How to use the command fswebcam (with examples)

fswebcam is a small and simple webcam for *nix operating systems. It allows users to capture images from their webcams and save them as image files. The command provides several options to customize the image capture process, such as specifying the resolution, selecting the webcam device, and adding a timestamp to the image.

Use case 1: Take a picture

Code:

fswebcam filename

Motivation:

Taking a picture with fswebcam is as easy as running the command followed by the desired filename. This use case is useful when you want to quickly capture an image without any customization.

Explanation:

• filename: Specifies the desired name for the image file to be created.

Example output:

The fswebcam command successfully saves the captured image as image.jpg in the current directory.

Use case 2: Take a picture with custom resolution

Code:

fswebcam -r widthxheight filename

Motivation:

Sometimes you may want to capture images with specific resolutions. By using the -r option followed by the desired width and height separated by ‘x’, you can customize the resolution of the captured image.

Explanation:

• -r widthxheight: Sets the resolution for the captured image. Replace width and height with the desired numeric values.

Example output:

Running fswebcam -r 800x600 image.jpg captures an image with a resolution of 800x600 pixels and saves it as image.jpg.

Use case 3: Take a picture from a selected device

Code:

fswebcam -d device filename

Motivation:

If your system has multiple webcam devices, you can use the -d option to specify the desired device to capture the image from. By default, fswebcam uses /dev/video0.

Explanation:

• -d device: Specifies the device to be used for capturing the image. Replace device with the desired webcam device identifier.

Example output:

Using fswebcam -d /dev/video1 image.jpg captures an image from the device /dev/video1 and saves it as image.jpg.

Use case 4: Take a picture with timestamp

Code:

fswebcam --timestamp timestamp filename

Motivation:

Adding a timestamp to the captured image can be helpful for record-keeping purposes or when you need to associate a specific time with the image. The --timestamp option allows you to include a timestamp on the image file, formatted by strftime.

Explanation:

• --timestamp timestamp: Specifies the timestamp to be added to the image. Replace timestamp with the desired format using strftime formatting.

Example output:

Running fswebcam --timestamp "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S" image.jpg captures an image with the current date and time in the format “YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS” appended to the image file name. For example, the image file may be saved as image_2022-01-01 12:34:56.jpg.

Conclusion:

fswebcam is a versatile command-line tool for capturing images with a webcam on *nix operating systems. By using the various options available, you can customize the resolution, device, and timestamp of the captured image. Whether you need a quick snapshot or a detailed image, fswebcam provides the flexibility to meet your requirements.