[Chromebooks] nabil2000:
Official native integrated Google webcam app ceases working in Chrome OS with Android -

links in https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=78498649&postcount=130

A while ago I asked if someone had a Chromebook that can host Android officially, like Acer CB R11 whether the webcam could be used from within Android - here:

Until now the hacks we use to get Chrome OS on a non Chromebook, or adapt a recovery image like I & chromefy later did so it can allow use of Android & crostini on Chromebooks that don't officially support that... have some issues which sometimes can be ironed out, & sometimes can't.

One of them is integrated camera.

After a few tests, I found out that activating Android disable the integrated official webcam app, the question I throw in the air is if this is only for our hacked versions, or is this an actual bug we can submit to the Google devs team, file a bug report...

So it will be appreciated if someone who has a Chromebook that can officially load Android to check if the camera app works.

There is another Google camera app that can be used instead, this is its address in the Google Web Store:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/...ifgngh/related?utm_source=chrome-app-launcher

It is thus not a big issue, unless one wants to use the official shipped webcam camera app, which by the way we cannot uninstall...

I am also still interested in the answer to whether the integrated webcam can be used from within Android apps such as Skype, on my hacked versions, it cannot, but can it be used on officially supported Chromebooks?

I will put this in a separate thread to maximise exposure & on my twitter feeds...

https://twitter.com/inabster/status/1077314501215690752

Observation - please note that the camera driver works, it is just that Android has no access to it, & when Android is activated it interferes with the Google integrated official camera app - though the other official app (which can be uninstalled) they are posting (link above) in the webstore works...

News - this is a problem for many if not all Chromebooks - a native camera app issue - but I think it is Android activation that creates the problem - I also read that R71 includes a new camera app, it might solve this nagging issue - but not having access to the camera from Android needs to be fixed as there are Android apps that benefit from a webcam, such as skype...

Analysis progress -

when Android is being activated with core apps updated, at some stage when I start the camera app it says "media migration in progress" briefly, then it stops working...

I believe [MENTION=2546018]googledevs[/MENTION] are trying to port native camera to Android so it runs from the Android framework, & it is failing...

as soon as Android is disactivated, native camera works again. I will try & single out if possible which Android apps/updates interferes...

& this xda article confirms my analysis -

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-camera-chromebook-pixelbook/

Google Camera app shows up on some Chromebooks like the Pixelbook

and is called Camera Media Migration, appearing in the Pixelbook which ROM is code named eve,

so using eve recovery ROM creates this problem - further they say:

when the native camera icon is clicked, whether the stock Chrome OS camera app or the Google Camera app is opened will be “determined dynamically.”

So the stock Chrome OS camera app is the one in the Google webstore, whereas the original icon of the Chromebook "eve" gets taken over by Android & becomes Camera Media Migration when Android is activated.

Two "unsatisfactory" solutions for those using the hack -

1. Uninstall Android.

2. Keep Android, & install the webstore original app, pinning it to the launch bar, & not use the old camera icon.

I think one can live with 2.

...

Final development (I hope) & maybe probably solution:

on Acer Chromebook C720P

as if by "magic" the native camera app got working after a reboot, this is how/why...

precisely this -

1. Redo chromefy from scratch by creating a new FydeOS stick/ssd.

2. Do not test the stick / ssd.

3. Boot from a pure FydeOS stick (the source)

4. Apply chromefy on the target, use cyan/caroline, nothing else i.e.

sudo bash chromefy.sh /dev/sdx3 cyan_R70.bin caroline_R70.bin (see above posts).

over the new (target) FydeOS stick/ssd.

5. Boot from the chromefied new FydeOS stick/ssd.

6. Let it do its things (like install all Android apps, etc).

7. Reboot.

Hopefully this fixes the camera issue.

Of note, the webstore camera ceases working, as not needed anymore - still works after reboot ;)

- eve might be not so lucky (for non Acer C720P ... machines)