you always see the webcam under its true name when you see it as "Unknown Device" in Virtualbox?

[mpack]

AFAIK, "Unknown device" simply means that the device driver doesn't supply a readable name, just a numeric ID. It doesn't imply less functionality.

[noteirak]

Indeed, but from the OP screenshots, it is not always named "Unknown Device", so I suspect the issue being on the host.

[mpack]

Or the two menus use two different methods for obtaining the device name.

[noteirak]

That would be nasty then, and bug-prone. But AFAIK they both use the same method, being only one in the API.