Install Hercules Webcam Deluxe and use it with Skype

Hi folks!

This is a summarize post in order to install successfully the Hercules Webcam Deluxe or another webcam compatible with the ov51-jpeg module, and use it with Skype without problems with Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron).

0. First of all, we have to install the linux headers for the current version of the kernel

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r`

1. Then, we will proceed to install Skype using the mediubuntu repository (skip if already installed)

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/hardy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install skype-static

2. To install the module (driver) of the webcam, run the following command

wget http://www.rastageeks.org/downloads/ov51x-jpeg/ov51x-jpeg-1.5.9.tar.gz && tar -xvf ov51x-jpeg-1.5.9.tar.gz && cd ov51x-jpeg-1.5.9 && make && sudo make install && sudo depmod -A && sudo modprobe ov51x-jpeg

3. In order to use the webcam together with Skype we have to add the option "options ov51x-jpeg forceblock=1" to the file /etc/modprobe.d/options. We will do this running this command

echo "options ov51x-jpeg forceblock=1" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/options

Ok, I hope I could help somebody. Have fun ;)