Bug#347328: Please disable kernel pwc (Philips USB webcam) module by default

[Sven Luther <sven.luther@wanadoo.fr>]

On Tue, Jan 10, 2006 at 01:31:50AM -0330, Lawrence Williams wrote:
> Package: linux-2.6
> Severity: important
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am asking for the in-kernel pwc module (Philips USB webcam) to be disabled 
> by default, as it doesn't work with the majority of their webcam chipsets 

Nope wrong, they just don't uncompress the data flow, which should be
uncompressed in userland. The problem is that none of the userland tools do
this yet.

> commonly in use. More importantly, it also conflicts with the resulting 
> package built from the source contained in the pwc-source package (two 
> different pwc.ko files placed in 2 different modules dir for the same kernel 
> version... during modprobe, kernel picks their version always ).

The third-party pwc module is supposed to provide pre-built modules for
official kernels, which do the right with regard to packaging and diverts the
kernel pwc module so everything works fine. If this is not the case, then it
is a pwc bug, but i believe this not to be the case.

> It would save pwc users alot of time, as no kernel rebuild would be needed, 
> and a pwc-modules package could work from a fresh install :)

Just install the right package should do the trick. Having a userland library
for uncompressing the data from the kernel pwc module and passing it
transparently to the other userland apps would be the better solution though,
not sure how this works though.

Friendly,

Sven Luther