Ubuntu
motion package

Motion config file editing

Asked by Motion_Noob

I downloaded Motion from here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/intrepid/graphics/motion , and installed it, ffmpeg, and mysql-client (and all of the packages that GDebi Package Installer told me were required dependencies) on the Intrepid Ibex version of Ubuntu (8.10).

After having installed all these packages, I would like to edit the Config file options, which are listed here: http://www.lavrsen.dk/twiki/bin/view/Motion/ConfigFileOptions .

But I'm a noob, and I have the following questions:

1.) When I try to open the motion.conf file (that I find in File System | Etc | Motion) using Text Editor, I get the following error: "Could not open the file /etc/motion/motioni.conf - You do not have thd permissions necessary to open the file."

I have only one user account (that I know of) on this machine, and I'm logged on with it. How can I edit this file?

2.) Do I really want to edit the motion.conf file (with Text Editor, for instance), to effectuate the changes I want (changes to options like ffmpeg_timelapse and area_detect) ? Or is the proper method of making these changes to (re-)run the Make command?

(I didn't run a Make command, as far as I know, since I didn't compile the source code, but rather downloaded and installed several packages.)

AFAIK, Motion is a command line only program, with no GUI. Even though I've been using Ubuntu's default GUI to install all the necessary packages, I assume that from here on, I'll have to use a terminal window to do anything/everything with Motion.

Thanks for you help.

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#1

To install motion

Using System → Administration → Software sources [Ubuntu software] please enable the Universe the repository.

Then open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:

sudo aptitude update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo aptitude install motion

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Motion homepage: http://www.lavrsen.dk/twiki/bin/view/Motion/WebHome

Always useful is the online Ubuntu doc https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/

To edit motion configuration files (using an editor) you need also use sudo (sudo command give you temporary a root user access the administrator of pc and run the command as root)

sudo gedit /etc/motion/motion.conf

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

I think very useful for you is to read the online Ubuntu doc https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/

Hope this helps

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Motion_Noob (motion-noob) said : 		#2

Thanks marcobra.

And after I edit the motion.conf file, do I need to run or re-run the Make command in order for the changes I've made to the motion.conf file to be reflected in the performance of the program?

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

No the /etc/motion.conf file don't required a motion recompilation i think you simply need to restart motion.

Open a terminal and type:

sudo /etc/init.d/motion restart

Type your password when required by the sudo command...

Then i strongly suggest you to refer to motion site to advanced configuration....

Hope this helps

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Motion_Noob (motion-noob) said : 		#4

Thank you, I'll do that.