After the four years of development formed The first issue of the project Libcamera (0.0.1), offering software glass for working with video cameras, cameras and tv tuners in Linux, Android and Chromeos, which continues to develop the API V4L2 and will replace it over time. Since the library API still continues to change and is not finally stabilized, the project has still developed without branch of individual issues using a continuous development model. In response to the need for distributions in tracking changes affecting compatibility, and to simplify the supply of the library in packages, it is now decided to periodically form releases that reflect the degree of change in ABI and API. The project code is written on C ++ and is distributed under the license lgplv2.1.
The project is developing by the developers of the Linux multimedia subsystems together with some cameras manufacturers in order to normalize the situation with support for linux cameras for smartphones and built -in devices that are tied to proprietary drivers.
The Linux API V4L2 already available in the nucleus was created at the same time to work with traditional separate web-camera and poorly adapted for the recently emerging mcu functionality tendency to CPU.
Unlike traditional cameras in which the operations of primary image processing are carried out on a specialized processor built into the camera (MCU), in built -in devices to reduce cost, these functions are carried out on the shoulders of the main CPU and require a complicated driver, which includes licensed components that are not subject to opening . Within the framework of the Libcamera project, supporters and equipment manufacturers tried to create a compromise solution, on the one hand, satisfying the needs of open software developers, and on the other hand, which allows you to protect the intellectual property of cameras manufacturers.