Hi folks. I've been running some form of Linux since about 2006 or so. Hardware support has gotten so much better, and yet here I am, looking for personal experiences people have had using action cams with their Linux based operating systems. I've done research on this, but most of the info I've found is out of date or barely-relevant AI-generated tech chum-buckets. I'd prefer your individal experiences as fellow linux users, good or bad. Product recommendations are okay, but I'm also interested in broader observations. I'm hoping to record some footage on my bicycle, a chop it up on my computer later. I'm particularly interested in:
- Do you own an action cam and does it work with Linux?
- What totally rad sport/hobby do you use it for?
- Are there things that kind-of work, or are crippled versus on a non-Linux OS.
- Are you able to update the firmware over Linux or from he device itself? (I have windows for emergencies, but prefer not to use it.
- How does the device mount and have you had issues with file transfers?
- Is there any special software that helps you use your device, for example "piper" can help me configure fancy mice.
- Can you use your device as a webcam?
Thank you for any insight you can provide.
On the crazy low-scale end, I have a no-name dash cam that I found for $5 on a tchotchkes table at my local Chinese takeout place. It works perfectly with my Linux desktop—both reading from the SD card and streaming directly via USB. Not at all what you’re looking for, but it makes me think that if this random junk works, more mainstream devices probably do too.
I have a similar setup in the car. The cam doesn't want to connect to anything, but I can just pull the microSD card. I think overestimated the likelihood of hardware issues.