Video device node

A video device node is a device node through which an application accesses a supported video or metadata interface in Video4Linux. A conventional path is /dev/video0, but the name identifies a kernel interface rather than a persistent physical-camera identity. Device drivers register the interfaces, and applications open them to obtain file descriptors for the appropriate operations.^[ref]

A single hardware peripheral can expose several interfaces. Conversely, a path numbered zero can refer to different hardware after discovery order changes. The kernel documentation identifies /dev/v4l/by-id/ and /dev/v4l/by-path/ links as alternatives for identifying devices independently of transient numbering.^[ref]

For an original selection example, suppose cameras A and B are discovered in that order and receive paths /dev/video0 and /dev/video1. On another boot B is discovered first, reversing those assignments. A configuration containing only /dev/video0 then selects a different camera while remaining a valid path. Identifying the intended hardware and querying the opened interface's capabilities addresses two separate questions.

The returned file descriptor refers to an open instance; it is not the camera number. An application may receive descriptor 7 when opening /dev/video0, and another application may also have a descriptor 7 referring to another object in its own descriptor table. File descriptors are local process handles, while the device path belongs to the file system namespace.

Before interpreting data, query the interface with VIDIOC_QUERYCAP and negotiate its supported pixel format. A video device node alone does not imply support for NV12M, a chosen image size or the V4L2 multi-planar API. The resulting image memory planes and video buffer payload must follow the actual negotiated interface.