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I have been getting the error message below when attempting to use the Raspberry Pi camera

# raspistill -o /tmp/gate_now.jpg
mmal: mmal_vc_component_enable: failed to enable component: ENOSPC
mmal: camera component couldn't be enabled
mmal: main: Failed to create camera component
mmal: Failed to run camera app. Please check for firmware updates

In researching this, there are a number of reasons that can lead to an ENOSPC message, I thought I would create a question here to catalog the possible causes.

TomG
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12 Answers12

24

I use motion on pi, if I want to run raspistill, I have to stop motion(which also using the camera to detect movement).

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ sudo /etc/init.d/motion stop
[ ok ] Stopping motion detection daemon: motion.
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ /usr/bin/raspistill -o cam2.jpg
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ sudo /etc/init.d/motion start
[ ok ] Starting motion detection daemon: motion.
schemacs
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19

The GitHub project page for the camera software mentions

Error : ENOSPC displayed. Camera is probably running out of GPU memory. Check config.txt in the /boot/ folder. The gpu_mem option should be at least 128.

This issue states that this error can occur due to a conflict with the drivers for 1-Wire (W1) modules if the modules are not loaded in the right order.

This post on the RPi forums says the problem can be fixed by switching the pin used for 1-Wire to pin 18:

/boot/cmdline.txt:
dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 console=ttyAMA0,115200 kgdboc=ttyAMA0,115200 console=tty1 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 elevator=deadline rootwait bcm2708.w1_gpio_pin=18

As of may 2016, the GPU_MEM=128 is no longer enough. Increasing it from 128 to 144 made the error go away.

Pi Home Server
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TomG
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19

I had the same problem. Comparing it to a number of other posts, the most likely answer is that two processes/applications are trying to access the PiCam at the same time. This can be ffmpeg streaming, motion, raspivid, raspistill, etc.

My $0.02

Frank
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12

"In normal circumstances there is NEVER a need to run rpi-update as it always gets you to the leading edge firmware and kernel and because that may be a testing version it could leave your RPi unbootable". https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=916911#p916911 Even the rpi-update documentation now warns "Even on Raspbian you should only use this with a good reason. This gets you the latest bleeding edge kernel/firmware."

I had the same problem. A firmware update solved it.

sudo rpi-update
Milliways
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user49119
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8

I recently experienced the same problem of an ENOSPEC error. In my case all things was running perfectly until I put my camera into a PiCam housing. I found this housing (even if desinged for the PiCamera) pushes the chip just as far that the connector between cam and board was loosened. Pushing it back in place solved my problem. Its maybe not that easy to see if the connector is properly in place which cause missinterpretation.

I guess this will not be the usual case but as the first post suggested this should enhance the cataloge of possible causes to this error.

Ghanima
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BigB
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4

I've tried with last RASPBIAN STRETCH LITE (9.4 - 2018-06-27) in a PI3B v1.2 with a PI CAMERA 2.1, all fully upgraded (apt-get upgrade)

If this command doesn't detect the camera with "detected=1" like this:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ vcgencmd get_camera
supported=1 detected=1

Then there is a connection problem. Check if the cable both ways are with the good side to the pins (and of course connected to the "camera" bus, not the "display" bus that are the same size).

(of course, after enable camera interface with raspi-config and rebooting)

If it didn't work, usually it's a hardware problem with the camera and the quick option is to change the camera with a new one.

If detected=1 but when trying to use raspistill shows this message:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ raspistill -o test.jpg
mmal: mmal_vc_component_enable: failed to enable component: ENOSPC
mmal: camera component couldn't be enabled
mmal: main: Failed to create camera component
mmal: Failed to run camera app. Please check for firmware updates

Then the connections are ok, but the problem for sure is a hardware problem with the camera and you have to change the camera for a new one. Don't waste time trying to solve it because it's a defective camera. If you get a new one it will work.

This is not fully correct. If the camera is detected=1 and supported=1 you will get the error, even if one other "holds" that resource. In my case I ran a docker image grabbing the cam. Inside the container it worked fine, outside (on the host) i got the error described.

MatsK
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Albert Garcia
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3

In my case it was merely that I hadn't rebooted my pi after attaching the camera.

Haydon Berrow
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2

I had the same error message because I had not updated the firmware (via sudo rpi-update) after enabling the camera via raspi-config. I had already updated the firmware a few days before and I thought it would suffice, but since the camera was not enabled back then, it did not help.

anol
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1

in my case, I had to use modprobe to unload the driver: sudo modprobe -r bcm2835-v4l2

Then the red LED on the camera is turned off, and I can use raspivid to re-enable the camera.

user97662
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1

I got that error on my AIY Vision Kit (Pi Zero W) because I forgot to stop the camera demo app:

sudo systemctl stop joy_detection_demo
Navin
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0

In my case I needed to reseat the cable on the camera. I had disconnected it to feed the cable through a case; it must not have made a good connection.

napertivo
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-1

I solved mine by chmod 666 /dev/video0

liderbug
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