Camera TODOs

Opening this to make it easier to track known issues all over the stack. Feel free to suggest more items and link to/from this issue.

The main focus for now is on the Pixel 3a (sargo) and Snapshot (i.e. a Pipewire, GStreamer, GTK stack).

Pixel 3a

• Rear camera not supported: will ship in upcoming 6.11 update.
• Focus does not work for rear camera (see libcamera section and https://gitlab.com/sdm670-mainline/linux/-/issues/2)
  • This will also be needed to make reference images for tuning files, see below in the libcamera section.
• imx363 driver (rear camera) needs better mode/resolution data (context: https://gitlab.com/sdm670-mainline/linux/-/merge_requests/4)
• imx355 driver (front camera) is missing features for libcamera, makes the later complain (e.g. when running cam -l)
• imx355 driver does not work with swISP in 1920x1080 (workaround shipped in !5710 (merged), to be upstreamed)

Snapshot and/or Gstreamer

• Distro package has broken dependencies, needs manual installation of gst-plugins-rs (https://gitlab.alpinelinux.org/alpine/aports/-/merge_requests/72641)
• The default mode not optimal for phones (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/snapshot/-/merge_requests/317)
• Recorded videos are not rotated correctly (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/snapshot/-/issues/218)
  • Gst: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/merge_requests/8319
  • GTK: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/merge_requests/8151
• Flatpak needs device-all permissions to use HW en-/decoding (https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/5524)
• Some devices like the PPP crash when taking pictures (https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/issues/3693)

libcamera

• swISP does not support autofocus / AF
• swISP does not support various algorithms to enhance image quality (see https://patchwork.libcamera.org/cover/22276/ for WIP CCM support)
  • Calibration / creating tuning files needs standardized raw test images. One way to make them is using the box from here: https://source.android.com/docs/compatibility/cts/camera-its-box
• swISP deos not support (sensor+ISP specific) tuning data (initial support landed in 0.4.0, see temp/libcamera: upgrade to 0.4.0 (!5948 - merged) for examples)
• swISP runs CPU -> there are ongoing experiments to write a gpuISP (see e.g. https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/camera/libcamera-softisp/-/commits/softisp/origin/master-24-11-03+gpuisp+threadfix)

added camera label

marked the checklist item Distro package has broken dependencies, needs manual installation of gst-plugins-rs (https://gitlab.alpinelinux.org/alpine/aports/-/merge_requests/72641) as completed

marked the checklist item The default mode not optimal for phones (https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/snapshot/-/merge_requests/317) as completed

mentioned in merge request !5710 (merged)

marked the checklist item Rear camera not supported: will ship in upcoming 6.11 update. as completed

marked the checklist item swISP deos not support (sensor+ISP specific) tuning data as completed

changed the description

Made some updates following todays swISP call. Creating color correction matrixes is getting closer, however creating them requires some specialized hardware such as this. So it might be worth starting to think about a process - such as having one person or place where such a box is available and where people can send devices to.

The process of taking reference pictures allegedly will take about one hour per device - probably more in the beginning.

changed the description

mentioned in issue postmarketos#98

FTR., from a recent discussion on #libcamera: there is a WIP implementation for swISP autofocus at https://github.com/CookieLover3000/libcamera/commits/software-af-done/ by studends of Hans de Goede.

@NekoCWD mentioned they consider looking into taking that up.

Some notes from trying to get Camshark to work on the OP6 in order to capture reference pictures and allow easy tuning:

Requirements on the pmOS side

1. install openssh, required for scp -O: apk add openssh (https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/camera/camshark/-/issues/5)
2. ensure python libcamera bindings are installed: apk add py3-libcamera
3. allow TCP forwarding in ssh:
   • echo "AllowTcpForwarding yes" > /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/60-libcamera-camshark.conf
   • systemctl restart sshd
4. allow remote user to connect via pub-key (~/.ssh/authorized_keys)

TBC