Camera app not working on Fairphone 2

Emphrath

Hey everyone ! My camera on FP2 works with native app and always has. That said, a few indications: first off, FP2 is flawed in many regards, and hardware keeps on failing. You must be knowing that if you had the thing for a while. Presently, it's my SD port which is failing. I lost the habit of blaming UT for hardware-related bugs since most of the times I reverted to Android, the issue was still there. So you might want to check... Hopefully most of these issues can be fixed by cleaning the contacts / applying cardboard on relevant parts... The joys and despairs of having a modular phone. Then I have to say I had the same message popping up sometimes and I solved it with a bit of voodoo: have the menu with "allowed apps" opened, run the app (and obviously be patient) close it, reopen it, reboot the phone, reboot unity and so on - eventually you'll get the option to allow the app. At least that's what happened for me. Finally something might have gone wrong in your installation and I see no reason why a fresh install wouldn't fix it.

Keneda

@AppLee said in Camera app not working on Fairphone 2:

No surprise here everything is stated on the devices page.

No it's not, as i already stated here, an "orange bar more or less filled" doesn't tell nothing about what works and not.

https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/

My MX4, legacy, is far from full bar and i don't even know what shouln't work, all i know, and i learned it on this forum, not on device page, is i don't have native flashlight feature in indicator bar, but even on canonical uTouch i didn't have, then i use uTorch from the beginning, five years ago.

Rob_S

@Tellina I tried uninstalling it, deleting the .cache content, and the relevant .config folder. Rebooted it, and reinstalled it. No luck. I switched it from the Stable channel to Edge (took a while), then repeated the process. Still not working.

Perhaps it is not the Camera-app software that is the problem. I wonder what the best way is to check that the camera drivers are working properly and / or the camera hardware is working? If I use the command:

ls -ltrh /dev/video*

.. then a whole load of camera devices are listed:

/dev/video0
/dev/video1
/dev/video2
/dev/video32
/dev/video33
/dev/video34
/dev/video35
/dev/video38
/dev/video39

This doesn't look right to me.

AppLee

@Keneda
I was referring to the OnePLus 3T, each device's page is different.
Sure it could be more consistent, but my post reffered to my previous one about the 3T.

In this case, the camera issue is clearly stated with the know workaround.

But we're getting off topic.
The OP was about the FP2, what's strange is that not every devices have the same behavior, so I tend to point to a hardware problem.

Keneda

@AppLee
Hardware behavior depends on software driving it, whatever software it is (firmware, os, driver, app, etc... whatever)
I don't say it's easy to make it work properly, i'm just saying.

AppLee

@Keneda
For end users it's always: "I don't care it has to work"
But when we're dealing with blobs we can't do anything, so impossible exists in this case and your logic is reverse...

The hardware gives options to the upper layer and so on. Not the other way around.

A Former User

@Rob_S . Hi, I failed to create a video by using the CAMERA app. It was similar to your descrition.

Then I opened the media player "MEDIENWIEDERGABE" and selected the CAMERA app.

First I noticed: Picture did not freeze.
Second: Was able to record a video by pressing the red button.
Third: Video was saved, and could be replayed.
Fourth: I was also able to create now a video in the CAMERA app.

So it seems to me it was at least on my side it was an issue with permissions & by choosing the camera app in the media player solved this.
Maybe you can also try it this way. Good luck.

@Keneda: Many thanks for your input how to retrieve a log.

Update:
Issue solved for VollaPhone. (UT: 2020-10-17/2, channel: dev)

Camera app is working for photos and videos.
Flashlight is working as well.
Zoom is working

Keneda

@AppLee said in Camera app not working on Fairphone 2:

@Keneda
For end users it's always: "I don't care it has to work"

I'm not that kind, in other way uTouch wouldn't be my only phone os since five years now.

But when we're dealing with blobs we can't do anything, so impossible exists in this case and your logic is reverse..

Blob is software, ok it's closed source crap, but software.

The hardware gives options to the upper layer and so on. Not the other way around.

The manufacturer crap hardware closed drivers "gives you options" here.

Rob_S

@Tellina thanks for your suggestion. I gave it a try, and it wasn't altogeter unsuccessful. I discovered in the process that if I touch the selfie camera button, it hangs for 10+ seconds, then comes to life. I feel like I've made a bit of progress. Still not working pointing forwards though. Also still no apps have permission to use the camera. Does snybody know if the forward and backward camera are the same piece of hardware or not?

AppLee

@Rob_S said in Camera app not working on Fairphone 2:

Does snybody know if the forward and backward camera are the same piece of hardware or not?

Definitely not the same hardware. One camera for the front, another for the back.
In between the hardware and the blob used it can be anything, but probably two devices...

Rob_S

@AppLee Ok thx, figured as much.

Rob_S

Can anyone tell me how / where app permissions are stored in UT? Or else where I can go to find this info? I'd like to go in through the terminal and just add the camera permission to the camera app somehow, and see if this gets it working.

AppLee

@Rob_S
It's something like: Settings/Security and privacy/App permission

Rob_S

@AppLee Thanks. I know how to do it through the interface but it won't let me, as it is greyed out and says that 0 apps have granted permission to the camera. I want to override this through a terminal, by editing the appropriate config file, or database entry or whatever. I am new to Ubuntu Touch, and my background is in PHP and MySQL, so how to do this is a bit of a mystery to me. I do have extensive experience with Ubuntu 16.04 though, and using the command line.

AppLee

@Rob_S
Oh, so I don't know.

What I do know is that I had this problem with my Nexus5 and without thinking too much about it solved it by rebooting the device.
While thinking about it, I suppose that the driver crashed/froze and that a reboot fixed all this.
It happened only a couple time in OTA 10 or 11, never since OTA 12, but who knows.

Emphrath

@AppLee same here on FP2

jezek

Hello. I have an FP2 on rc channel and camera woks as expected.

Some time ago I had some camera issues. Everything went alright only after full reinstall with installer, without wipe. If not working after, try full reinstall with wipe as last resort (after some backup).

There was also the "can't play videos I recorded" issue sometimes. I don't fully recall how I fixed it, but I think, reinstall and/or some cache deletion was involved. Maybe I can write te instructions down, if it happens again (and I don't forget).

Rob_S

@jezek OK great, I didn't know that was an option. I'll give it a go.

A Former User

@Rob_S Hello, is your issue resolved?

Today I was able the first time to make pictures and videos with my VollaPhone/GS290.

This means to switch from photo to video in camera app and create a video without freezing.
The issue, occurs when the aspect ratio of the image sections is different between photo and video.

This problem has not fully fixed yet (because of course they can differ) but here is a workaround. Please find the settings I made in camera app. I don´t want to state that these are the only one. They are just working. So never change a running system.

Photo: Storage: Save to sd-card; 16:9 (9.4MP); Normal quality; HDR: off

Video: Storage: Save to sd-card; 1080p

Flash light currently not available for VollaPhone.

Remark: Not sure that it has an effect where to store the pictures & videos. But I assume it is better to have them in the same place... .
Ubuntu 16.04 (2020-09-26)