cam

List available cameras

$ cam [[-l|--list]]

$ cam [[-c|--camera]] [camera_index] --list-controls

$ cam [[-c|--camera]] [camera_index] [[-C|--capture=]][frames_to_capture] [[-F|--file]]

$ cam [[-c|--camera]] [camera_index] [[-C|--capture]] [[-S|--sdl]]

cam [generic-options] command [command-options] [device-path]

-h
    Display help

-l
    List available devices (FreeBSD syntax)

-s
    Scan bus for devices

command
    Subcommands like scan, reset, tags, inquiry

cam is not a standard command in Linux distributions. It is the primary utility in FreeBSD's CAM (Common Access Method) subsystem, used for controlling SCSI, ATA, ATAPI, and USB storage devices. CAM provides a uniform interface for device management tasks like scanning buses, resetting devices, and querying status.

In Linux, no direct equivalent named cam exists, as Linux uses the Linux SCSI Subsystem (LSS) instead of CAM. Similar tasks are performed with tools from sg3_utils (e.g., sg_scan), lsscsi, udevadm, or smartctl. Users seeking CAM-like functionality in Linux may need custom drivers or emulation layers, but it's uncommon.

Unavailable in standard Linux; FreeBSD-specific. Linux alternatives required. Potential kernel/driver incompatibilities if ported.

Use lsblk for block devices, lsscsi for SCSI bus scan, sg_inq for inquiry data.

Scripts using cam must be adapted for Linux environments.

Developed for FreeBSD's CAM framework in the late 1990s as part of SCSI/ATA unification. Maintained in FreeBSD base system; no native Linux port.

lsscsi(8), sg_scan(8), scsi_id(8), udevadm(8), smartctl(8)