The Omnivision chips are used in some cheap webcams for example, from DSE as well in the Sony EyeToy.

There is a driver (licensed under the GPL) that you can download from http://alpha.dyndns.org/ov511/download.html#ov51x - the module will be called ov51x. It should work with 2.2, 2,4 and 2.6 kernels. This driver has stalled in this form but there is some development going on with it slightly modified and this is known as the ovcamchip Module currently.

Unfortunately, these cameras serve images up in JPEG format only, and this behaviour will require application-level support. No webcam software for Linux seems to handle this (yet - at least for V4L version 1). The source code for the driver (linked above) comes with a small program that can grab and save JPEG images from the camera. JohnMcPherson has a modified version of this program that will display captured video in an X window - grab the "showvideo" package from our software archive.

You can also code the decompression in the Kernel space! Take a look at the decompression for ov518: it is very very close to JPEG decompression. But there are patents about JPEG decompression and that is why - as far as I understand - the module doesn't handle JPEG decompression in Kernel space.. But an individual that coded it for himself (and his friends ;) ) would not have to fear those patents... and the ov519 would work anywhere no matter with what app!

One such driver is now available for download from the following website: http://www.rastageeks.org/ov51x-jpeg/

-- The LinuxKernel maintainers would not allow something like JPEG decompression inside a kernel module... they will argue (correctly) that this is something that should be done in userspace.

-- That is not totally correct. WebCam decompression is being done in kernel but the biggest obstacle has been (and why it keeps coming out of the LinuxKernel) is that code was not clean room. Also note about patents is not correct - you can still be prosecuted as an individual - less likely but you still can. Having seen JohnMcPherson's comment below it confirms my memory that the problem was people stealing code from Philips and not JPEG being the issue. IanMcDonald

-- JPEG is not a patent-encumbered format, AFAIK. JohnMcPherson

-- JPEG itself may not be patented - it is a rather common mathematical compression BTW, but the file format that uses that compression, the JFIFF is patented AFAIK. Romain Beauxis