ZONEMINDER

Zoneminder is an amazing tool for monitoring and recording security cameras. Until this program came out to Unix use every where, only Windows applications where available. Of course Zoneminder is totally free. Ive successfully setup Zoneminder many times in the passed using UBUNTU Linux and an old capture card, but a few days ago I bought a nice cheep card and some cameras from eBay and wanted to use these instead of my usual rig. Problem was the card only performed in NTSC grey. Im a PAL RGB32 kind of guy, so I went on the net (as you do) looking for answer. Im pleased to announce that I have solved all my problems and I am writing this peace partly so that I can refer back to it at some later date and partly because I saw so many other soles looking for the same answers as me. Maybe this will help them too.

Setting Up (My way)

Now I know that there will be purists out there who say to down load the Zoneminder tar files and build the project yourself. Great, if thats your bag, go nuts. Im a lazy hack from way back who is just looking for results so this is my way. First of all, get yourself a really old PC. One who has been in the shed for years and has been waiting for a project just like this. Zoneminder uses a lot of hard drive space when its recording and a full HD does funning this to Linux, so I would get a big HD or have a big second HD just for Zoneminder. Next install UBUNTU LiveCD. Why live I hear you ask? The live CD is installable too, but it will allow you to check all of your hardware before making the final commitment. Check that UBUNTU finds you network card (ether or wifi), that it likes your video card. Even check that there is nothing you want to keep on that HD before you blow it all away. Does it find your cheap video capture card? After you have tested the above variables, install UBUNTU onto you PC for real. You can also download that latest Zoneminder LiveCD for testing purposes but I dont suggest you install it (I had some trouble with the install). UBUNTU by its self is a great OS, but wont do much with your cameras. I suggest (after you test the internet of course) you install these additional apps. 1 apt-get update 2 apt-get install ssh 3 apt-get install xawtv 4 apt-get install vim 5 apt-get install Zoneminder !!! The first prepares apt-get, the next installs sshd so that you can leave your cold shed and carry on inside on your laptop in the warm (you all know what I mean). Xawtv is a great video test tool and Zoneminder offcourse is why we are here. Vim is a quick and dirty editing tool. Like all things new, first youll hate it, later youll lean to work with it.

VIM commands
Vim is the UBUNTU version of Vi. It works the same way, but I found that vi in UBUNTU is very hard to use so install vim. vim /etc/zm/apache.conf copy the contents of this file. vim /etc/apache2/httpd.conf use the arrow to scroll down to the bottom type i paste contents of last file to the bottom of this file. Type esc Type wq

Setting Up Zoneminder
There are a few things that Zoneminder needs before you can use it. What you have to understand is that Zoneminder is not just one program, but one who brings many apps together (apps like Appache2 and VFL2). There will be some security issues so you need to be root so at the prompt type, sudo passwd root type your regular pass word type your new root pass word twice. Su Type yout root pass word. Done. adduser www-data video

Open Firefox
In your browsers address bar type 127.0.0.1/zm (if you on the Zoneminder machine) or if in your nice warm house, type the address of the ZM machine. This is a guide only 10.0.0.1/zm

Zoneminder may try to find the cams for you, but if it doesnt, dont panic. Click Add New Monitor,

Click on Source,

Note that /dev/video should be /dev/video0. The Device Channel is the capture card input starting at 0. Depending where you live will depend on what Device Format you will use, here in Aus we use PAL. Capture Palette may cause you some problems, if it does, start with GREY. The next 2 are safe sizes so to begin with use 320 and 240. Click Save. Back on the first page the Function must say at least Monitor. Moncord as mine is, is to monitor and record. Click on one of the cams (as long as they are not red) and another window should open like this,

The red or blue squares mean no video source or no cam. If none of this works out, check out the next section.

Problems
Q. I cant connect to the web page, it says page not found. A. you need to check that Apache is running and that permissions are correct. Hopefully you followed alone higher up. Try just adding your servers IP address into the address bar, does it say It Works? make sure you added, adduser www-data video and that you copied the /etc/zm/apache.conf into /etc/apache2/httpd.conf file. Lets restart apache with /etc/init.d/apache2 restart and Zoneminder with /etc/init.d/Zoneminder restart. Did that help? Q. I dont get video from the cam even though I do get a web page up, the cam lines are red. A. This is where xawtv comes in handy, but first you need to stop Zoneminder (its using the capture card), /etc/init.d/Zoneminder stop. Start xawtv, does it find the video capture card, any video, what does it look like? Q. I get video but its tawn unless I use grey only, but these are colour cams? A. Zoneminder has found your card, but the kernel has loaded the wrong driver for your chipset. A. stop Zoneminder as above, at the prompt type > rmmod bttv wait for it to confirm, then type modprobe bttv card=77 and wait for a response. Q. Thats great but when I restart it goes back. How do I make the change perminat? A. Use vim again, vim /etc/modprobe.d/bttv inside the file add, Options bttv card=77 Q. Offcourse this only works if my card uses a bttv chipset, what if it doesnt? A. Choose your card value from the table below. Q. Ok it works great, but the picture still tears, what do I need to do now? A. I found this to be a sync problem inside Zoneminder and here is how I fixed it.

Click Options then Config,

Change ZM_CAPTURES_PER_FRAME from 1 to the number of cams and click Save. You will need to restart Zoneminder. /etc/init.d/Zoneminder restart. Try RGB24 or 32 again, it works !!!!

A.

List of Values

card=0 - *** UNKNOWN/GENERIC *** card=1 - MIRO PCTV card=2 - Hauppauge (bt848) card=3 - STB, Gateway P/N 6000699 (bt848) card=4 - Intel Create and Share PCI/ Smart Video Recorder III card=5 - Diamond DTV2000 card=6 - AVerMedia TVPhone card=7 - MATRIX-Vision MV-Delta card=8 - Lifeview FlyVideo II (Bt848) LR26 card=9 - IMS/IXmicro TurboTV card=10 - Hauppauge (bt878) card=11 - MIRO PCTV pro card=12 - ADS Technologies Channel Surfer TV (bt848) card=13 - AVerMedia TVCapture 98 card=14 - Aimslab Video Highway Xtreme (VHX) card=15 - Zoltrix TV-Max card=16 - Prolink Pixelview PlayTV (bt878) card=17 - Leadtek WinView 601 card=18 - AVEC Intercapture card=19 - Lifeview FlyVideo II EZ /FlyKit LR38 Bt848 (capture only) card=20 - CEI Raffles Card card=21 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98/ Lucky Star Image World ConferenceTV LR50 card=22 - Askey CPH050/ Phoebe Tv Master + FM card=23 - Modular Technology MM201/MM202/MM205/MM210/MM215 PCTV, bt878 card=24 - Askey CPH05X/06X (bt878) [many vendors] card=25 - Terratec TerraTV+ Version 1.0 (Bt848)/ Terra TValue Version 1.0/ Vobis TV-Boostar card=26 - Hauppauge WinCam newer (bt878) card=27 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98/ MAXI TV Video PCI2 LR50 card=28 - Terratec TerraTV+ Version 1.1 (bt878) card=29 - Imagenation PXC200 card=30 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98 LR50 card=31 - Formac iProTV, Formac ProTV I (bt848) card=32 - Intel Create and Share PCI/ Smart Video Recorder III card=33 - Terratec TerraTValue Version Bt878 card=34 - Leadtek WinFast 2000/ WinFast 2000 XP card=35 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98 LR50 / Chronos Video Shuttle II card=36 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98FM LR50 / Typhoon TView TV/FM Tuner card=37 - Prolink PixelView PlayTV pro card=38 - Askey CPH06X TView99 card=39 - Pinnacle PCTV Studio/Rave card=40 - STB TV PCI FM, Gateway P/N 6000704 (bt878), 3Dfx VoodooTV 100 card=41 - AVerMedia TVPhone 98 card=42 - ProVideo PV951 card=43 - Little OnAir TV card=44 - Sigma TVII-FM card=45 - MATRIX-Vision MV-Delta 2 card=46 - Zoltrix Genie TV/FM card=47 - Terratec TV/Radio+ card=48 - Askey CPH03x/ Dynalink Magic TView card=49 - IODATA GV-BCTV3/PCI card=50 - Prolink PV-BT878P+4E / PixelView PlayTV PAK / Lenco MXTV-9578 CP card=51 - Eagle Wireless Capricorn2 (bt878A) card=52 - Pinnacle PCTV Studio Pro card=53 - Typhoon TView RDS + FM Stereo / KNC1 TV Station RDS card=54 - Lifeview FlyVideo 2000 /FlyVideo A2/ Lifetec LT 9415 TV [LR90] card=55 - Askey CPH031/ BESTBUY Easy TV card=56 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98FM LR50 card=57 - GrandTec 'Grand Video Capture' (Bt848) card=58 - Askey CPH060/ Phoebe TV Master Only (No FM) card=59 - Askey CPH03x TV Capturer card=60 - Modular Technology MM100PCTV card=61 - AG Electronics GMV1 card=62 - Askey CPH061/ BESTBUY Easy TV (bt878)

card=63 - ATI TV-Wonder card=64 - ATI TV-Wonder VE card=65 - Lifeview FlyVideo 2000S LR90 card=66 - Terratec TValueRadio card=67 - IODATA GV-BCTV4/PCI card=68 - 3Dfx VoodooTV FM (Euro), VoodooTV 200 (USA) card=69 - Active Imaging AIMMS card=70 - Prolink Pixelview PV-BT878P+ (Rev.4C,8E) card=71 - Lifeview FlyVideo 98EZ (capture only) LR51 card=72 - Prolink Pixelview PV-BT878P+9B (PlayTV Pro rev.9B FM+NICAM) card=73 - Sensoray 311 card=74 - RemoteVision MX (RV605) card=75 - Powercolor MTV878/ MTV878R/ MTV878F card=76 - Canopus WinDVR PCI (COMPAQ Presario 3524JP, 5112JP) card=77 - GrandTec Multi Capture Card (Bt878) card=78 - Jetway TV/Capture JW-TV878-FBK, Kworld KW-TV878RF card=79 - DSP Design TCVIDEO card=80 - Hauppauge WinTV PVR card=81 - GV-BCTV5/PCI card=82 - Osprey 100/150 (878) card=83 - Osprey 100/150 (848) card=84 - Osprey 101 (848) card=85 - Osprey 101/151 card=86 - Osprey 101/151 w/ svid card=87 - Osprey 200/201/250/251 card=88 - Osprey 200/250 card=89 - Osprey 210/220 card=90 - Osprey 500 card=91 - Osprey 540 card=92 - Osprey 2000 card=93 - IDS Eagle card=94 - Pinnacle PCTV Sat card=95 - Formac ProTV II (bt878) card=96 - MachTV card=97 - Euresys Picolo card=98 - ProVideo PV150 card=99 - AD-TVK503 card=100 - Hercules Smart TV Stereo card=101 - Pace TV & Radio Card card=102 - IVC-200 card=103 - Grand X-Guard / Trust 814PCI card=104 - Nebula Electronics DigiTV