General Tips

Before trying any streaming tool, you should check that your hardware is working fine in linux.
There are still some devices that will not work on Linux, mainly because some manufacturers only support proprietary systems.

You can check your microphone input using the audacity application. Select it from the menu "Sound & Video".

Create a new sound file and press the "Record" button. If your sount input works, you should get a new file created like this :

Next, you can check that your camera input works.

For digital cameras, you should use the dvgrab program using the command line :

• Open a terminal.
  
• Go the temporary directory : 'cd /tmp'.
• Record a few seconds of video : 'dvgrab test.avi'.
• Replay the file using vlc : 'vlc test.avi'.

Your capture clip should be played back.

For webcams and capture cards, you should use the xawtv test program :

• Open xawtv from the Applications->Sound & Video menu.
  
• Check that the options are set up correctly :
  
  .
• If your video device works, you should see a video input window :
  
  .