fswebcam

Take a picture

$ fswebcam [filename]

$ fswebcam [[-r|--resolution]] [width]x[height] [filename]

$ fswebcam [[-d|--device]] [device] [filename]

$ fswebcam --timestamp [timestamp] [filename]

fswebcam [options...] output-filename

-d, --device <dev>
    Video device to use (default: /dev/video0)

-r, --resolution <WxH>
    Set capture resolution (e.g., 640x480)

-p, --pixels <WxH>
    Capture specific pixel count from larger frame

-g, --crop <WxH[+X+Y]>
    Crop input image to specified region

-S, --skip <N>
    Skip N frames before capture for stability

-D, --delay <secs>
    Wait N seconds before capturing

-t, --timestamp <format>
    Overlay timestamp using strftime format

-T, --text <text[:x:y:w:h:font:size]>
    Overlay custom text with position/font options

-l, --list-devices
    List all available V4L devices

-L, --list-formats
    List formats for current device

--jpeg <0-100>
    JPEG quality level (default: 75)

--png <0-9>
    PNG compression level (default: 6)

-R, --rotate <value>
    Rotate image (0,90,180,270)

--set <control>=<value>
    Set V4L control (e.g., brightness=128)

--get <control>
    Get V4L control value

--list-controls
    List available V4L controls

-i, --info
    Display camera information

-q, --quiet
    Suppress non-error messages

--no-banner
    Skip startup banner

-h, --help
    Show usage help

-v, --version
    Print version info

fswebcam is a simple, efficient command-line tool for capturing still images from USB webcams and other Video4Linux (V4L1/V4L2) devices on Linux. Designed for minimalism, it supports output in multiple formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF, PBM, PGM, PPM, PNM, and PAM, determined by the filename extension. Key features include resolution control, frame skipping for stability, delays, image rotation, cropping, and overlays for timestamps or custom text with font/size options. It exposes V4L controls for brightness, contrast, and more via --set and --get. Ideal for automation, scripts, headless servers, or embedded systems due to low resource use and few dependencies (libjpeg, libpng). Unlike complex tools like ffmpeg, fswebcam prioritizes speed and ease for basic snapshots, automatically handling palette conversions and device detection.

Relies on V4L1/V4L2; limited support for modern USB3/h.264 cameras without modules. Requires /dev/video* permissions. No video recording or advanced streaming.

JPEG, PNG, GIF, PBM, PGM, PPM, PNM, PAM
Auto-detected from output filename extension.

fswebcam -r 1280x720 --jpeg 90 -D 2 -S 10 snapshot.jpg
720p capture, 90% quality, 2s delay, skip 10 frames.

Created by Philip Heron in 2007 as a lightweight V4L grabber. Open-source (GPL), hosted on SourceForge; actively used in scripts and embedded Linux for over 15 years due to stability and simplicity.

v4l2-ctl(1), ffmpeg(1), motion(8), mplayer(1)