Mac OS X Server 10.5 Leopard: Remote access to built-in camera requires logged-in user on client Mac

Issue or symptom

When using the pcastagentd command-line utility to access a remote Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard client's built-in iSight camera over ssh, an alert message about not connecting to the camera may appear.

Solution

Make sure a user account is logged in on the client Mac before attempting access to its camera via pcastagentd and ssh. This command should work even if a screensaver is password-protecting the computer.

Note: You can bind to the camera while no user is logged in, but recording will not work unless a user is logged in.

Published Date: Feb 20, 2012