Video4Linux

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Video4Linux or V4L is a video capture API for Linux. Several USB webcams, TV tuners, and other devices are supported. Video4Linux is closely integrated with the Linux kernel. Video4Linux was named after Video for Windows (which is sometimes abbreviated "V4W"), but is not technically related to it.

V4L is in its second version. The original V4L was introduced late into the 2.1.X development cycle of the Linux kernel. Video4Linux2 fixed some design bugs and started appearing in the 2.5.X kernels. Video4Linux2 drivers include a compatibility mode for Video4Linux1 application, though practically, the support can be incomplete and it is recommended to use V4L2 devices in V4L2 mode.