ffserver cannot open ffserver.conf file

Applications IP Networking
1

Hello, I use ffserver & ffmpeg in order to generate a live stream (recorded by a webcam).

I use an embedded processor (SH7724), busybox version 2010.09, kernel 2.6.39.3.

the command I issue is:

ffserver -f /etc/ffserver.conf & ffmpeg -v 2 -r 24 -s 640x480 -loglevel verbose -f video4linux2 -i /dev/video0 http://localhost:8090/webcam.ffm

And the output of the command is:

FFserver version 0.6.3, Copyright (c) 2000-2010 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Nov 29 2011 12:54:27 with gcc 4.5.1
  configuration: --enable-cross-compile --cross-prefix=/home/projects/itouch/renesas/SH7724_install07/bsp/buildroot/output/host/usr/bin/b
  libavutil     50.15. 1 / 50.15. 1
  libavcodec    52.72. 2 / 52.72. 2
  libavformat   52.64. 2 / 52.64. 2
  libavdevice   52. 2. 0 / 52. 2. 0
  libswscale     0.11. 0 /  0.11. 0
FFmpeg version 0.6.3, Copyright (c) 2000-2010 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Nov 29 2011 12:54:27 with gcc 4.5.1
  configuration: --enable-cross-compile --cross-prefix=/home/projects/itouch/renesas/SH7724_install07/bsp/buildroot/output/host/usr/bin/b
  libavutil     50.15. 1 / 50.15. 1
  libavcodec    52.72. 2 / 52.72. 2
  libavformat   52.64. 2 / 52.64. 2
  libavdevice   52. 2. 0 / 52. 2. 0
  libswscale     0.11. 0 /  0.11. 0
sh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: SuperH Mobile CEU driver attached to camera 0
[video4linsh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: Format 32315559 not found
ux2 @ 0x442c20][sh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: Format 32315559 not found
sh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: Format 50323234 not found

sh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: dma_alloc_coherent of size 614400 failed
[video4linux2 @ 0x442c20]Estimating duration from bitrate, this may be inaccurate
Input #0, video4linux2, from '/dev/video0':
  Duration: N/A, start: 1636986972.390231, bitrate: 117964 kb/s
    Stream #0.0: Video: rawvideo, yuyv422, 640x480, 117964 kb/s,sh_mobile_ceu sh_mobile_ceu.0: SuperH Mobile CEU driver detached from ca0
 24 tbr, 1000k tbn, 24 tbc
http://localhost:11000/webcam.ffm:Input/output error
ioctl(VIDIOC_QBUF)

--> It seems for me that ffserver does NOT open the conf file, hence webcam.ffm file is NOT opened.

I've tried to move the conf file to some other path or to change its name, but it wouldn't help.
I've also tried to remove the "-f /etc/ffserver.conf" (default location is anyway /etc/ffserver.conf), but it also wouldn't help.

--> As far as I can tell the problem is that ffserver does NOT care about its conf file

Do you have any idea? I'm lost....

Thanks

The ffserver.conf file is:
==================
Port 8090
# bind to all IPs aliased or not 
BindAddress 0.0.0.0 
# max number of simultaneous clients 
MaxClients 4
# max bandwidth per-client (kb/s) 
MaxBandwidth 10000
CustomLog -
# Suppress that if you want to launch ffserver as a daemon. 
NoDaemon

<Stream status.html>
Format status
# Only allow local people to get the status
#ACL allow localhost
#ACL allow 192.168.0.0 192.168.255.255
</Stream>

<Feed webcam.ffm> 
File /tmp/webcam.ffm 
FileMaxSize 5M 
</Feed> 

# FLV output - good for streaming 
<Stream webcam.flv> 
# the source feed 
Feed webcam.ffm 
# the output stream format - FLV = FLash Video 
Format flv 
VideoCodec flv 
# this must match the ffmpeg -r argument 
VideoFrameRate 24
# generally leave this is a large number 
VideoBufferSize 50 #Aviv: changed from 20000 
# another quality tweak 
VideoBitRate 100
# quality ranges - 1-31 (1 = best, 31 = worst) 
VideoQMin 5
VideoQMax 10 
VideoSize qvga
# this sets how many seconds in past to start 
PreRoll 0 
# wecams don't have audio 
Noaudio
</Stream> 

# ASF output - for windows media player 
<Stream webcam.asf> 
# the source feed 
Feed webcam.ffm 
# the output stream format - ASF 
Format asf 
VideoCodec msmpeg4 
# this must match the ffmpeg -r argument 
VideoFrameRate 24
# generally leave this is a large number 
VideoBufferSize 80000 
# another quality tweak 
VideoBitRate 200 
# quality ranges - 1-31 (1 = best, 31 = worst) 
VideoQMin 1 
VideoQMax 10 
VideoSize 640x480
# this sets how many seconds in past to start 
PreRoll 0 
# wecams don't have audio 
Noaudio
</Stream>

<Stream webcam.mjpeg>
Feed webcam.ffm
Format mpjpeg
VideoSize qvga
VideoFrameRate 24
VideoIntraOnly
# Noaudio
Strict -1
</Stream>
2

syntax error:

# this is
ffserver -f /etc/ffserver.conf & ffmpeg & ..........
# should be
ffserver -f /etc/ffserver.conf & ffmpeg  && ...........

I am assuming you really know how to use the .conf file syntax and it works somewhere else the way you now have it. If not review it very carefully.

what are the permissions on /etc/ffserver.conf?

try ffserver -f /etc/ffserver.conf -d to get exact information as to how ffserver is interpreting things.

3

Hello Jim, thanks for your reply.

Same command and the ffserver.conf file did work on Ubuntu, so I assume it should work on the embedded processor as well.

The permissions are fine (777, and the owner and group are "root").

I'm pretty sure that the problem is in the -f switch in the ffserver command. I noticed that even when I point to a path which does NOT exist, the command is issued with no error (for example: ffserver -f /etc111/ffserver.conf).
No matter what I put inder the -f switch, the comamnd did NOT return an error (unless nothing was after the -f).

The -d switch does not change anything (no info is shown on screen).

What did you main in your reply - "# should be
ffserver -f /etc/ffserver.conf & ffmpeg && ..........."?
It's fine with me that the ffmpeg is in foreground.