pw-v4l2

Run a program

$ pw-v4l2 [program]

$ pw-v4l2 -h

pw-v4l2 [options] device

--device
    Specifies the V4L2 device to use (e.g., /dev/video0).

--name
    Sets the name of the PipeWire stream.

--format
    Specifies the pixel format (e.g., YUYV, MJPG). Use v4l2-ctl to get available formats.

--size x
    Sets the video resolution (e.g., 640x480).

--framerate
    Sets the video frame rate (e.g., 30).

--loopback
    Creates a loopback device. Useful for testing.

--help
    Displays help information.

The pw-v4l2 utility creates a PipeWire video source from a V4L2 device. This enables applications that support PipeWire to access video streams from webcams, capture cards, and other V4L2 compatible devices.

It allows for control over the V4L2 device settings, such as resolution, frame rate, and pixel format. It's typically used to bridge existing V4L2 devices into the PipeWire ecosystem, making them available to modern multimedia applications.

It's a crucial part of the PipeWire ecosystem for integrating existing hardware that relies on the V4L2 framework, providing a seamless transition to PipeWire's more modern and flexible multimedia handling capabilities.

Some V4L2 devices may not be fully compatible with pw-v4l2 or PipeWire.
Configuration issues can lead to unexpected behavior or crashes.

If you encounter issues, ensure that the V4L2 device is accessible and properly configured.
Use v4l2-ctl to verify device capabilities and settings.
Check PipeWire logs for error messages.

pw-v4l2 was developed as part of the PipeWire project to bridge the gap between existing V4L2 devices and the PipeWire multimedia framework. It's a relatively recent addition to the Linux multimedia landscape, reflecting the ongoing shift towards PipeWire as the primary multimedia server.

v4l2-ctl(1), pipewire(1), pw-cli(1)