picamera2-webstream 0.1.1

A Flask-based web streaming solution for Raspberry Pi cameras using PiCamera2

PiCamera2 Web Streamer

A Flask-based web streaming solution for Raspberry Pi cameras using PiCamera2. Stream your Raspberry Pi camera feed securely over HTTPS with minimal latency.

Features

• Real-time MJPEG streaming over HTTPS
• Adaptive frame rate based on client connections
• Clean shutdown handling
• Mobile-responsive web interface
• Thread-safe implementation
• Configurable camera parameters
• Resource-efficient with multiple client support

Prerequisites

• Raspberry Pi (tested on Raspberry Pi 4)
• Raspberry Pi Camera Module
• Python 3.7+
• picamera2
• OpenCV
• Flask

Installation

Via pip (Coming Soon)

pip install picamera2-webstream

Quick Installation

For a quick automated installation:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/picamera2-webstream.git
cd picamera2-webstream
./install.sh

The installation script will:

1. Install all required system dependencies
2. Enable the camera interface
3. Set up a Python virtual environment
4. Install Python package dependencies
5. Generate SSL certificates
6. Add your user to the video group
7. Verify camera detection

After installation completes:

1. Log out and log back in (required for video group access)
2. Activate the virtual environment: source venv/bin/activate
3. Run the example: python examples/basic_stream.py
4. Open https://your-pi-ip in your browser

To uninstall:

./uninstall.sh

Usage

1. Basic usage:

from picamera2_webstream import VideoStream
from flask import Flask

app = Flask(__name__)
stream = VideoStream()
stream.start()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=443, ssl_context=('cert.pem', 'key.pem'))

2. Access the stream:

• Open your browser and navigate to https://your-pi-ip
• Accept the self-signed certificate warning
• View your camera stream!

Configuration

You can customize various parameters when initializing the VideoStream:

stream = VideoStream(
    resolution=(1280, 720),
    framerate=30,
    format="MJPEG",
    brightness=0.0,
    contrast=1.0,
    saturation=1.0
)

Development

If you want to modify the code:

1. Create a development environment:

# Clone and enter the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/picamera2-webstream.git
cd picamera2-webstream

# Create and activate virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Install in editable mode
pip install -e .

2. Run tests (once implemented):

pip install pytest
pytest

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to the picamera2 team for their excellent camera interface
• The Flask team for their lightweight web framework

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

1. Camera not detected:

   • Ensure the camera is properly connected
   • Check if the camera interface is enabled in raspi-config
   • Verify with libcamera-hello command

2. ImportError for picamera2:

   • Make sure system packages are installed: sudo apt install python3-libcamera python3-picamera2
   • Ensure you're using the virtual environment

3. SSL Certificate issues:

   • Regenerate certificates if they've expired
   • Ensure certificates are in the same directory as the script

4. Permission denied errors:

   • Ensure your user is in the video group: sudo usermod -a -G video $USER
   • Logout and login again for group changes to take effect