I am still receiving email from people asking if the 3Com HomeConnect WebCam Lite is supported... The answer is NO. These two cameras, although both manufactured by 3Com, are not based on the same hardware. None of the development team has a HomeConnect Lite, so we have no way of developing a driver for it.
The 3Com HomeConnect (3CO3C886) is a high quality, award winning, and sadly discontinued USB camera. The camera is supplied with Windows and Macintosh drivers but, regrettably, none for Linux. Vista Imaging, the camera's creators (makers of the original ViCam), feel that their market position would be threatened if they released the information necessary for creating an open source driver for into the public.
Thus we have embarked in an effort to discover this top secret information without their assistance. Which isn't to say we are not still hoping that vista will change its policy and release some of the key information we have yet to decode! If you are a vista imaging principal or executive and would like to see a high quality driver for Linux, please consider releasing this information!
Reports have been leaking in that there is a new manufacturer for these cameras. Although we do not have word that anyone is making these cameras (we know who acquired the rights from 3com, but that's it), here are a few places selling them:
Our dedicated development team has worked diligently (and legally!) to reverse engineer the usb request and response packets and save this camera from a fate of obsolescence. At this time that task is nearly complete!
A command line tool is available for those looking for a high quality webcam solution.
If you would like to help out with this project, please visit our sourceforge site and join in!
Why is this webcam the best webcam ever?
When I decided to get a webcam, I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that there simply was not a better webcam than this available. I've been a serious amateur photographer for years and had high demands even of a simple camera for hobby uses. I did this research in early 2001 and now even though the product has been discontinued, I still believe it to be the best there is, here's why:
Joe Burks, wavicle@users.sourceforge.net, 16 Mar 2002