discover a camera when none is configured

CAPTURE_PATH defaulted to index 0, which is a coin flip on a machine with one
camera. A UVC camera exposes a second device node for its metadata stream --
/dev/video1 beside /dev/video0 -- and that node opens happily and never yields
an image, so the lowest device number is wrong about as often as it is right.

With neither CAMERA_ID nor CAPTURE_PATH set, the node now opens each
/dev/video* in numeric order and keeps the first that actually delivers a
frame. Reading one is the test, because opening is not evidence.

Discovery finding nothing falls back to index 0 rather than raising, which
keeps the failure in one place: the first read, where CI publishes a
placeholder and a normal run raises with a message naming the device.

CAMERA_ID is still worth preferring on a robot. Neither an index nor discovery
order is stable across reboots or across which port a camera is in; a by-id
name is.

README.md

@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ compressed encoding, `width` and `height` are the image's dimensions, not the le
 | Variable | Default | Meaning |
 |---|---|---|
 | `CAMERA_ID` | unset | Substring of a `/dev/v4l/by-id/` entry. Wins over `CAPTURE_PATH`. |
-| `CAPTURE_PATH` | `0` | Device path (`/dev/video1`) or index. A numeric string is an index. |
+| `CAPTURE_PATH` | auto | Device path (`/dev/video1`) or index. A numeric string is an index. |
 | `IMAGE_WIDTH` | native | Requested capture width; frames are also resized to it. |
 | `IMAGE_HEIGHT` | native | Requested capture height; frames are also resized to it. |
 | `ENCODING` | `bgr8` | One of `bgr8`, `rgb8`, `yuv420`, `jpeg`/`jpg`/`jpe`, `png`, `bmp`, `webp`. |
@@ -85,8 +85,14 @@ compressed encoding, `width` and `height` are the image's dimensions, not the le
 
 Resizing only happens when both `IMAGE_WIDTH` and `IMAGE_HEIGHT` are set.
 
-`CAMERA_ID` is worth preferring on a robot: a by-id name is stable across reboots and
+With neither `CAMERA_ID` nor `CAPTURE_PATH` set, the node opens the first `/dev/video*`
-across which USB port the camera is in, and an index is not.
+that actually delivers a frame. Merely opening is not enough to go on: a UVC camera
+exposes a second node for its metadata stream — `/dev/video1` beside `/dev/video0` on a
+one-camera machine — which opens happily and never yields an image, so the lowest device
+number is wrong about as often as it is right.
+
+`CAMERA_ID` is worth preferring on a robot anyway: a by-id name is stable across reboots
+and across which USB port the camera is in, and neither an index nor discovery order is.
 
 `CI=true` makes a failed read publish a labelled black frame instead of raising, which
 is what lets the dataflow run on a machine with no camera. It is not a configuration

dora-node.yml

@@ -42,8 +42,11 @@ env:
       which USB port the camera is in, unlike an index, so it takes precedence
       over CAPTURE_PATH. Linux only.
   CAPTURE_PATH:
-    default: "0"
+    description: >-
-    description: Device path such as /dev/video1, or an index. A numeric string is read as an index.
+      Device path such as /dev/video1, or an index. A numeric string is read as
+      an index. When unset, the first /dev/video* that actually delivers a frame
+      is used -- a UVC camera also exposes a metadata node that opens and never
+      captures, so the lowest device number is not a safe default.
   IMAGE_WIDTH:
     type: int
     description: Requested capture width; frames are also resized to it. Defaults to the camera's native width.

dora_webcam/camera.py

@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
 """Opening a capture device and reading frames from it."""
 
+import glob
 import os
 import platform
+import re
 
 import cv2
 import numpy as np
 
 BY_ID = "/dev/v4l/by-id/"
+DEVICES = "/dev/video*"
+
+# Where discovery gives up, so the failure is reported by the first read with
+# the same message an explicitly chosen device would produce.
+FALLBACK = 0
 
 # Size of the frame substituted when a read fails under CI.
 PLACEHOLDER = (480, 640)
 
 
-def resolve(camera_id: str | None, capture_path: str | int) -> str | int:
+def resolve(camera_id: str | None, capture_path: str | int | None) -> str | int:
     """Decide which device to open.
 
     Parameters
@@ -21,9 +28,9 @@ def resolve(camera_id: str | None, capture_path: str | int) -> str | int:
         Substring of an entry in ``/dev/v4l/by-id/``. A by-id name is stable
         across reboots and across which USB port a camera is in, unlike an
         index, so it takes precedence when set.
-    capture_path : str or int
+    capture_path : str or int or None
         Device path such as ``/dev/video1``, or an index. A numeric string is
-        read as an index.
+        read as an index. When this is unset too, a camera is discovered.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -47,10 +54,54 @@ def resolve(camera_id: str | None, capture_path: str | int) -> str | int:
 
         return index
 
-    if isinstance(capture_path, str) and capture_path.isnumeric():
+    if capture_path is not None and capture_path != "":
-        return int(capture_path)
+        if isinstance(capture_path, str) and capture_path.isnumeric():
+            return int(capture_path)
 
-    return capture_path
+        return capture_path
+
+    return discover() or FALLBACK
+
+
+def discover() -> str | None:
+    """Find the first video device that actually delivers a frame.
+
+    Opening is not enough to go on. A UVC camera exposes a second node for its
+    metadata stream -- /dev/video1 beside /dev/video0 on a one-camera machine --
+    which opens happily and never yields an image, so taking the lowest device
+    number picks the wrong one as often as not.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str or None
+        Device path, or None when nothing on this machine captures.
+
+    """
+    for path in _devices():
+        if _yields_frame(path):
+            return path
+
+    return None
+
+
+def _devices() -> list[str]:
+    """List /dev/video* in numeric order, so video2 does not sort before video10."""
+    return sorted(glob.glob(DEVICES), key=_device_number)
+
+
+def _device_number(path: str) -> int:
+    match = re.search(r"(\d+)$", path)
+    return int(match.group(1)) if match else 0
+
+
+def _yields_frame(path: str) -> bool:
+    """Whether a device both opens and reads one frame."""
+    capture = cv2.VideoCapture(path)
+
+    try:
+        return bool(capture.isOpened() and capture.read()[0])
+    finally:
+        capture.release()
 
 
 def read(capture: cv2.VideoCapture, device: str | int, ci: bool) -> np.ndarray:

dora_webcam/main.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     """Open the camera and publish one frame per tick."""
     args = _parse_args()
 
-    device = camera.resolve(os.getenv("CAMERA_ID"), os.getenv("CAPTURE_PATH", "0"))
+    device = camera.resolve(os.getenv("CAMERA_ID"), os.getenv("CAPTURE_PATH"))
     capture = cv2.VideoCapture(device)
 
     width = _int("IMAGE_WIDTH")

tests/test_dora_webcam.py

@@ -18,6 +18,51 @@ def frame() -> np.ndarray:
     return rng.integers(0, 255, (HEIGHT, WIDTH, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
 
 
+def test_discovery_skips_a_device_that_opens_but_never_yields_a_frame(monkeypatch):
+    # A UVC camera exposes a metadata node beside the capture node; it opens
+    # and reads nothing, so the lowest device number is the wrong one to take.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "_devices", lambda: ["/dev/video0", "/dev/video1"])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "_yields_frame", lambda path: path == "/dev/video1")
+
+    assert camera.discover() == "/dev/video1"
+
+
+def test_discovery_returns_none_when_nothing_captures(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "_devices", lambda: ["/dev/video0"])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "_yields_frame", lambda path: False)
+
+    assert camera.discover() is None
+
+
+def test_devices_are_ordered_numerically(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        camera.glob, "glob",
+        lambda pattern: ["/dev/video10", "/dev/video2", "/dev/video1"],
+    )
+
+    assert camera._devices() == ["/dev/video1", "/dev/video2", "/dev/video10"]
+
+
+def test_an_unset_device_is_discovered(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "discover", lambda: "/dev/video3")
+
+    assert camera.resolve(None, None) == "/dev/video3"
+
+
+def test_an_unset_device_falls_back_when_nothing_is_found(monkeypatch):
+    # Falling back rather than raising keeps the failure in one place: the
+    # first read, which under CI publishes a placeholder instead of raising.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "discover", lambda: None)
+
+    assert camera.resolve(None, None) == camera.FALLBACK
+
+
+def test_an_explicit_device_is_not_overridden_by_discovery(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(camera, "discover", lambda: "/dev/video9")
+
+    assert camera.resolve(None, "/dev/video4") == "/dev/video4"
+
+
 def test_a_numeric_capture_path_is_read_as_an_index():
     assert camera.resolve(None, "1") == 1