[GnomeMeeting-list] Gnomemeeting on notebooks under KDE

[info <5740 mail ru>]

1.

Some weeks ago I wrote about problem with videocapture stopping, 
and Damian answer me:

> Perhaps it is your videodriver... Have you tried with a
> different camera? You could also check the debug output of
> level 3 to see if you get errors. Also check the kernel
>  messages.
>
> If both camomarama and gnomemeeting have the same problem, I
>  think it is 99% a video driver problem.

I found problem. It was no videodriver or camera, but ACPI. 

Any read attempt from /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/state (this is 
battery charge info) causes stopping of videograbbing in any 
v4l programm - gnomemeeting, camorama, and xawtv in debugging 
mode. The last say:

v4l: timeout (got SIGALRM), hardware/driver problems?
ioctl: VIDIOCSYNC(int=0): Interrupted system call
v4l: timeout (got SIGALRM), hardware/driver problems?
ioctl: VIDIOCSYNC(int=1): Interrupted system call 


This is not gnomemeeting bug, but if anyone will use 
gnomemeeting on notebook, he will have the same problem. I 
think that Damian as gnomemeeting's mainteiner must ask v4l and 
acpi maintainers to correct this bug.

Workaround solution is to kill all battery-checkers before 
starting gnomemeeting, i.e. gnomemeeting must to start from 
shell script:

#! /bin/bash
kill `ps -C "kdeinit" x | grep -v "grep" | grep "kdeinit: 
klaptopdaemon" | cut -d " " -f2`
kill `ps x | grep -v "grep" | grep "artsd" | cut -d " "  -f2`
exec /usr/bin/gnomemeeting&


2. 
Because my GUI is KDE, I had to kill artsd too. Of course, artsd 
can to capture /dev/dsp from any application to himself (via 
starting application as "artsdsp [--mmap] <application-name>"), 
but gnomemeeting isn't a single process, so it takes no effect.

This means, for example, that if I start gnomemeeting,leave it 
in tray for waiting incoming calls (I don't know who and when 
call me)  - I can't listen my favorite mp3's. 

So, IMHO, gnomemeeting needs some start parameter (something 
like "gnomemeeting --audioserver=[direct,esd,arts, etc...]") 
for compatibility with another GUI's, not only with Gnome.

3.
The next problem is a bell when somebody calls me. As I 
understand, it's gnome event, but my KDE doesn't proceed such 
events. So, call-bell doesn't work...

4. 
As I see, when I switch-on my videocam by gnomemeeting's button 
and then leave gnomemeeting in tray in "standby-for-calling", 
videocapturing continues. It takes about 10% of processor's 
time. 

IMHO, it will be better if videodevice opens only when 
gnomemeeting's window on desktop exists, and automatically 
closed when gnomemeeting is only in tray.
Analogically, microphone must be muted when gnomemeeting is in 
tray.

This is the first impressions of gnomemeeting's usage in a small 
company for videoconferencing between workers via intranet. Now 
we have 6 workplaces with gnomemeeting, and my boss can see my 
face on my workplace when I drink bear...-)

Best regards.

George