Unplugging firewire webcam causes kernel panic

July 5, 2005 9:59 AM

Why does my Mac sometimes go into kernel panic when I unplug the firewire webcam? It happens on a variety of occasions: sometimes multiple apps are open and CPU usage is high, other times it's right after a fresh reboot. (iBook G3/700Mhz, 384MB RAM, Mac OS X 10.2.8, and the webcam is a Unibrain Fire-I.)
posted by brownpau to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Have you installed the latest Fire-i camera drivers?
posted by Rothko at 10:01 AM on July 5, 2005

Do you drop it into the trash before you unplug it?
posted by k8t at 10:11 AM on July 5, 2005

I'm running on OS X native drivers. I'll give those Fire-I drivers a try when I get on the iBook tonight.

k8t - LOL.
posted by brownpau at 11:14 AM on July 5, 2005

I don't think k8t was kidding. If you dismount the device by dragging its icon to the trash before you unplug it you shouldn't have any problems.
posted by timeistight at 1:02 PM on July 5, 2005

It isn't a storage device, it's a video capture device — and therefore will not show up on the Desktop.
posted by Rothko at 1:10 PM on July 5, 2005

My memory of such specifics in 10.2 is limited, but I believe the icon will show up on the desktop (maybe it's only in the Finder window in 10.3?). I don't think it makes any difference whether it's a camera or a flash drive -- iPhoto warns me about potential data loss when I unplug my camera without dismounting it. Just look for the icon and drag it to the Trash in the dock. The icon probably will NOT be as specific as an image of your camera titled Unibrain Fire-I. It'll be a generic disk.
posted by Alylex at 2:53 PM on July 5, 2005

Camera flash disks show up because they are storage devices, and you do have to unmount them properly. The cameras themselves are not storage devices, and the Fire-i is not a storage device.
posted by Rothko at 3:42 PM on July 5, 2005

I think it depends on the camera: my Sony DSC-P1 required dismounting; my Canon 300D doesn't.

Anyway, this seems moot. Does your camera appear on the desktop, brownpau? If so, try dismounting it before you unplug it.
posted by timeistight at 4:01 PM on July 5, 2005

I wasn't kidding. Not properly ejecting drives or cameras can cause a lot of problems.
posted by k8t at 4:10 PM on July 5, 2005

None of my cameras appear on the desktop or anywhere in Finder.
posted by brownpau at 6:00 PM on July 5, 2005

i dont understand why the lot of you can't read/understand what rothko said.

it's not a storage device. it's a webcam.
when you eject in your digital camera you're not unmounting the 'camera' you're unmounting the memory card that is in the camera.

that being said, if updating the drivers don't cut it for you, i would

1) repair permissions, reboot

2) if that doesn't work try seeing if you have the same problems when booting up in 'safe mode' (although 3rd party drivers will likely be disabled, but you're using the built in OS drivers right). hold down the shift key at startup.

3) if it's still not working then maybe the drivers were never really perfect with 10.2. Call their the camera manufacturer tech support and bitch at them. To really narrow it down i would do an archive and install of OS X. You'll have to reinstall your 3rd party drivers and any system preferences but at least you'll know if it's acting up again then it's an incompatibility with the drivers.

maybe this might be a good excuse to go to 10.3 or 10.4?
posted by sammich at 9:11 PM on July 5, 2005

I tried the drivers, and no kernel panics so far, but the unit usually goes days without showing a problem before it creeps up on me again. Will report in soon. For now, thanks, folks.
posted by brownpau at 7:11 AM on July 6, 2005