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It is easy to setup a video conference by using ekiga.


1. Plug your USB webcam. (See the list of webcams supported on opensolairs)

You then should have the device file /dev/video0 created automatically.


2. Configure ekiga with GUI.

When the first time running Ekiga or you click Ekiga menu
Edit -> Configuration Druid, you can see a dialog pop up. After click
"Forward" button for a couple of times, you see a dialog to ask for an
account, you can just click "I do not want to sign up for the ekiga.net
free service", and then go forward. When you are asked for choosing
"Video Manager", please choose V4L2. After these configuration steps,
you
can see the application window, and then click the video camera button
to see
the video. Now you will see the local video captured by your usb webcam.


3. To connect with others to see the remote video.

It is easy to use h323 protocol to connect two PCs. Just one step:


In the address blank of Ekiga main window, type:
h323:hostname,
or
h323:ip-address, e.g., h323:192.111.111.1

The hostname or ip address belong to the PC that you want to call. Then type return or click the call button to issue the call. After the peer accepted the call, then you are connected. Remote video will be displayed on both sides.


Note: If ekiga can not detect the webcam but the /dev/video0 file is already created, it might be the file permission problem. The access to /dev/video0 is
granted to login user only. So, if you are running ekiga using another user
name, then ekiga can not detect the webcam. Just change the user to the
login user will make it work.


Tips: After you are connected, clicked the "View" menu to try various ways of displaying remote/local video or zoom the video.