Xeoma - easy-to-use CCTV video surveillance app

[Mike Walsh]

Evening, all.

I was having my usual trawl through MakeUseOf.com earlier today, and came across this article:-

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/awesome-d ... nts-linux/

These are supposed to be easy-to-use DIY video surveillance 'clients'. With the exception of ZoneMinder, which most of us know about through rockedge's efforts, the only other one which really caught my eye was this one:-

Xeoma

...which is described as being 'childishly easy to use', and was apparently inspired by the children's construction toy Lego..!

So I decided to have a look at it, and find out if the claims were true.

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The website is here:-

https://felenasoft.com/xeoma/en/

You download either the 32-bit or 64-bit Linux packages, and what you get is a tarball.....which when extracted yields a single executable binary, named 'xeoma.app'. Place this anywhere you like (as with any AppImage), then simply click on it to run.

The claim about being 'childishly easy' is no idle boast. Within seconds, the app is starting up and initializing itself. You get some initial screens, which allow you to either go for the paid version, use the 30-day trial, or go to the free version (accessed from the Menu). This has fewer 'options' than the paid version, but for a DIY, 'home-brew' CCTV set-up, works fine.

One nice thing about this one is it will permit the use of ordinary web-cams as a video source item. Most apps of this type require the use of IP cameras, which, as rockedge has explained to me, auto-connect to the 'net by themselves (thus permitting remote operation), and also usually contain their own stream processing hardware, thereby removing the need for the host machine to have to do it.

But for 'cheap'n'cheerful', using free software, and allowing the use of old webcams you may have tucked away, or kicking around under foot, this takes some beating. Within seconds of 'OK'-ing the use of the free version, the app is auto-detecting your cameras, and already beginning to record footage!

It's also highly configurable. There are so many options available even in the free version that I'm not going to try and list them here.

I brought this to rockedge's attention earlier, and the maestro has, so far, given it his 'seal of approval'....!

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Just to make things a wee bit easier to use, I've put together .pet packages for this. I've put the 'xeoma' binary in /usr/bin (you can rename these things, and they still fire up), and merely added a Menu entry for it, so it can be started from Menu->Utility.

You can find 32- and 64-bit .pet packages at my GDrive, here:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

I think, for anyone wanting an easy-to-use surveillance client, that Xeoma takes some beating. See what you think.

Enjoy.


Mike.

[april]

That did not go so well in Xenialpup64 7.5
It did nothing from the menu item so i tried it in a terminal and got

Code: Select all

root# xeoma
Failed to open 'libX11'
Failed to open 'libX11'
 ! XWindow graphical shell is not available in console mode
 ! You must run Xeoma with available parameters, i.e. to run server: -core 
 ! Type '-help' for read parameters list.

root# xeoma -help

Xeoma version 2018-6-14

Usage:   Xeoma [-command [argument]] [-command [argument]] ...

Commands:
-help                           : show this help
-core                           : run server only
-client [password@address:port] : run client only. Can be used without 
                                  parameter, also password and port can be 
                                  empty. For example: -client 192.168.0.1 
-lls                            : run license server
-install -allmanual             : install Server and Client with manual start
-install -allauto               : install Server and Client with auto start
-install -coreauto              : install Server (autoStart) and Client 
   

I did a bit better by downloading the trial version from the web site xeoma_trial_standard.app

starting it by clicking on the .app file

[Mike Walsh]

Morning, April.

Hm. You are aware that the package I put together is only the 32-bit version, yes?

When you download from the site, this is the package you want:-



Not the 'Beta' version. Not the 'Trial' version. Just the bog-standard 64-bit download. Comes as a .tgz package. Extract, then click on the 'xeoma.app' binary thingy. (Probably best if you stick it in either /root or /mnt/home first. Makes for simpler 'paths' for the app.)

I've tested this in Tahr64, just now. Runs absolutely fine. Like all these things, there's several seconds delay while it unpacks itself in /tmp.

When it starts, and you get the first screen-full of text, click on the link for the 'free version'. The 'Menu' opens, then click 'Use the free version' (or summat similar.) It'll then set up the .config and /root directories, hunt for your cameras, and, all things being equal, fire up with some images.

I'll put together a 64-bit .pet with MenuEntry shortly.


Mike.

[april]

All good mike . If I can get it to find a camera now it will be fine with the version I downloaded . Says the camera is used by another application or filter chain so I've got to get some basic camera skills I think . There is nothing else running a camera that I am aware of on my system.

I've had to be using windows applications in my security installations simply because i could never get a bloody camera to work reliably in linux. Had trouble with all the programs I downloaded and tried .Never found a good one .

If you get a 64 bit one up and going I'll try it on my USB camera and see . It looks promising but then all these programs do at the start.

Thanks for posting it though

Code: Select all

root# lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 004: ID 062a:4101 Creative Labs Wireless Keyboard/Mouse
Bus 007 Device 003: ID 413c:2010 Dell Computer Corp. Keyboard
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 413c:1003 Dell Computer Corp. Keyboard Hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 07d1:3c07 D-Link System DWA-110 Wireless G Adapter(rev.A1) [Ralink RT2571W]
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 004: ID 046d:092f Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Express Plus
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
root# 

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, april.

Says the camera is used by another application or filter chain so I've got to get some basic camera skills I think.

Ah. Sounds familiar. No, this isn't anything to do with you; this just appears to be the way Xeoma works. I've had it telling me I've got three cameras up-and-running when in fact I've only got the one.

What are you getting when it's settled down? Have you got a single screen, or have you got the window split into 2/4 screens? If the latter, click on each of those you don't want (brings it up to full-screen), then click on the big red 'X' in the MenuBar at the bottom, to the left:-



If you hover over it, it'll show the tooltip 'Delete this scheme'. That's how I deal with them. (If you want, delete all of them. Then, shut it down. Restart, and it should auto-search for your cameras again.)


Mike.