Strange webcam failure and 'fix'

[Alexis <flexibeast@gmail.com>]

Hi all,

i have a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000, which i use with the Jitsi
voice/video client. Occasionally it stops working, such that my laptop -
an Asus K53E running 64-bit Wheezy + all available updates - doesn't
appear to detect it at all (as per the output of e.g. `lsusb`). Leaving
the cam plugged in and soft-restarting the laptop makes no difference,
nor does hard-restarting the laptop. Unplugging the cam and soft- or
hard-restarting the laptop before plugging it back in makes no
difference either.

What /does/ make a difference, however, is simply plugging the cam into
a USB port of a desktop machine - an Ipex Augsburg 0431 running 32-bit
Wheezy + all available updates - waiting a few moments, then unplugging
it from the desktop machine and plugging it back into the laptop,
whereupon it's immediately detected and available for use.

Can anyone offer any insights as to what might be happening here?


Alexis.