Attempting to import photos into my Ubuntu system with f-spot, the import window opens, but contains the text:
An error occurred in the io-library (‘Bad parameters’): Could not find USB device (vendor 0x4a9, product 0x30f2). Make sure this device is connected to the computer.
Something is definitely wrong with the permissions, my account can’t read the camera, but root can:
ajft@fafnir:/dev/bus/usb$ lsusb
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05a9:0511 OmniVision Technologies, Inc. OV511 WebCam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
ajft@fafnir:/dev/bus/usb$ sudo lsusb
Bus 005 Device 017: ID 04a9:30f2 Canon, Inc.
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05a9:0511 OmniVision Technologies, Inc. OV511 WebCam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
I’m beginning to suspect that my computer system that has been through three hardware boxes — wyvern P100 and PIII, fafnir — and Redhat to Debian to Ubuntu upgrades has quite possibly got some oddities in the group memberships!
Solution was to add my account to the group plugdev (in /etc/group
. I wonder how many other groups user accounts get placed into in Ubuntu that my pre-existing account isn’t in?