OS Manuals

/usr/bin/v4l2-ctl

Linux media (V4L2/DVB/CEC/IR) utilities and libraries

From v4l-utils 1.32.0-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running v4l2-ctl --help (exit 0). permalink

General/Common options:
  -A, --list-devices list all v4l devices. If -z was given, then list just the
                     devices of the media device with the bus info string as
                     specified by the -z option.
  --all              display all information available
  -C, --get-ctrl <ctrl>[,<ctrl>...]
                     get the value of the controls [VIDIOC_G_EXT_CTRLS]
  -c, --set-ctrl <ctrl>=<val>[,<ctrl>=<val>...]
                     set the value of the controls [VIDIOC_S_EXT_CTRLS]
  -D, --info         show driver info [VIDIOC_QUERYCAP]
  -d, --device <dev> use device <dev> instead of /dev/video0
                     if <dev> starts with a digit, then /dev/video<dev> is used
                     Otherwise if -z was specified earlier, then <dev> is the entity name
                     or interface ID (if prefixed with 0x) as found in the topology of the
                     media device with the bus info string as specified by the -z option.
  -e, --out-device <dev> use device <dev> for output streams instead of the
                     default device as set with --device
                     if <dev> starts with a digit, then /dev/video<dev> is used
                     Otherwise if -z was specified earlier, then <dev> is the entity name
                     or interface ID (if prefixed with 0x) as found in the topology of the
                     media device with the bus info string as specified by the -z option.
  -E, --export-device <dev> use device <dev> for exporting DMA buffers
                     if <dev> starts with a digit, then /dev/video<dev> is used
                     Otherwise if -z was specified earlier, then <dev> is the entity name
                     or interface ID (if prefixed with 0x) as found in the topology of the
                     media device with the bus info string as specified by the -z option.
  -z, --media-bus-info <bus-info>
                     find the media device with the given bus info string. If set, then
                     -d, -e and -E options can use the entity name or interface ID to refer
                     to the device nodes.
  -h, --help         display this help message
  --help-all         all options
  --help-io          input/output options
  --help-meta        metadata format options
  --help-misc        miscellaneous options
  --help-overlay     overlay format options
  --help-sdr         SDR format options
  --help-selection   crop/selection options
  --help-stds        standards and other video timings options
  --help-streaming   streaming options
  --help-subdev      sub-device options
  --help-tuner       tuner/modulator options
  --help-vbi         VBI format options
  --help-vidcap      video capture format options
  --help-vidout      vidout output format options
  --help-edid        edid handling options
  -k, --concise      be more concise if possible.
  -l, --list-ctrls   display all controls and their values [VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL]
  -L, --list-ctrls-menus
		     display all controls and their menus [VIDIOC_QUERYMENU]
  -r, --subset <ctrl>[,<offset>,<size>]+
                     the subset of the N-dimensional array to get/set for control <ctrl>,
                     for every dimension an (<offset>, <size>) tuple is given.
  -w, --wrapper      use the libv4l2 wrapper library.
  --list-devices-input <name>
                     same as --list-devices, but only show devices with a current
                     input name that matches <name>
  --list-devices-output <name>
                     same as --list-devices, but only show devices with a current
                     output name that matches <name>
  --log-status       log the board status in the kernel log [VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS]
  --get-priority     query the current access priority [VIDIOC_G_PRIORITY]
  --set-priority <prio>
                     set the new access priority [VIDIOC_S_PRIORITY]
                     <prio> is 1 (background), 2 (interactive) or 3 (record)
  --silent           only set the result code, do not print any messages
  --sleep <secs>     sleep <secs>, call QUERYCAP and close the file handle
  --verbose          turn on verbose ioctl status reporting
  --version          show version information
Options (39)
OptionDescriptionSource
--allDisplay all information available.help + man
-C, --get-ctrl ctrlget the value of the controls [VIDIOC_G_EXT_CTRLS]help
-c, --set-ctrl ctrl>=<valset the value of the controls [VIDIOC_S_EXT_CTRLS]help
-D, --infoShow driver info [VIDIOC_QUERYCAP].help + man
-z, --media-bus-info bus-infoFind the media device with the given <bus-info> string.help + man
-h, --helpdisplay this help messagehelp + man
--help-allPrints the help message for all options.help + man
--help-ioPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list inputs and outputs, both video and audio.help + man
--help-metaPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list metadata formats.help + man
--help-miscPrints the help message for miscellaneous options.help + man
--help-overlayPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list overlay and framebuffer formats.help + man
--help-sdrPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list software defined radio formats.help + man
--help-selectionPrints the help message for all options that deal with selections (cropping and composing).help + man
--help-stdsPrints the help message for all options that deal with SDTV standards and Digital Video timings.help + man
--help-streamingPrints the help message for all options that deal with streaming.help + man
--help-subdevPrints the help message for all options that deal with v4l-subdevX devices.help + man
--help-tunerPrints the help message for all options that deal with tuners and modulators.help + man
--help-vbiPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list VBI formats.help + man
--help-vidcapPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list video capture formats.help + man
--help-vidoutPrints the help message for all options that get/set/list video output formats.help + man
--help-edidPrints the help message for all options that get/set EDIDs.help + man
-k, --concisebe more concise if possible.help + man
-l, --list-ctrlsDisplay all controls and their values [VIDIOC_QUERYCTRL].help + man
-L, --list-ctrls-menusDisplay all controls and their menus [VIDIOC_QUERYMENU].help + man
-r, --subset ctrlthe subset of the N-dimensional array to get/set for control <ctrl>, for every dimension an (<offset>, <size>) tuple is given.help
-w, --wrapperUse the libv4l2 wrapper library for all V4L2 device accesses.help + man
--list-devices-input nameSame as --list-devices, but only show devices with a current input name that matches <name>.help + man
--list-devices-output nameSame as --list-devices, but only show devices with a current output name that matches <name>.help + man
--log-statusLog the board status in the kernel log [VIDIOC_LOG_STATUS].help + man
--get-priorityQuery the current access priority [VIDIOC_G_PRIORITY].help + man
--set-priority prioset the new access priority [VIDIOC_S_PRIORITY] <prio> is 1 (background), 2 (interactive) or 3 (record)help + man
--silentOnly set the result code, do not print any messages.help + man
--sleep secsSleep <secs>, call QUERYCAP and close the file handle.help + man
--verbose, -vturn on verbose ioctl status reportinghelp + man
--versionShow version information.help + man
-A, --list-devicesList all v4l devices. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-d, --device devUse device <dev> as the V4L2 device. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-e, --out-device devUse device <dev> for output streams instead of the default device as set with --device. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-E, --export-device devUse device <dev> for exporting DMA buffers. (in the manual page but not in --help)man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.