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usb-camera-webui/README.md
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mikkeli d4eebf79f6 Add MJPEG camera server with systemd deployment
- camera/capture.py: V4L2 mmap-based MJPEG frame capture with background thread
- camera/mjpeg.py: MJPEG streaming server (multipart/x-mixed-replace) + minimal web UI
- camera/app.py: Entry point with argument parsing and signal handling
- pyproject.toml: uv project config (no external dependencies)
- camera-webui.service: systemd unit for native Pi deployment
- README.md: Updated for systemd-only direction with install instructions
2026-08-06 01:17:26 +09:00

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usb-camera-webui

Live MJPEG video feed from a USB webcam, served through a minimal web UI, running on a Raspberry Pi 5.

Quick start

# Ensure the v4l2 Python bindings are installed
sudo apt install -y python3-v4l2

# Run directly
python3 -m camera.app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080

Open http://localhost:8080 in a browser.

Systemd service

The app runs natively on the Pi via a systemd unit.

Install

# Install the v4l2 Python bindings
sudo apt install -y python3-v4l2

# Copy the service unit
sudo cp camera-webui.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now camera-webui

Check status

sudo systemctl status camera-webui
journalctl -u camera-webui --follow

Uninstall

sudo systemctl disable --now camera-webui
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/camera-webui.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Architecture

┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────┐
│  V4L2 mmap   │───▶│  capture.py  │───▶│  MJPEG   │
│ (V4L2 API)   │    │  (frame loop)│    │  server  │
└──────────────┘    └──────────────┘    │  :8080   │
                                        └──────────┘
                                               │
                                         ┌─────▼─────┐
                                         │  Browser  │
                                         │ (MJPEG img)│
                                         └───────────┘
  • capture.py opens /dev/video0 via V4L2 mmap buffers, dequeues frames in a background thread, and stores them in a shared variable.
  • mjpeg.py serves the MJPEG stream (multipart/x-mixed-replace) via Python's built-in http.server with threading. Each client gets its own thread, and only new frames are sent.
  • app.py is the entry point: argument parsing, signal handling, and server launch.

Hardware

Item Details
Camera Logitech C505 HD Webcam (046d:08e3)
Device /dev/video0 (USB/UVC)
Format MJPEG 1280×720
Board Raspberry Pi 5, Debian 12 (bookworm)

Dependencies

  • python3-v4l2 — V4L2 Python bindings (system package, apt install python3-v4l2)
  • No pip packages needed — the server uses Python's standard library only