linux/videodev.h : no such file or directory - OpenCV on ubuntu 11.04

Question

I tried to install OpenCV2.2 on Ubuntu 11.04. But OpenCV compilation fails stating an error related to linux/videodev.h file. File available in /user/includes/linux is named videodev2.h.

/home/user/OpenCV-2.2.0/modules/highgui/src/cap_v4l.cpp:217:28: fatal error:    linux/videodev.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make[2]: *** [modules/highgui/CMakeFiles/opencv_highgui.dir/src/cap_v4l.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [modules/highgui/CMakeFiles/opencv_highgui.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

Is there a solution for this ?

thank you.

Deflation

updated version is available at https://code.ros.org/svn/opencv/trunk. And libv4l-dev is need to be installed in addition to other libraries. – Deflation

This error also occurs when compiling VXL. Alberto's answer, coupled with Niroshan's comment helped me solve it. You must make Niroshan's changes to these two files: $VXLSRC/contrib/oul/oufgl/frame_grabber_v4l.h and $VXLSRC/contrib/oul/oufgl/frame_grabber_vil.h – Lancewood

I just wanted to clarify, it is Niroshan's comment on Alberto's answer that fixes the issue for VXL. – Shortly

Answer 1

sudo apt-get install libv4l-dev

Editing for RH based systems :

On a Fedora 16 to install pygame 1.9.1 (in a virtualenv):

sudo yum install libv4l-devel
sudo ln -s /usr/include/libv4l1-videodev.h   /usr/include/linux/videodev.h 

Spillway

need to edit cap_v4l.cpp, replace #include <videodev.h> with #include <libv4l1-videodev.h> as suggested in the link provided by karlphillip – Deflation

or better yet, just create a symlink to the file named videodev.h. No patching needed. – Unhopedfor

For those googling "linux/videodev.h": I fixed a different software (https://mcmap.net/q/281632/-v4l2-very-simple-example-closed) by linking videodev.h to videodev2.h. – Lunch

How to symlink videodev.h? Well, refer to bukzor's answer below for that. – Preraphaelite

Answer 2

The current answer is incomplete. Installing libv4l-dev creates a /usr/include/linux/videodev2.h but doesn't solve the stated problem of not being able to find linux/videodev.h. The library does ship header files for compatibility, but fails to put them where applications will look for them.

sudo apt-get install libv4l-dev
cd /usr/include/linux
sudo ln -s ../libv4l1-videodev.h videodev.h

This provides a linux/videodev.h, and of the right version (1).

Mulford

This worked for me for Pygame, which will not install from pip on Ubuntu 12.10 without this. – Lloyd

I'm installing Pygame as well and this also worked for me. If you're installing Pygame via pip (and not via apt), remember to also install pygame's dependencies: askubuntu.com/questions/203630/… – Downe

also outlines in #15695253 – Preraphaelite

Answer 3

v4l support has been dropped in recent kernel versions (including the one shipped with Ubuntu 11.04).

EDIT: Your question is connected to a recent message that was sent to the OpenCV users group, which has instructions to compile OpenCV 2.2 in Ubuntu 11.04. Your approach is not ideal.

Athanasia

I have few questions, that link tells to download libcv-dev libcvaux-dev libhighgui-dev and libcv2.1 libcvaux2.1 libhighgui2.1 libraries. Don't they belong to two earlier versions of OpenCV? And later it tells to download OpenCV2.2 source code. Is this accurate? please explain me, I am not that familiar with OCV library. Thank you – Deflation

Answer 4

The patch is here: https://code.ros.org/trac/opencv/attachment/ticket/862/OpenCV-2.2-nov4l1.patch

By adding #ifdef HAVE_CAMV4L around

#include <linux/videodev.h>

in OpenCV-2.2.0/modules/highgui/src/cap_v4l.cpp and removing || defined (HAVE_CAMV4L2) from line 174 allowed me to compile.

Charmine

Answer 5

for CMake remove/disable with_libv4l with_v4l variables if you do not need this lib.

Abdullah