w3cam

If you're looking for an easy way to retrieve images from a video4linux device on your Linux machine, look no further than w3cam. This simple CGI allows for both text and GUI modes, meaning you can use a form to change parameters with your mouse. And, with support for output formats like PNG, JPEG, and PPM, you'll have plenty of flexibility when it comes to your images.

Installation is straightforward: just run 'configure & make install' and edit the installed w3cam.cgi.scf file for the runtime configuration. Once you've got it up and running, just call {url}/w3cam.cgi?help to start using it. And if you run into any issues, don't worry—the included documentation and HTML samples should provide all the answers you need.

One thing to keep in mind when using w3cam: be careful with the refresh parameter. If you're not the only one accessing the video, setting it to zero could lock the v4l device. Instead, consider using refresh=-1 or setting a default at runtime or compile time.

Overall, w3cam is a reliable and easy-to-use CGI for retrieving images from a video4linux device on your Linux machine. And with its latest release (version 0.7.2), which includes added default input and a new option for swapping RGB24 to BGR24, it's only getting better. Needed libraries include libz, libpng, and libjpeg.