aeyes

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Capture webcam frames and video clips using the aeyes daemon. Use when asked to take a photo, snap a picture, grab a frame, record video, view live webcam stream, or inspect webcam feed. Supports multiple cameras and live streaming via web UI.

1installs

Sourceelecnix/aeyes

Added on2026-03-16

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add elecnix/aeyes aeyes

SKILL.md Content

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Webcam capture with aeyes

Use this skill when the user wants to capture an image or video from their webcam, or view a live stream.

What is aeyes?

A-Eyes (AI's eyes) is a CLI daemon that keeps your webcam open for instant captures without auto-exposure/focus delays. It maintains a ~30 FPS frame buffer, so captures complete in under 100ms.

GitHub: https://github.com/elecnix/aeyes
Crate: https://crates.io/crates/aeyes
License: MIT

Locating the binary

Check if

aeyes

is already installed:

bash

which aeyes
# or
command -v aeyes

If not found, check common cargo install locations:

bash

ls ~/.cargo/bin/aeyes 2>/dev/null
ls /usr/local/bin/aeyes 2>/dev/null

Installing from source

If aeyes is not installed, build it from GitHub:

bash

git clone https://github.com/elecnix/aeyes.git /tmp/aeyes
cd /tmp/aeyes
cargo install --path .

This installs the binary to

~/.cargo/bin/aeyes

. Ensure

~/.cargo/bin

is in your PATH:

bash

export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"

Prerequisites: Rust toolchain (rustc 1.75+) must be installed. Check with:

bash

rustc --version

If Rust is not installed:

bash

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
source "$HOME/.cargo/env"

Available commands

start   Start the background daemon
cams    List available cameras
frame   Capture a frame to a file through the daemon HTTP API
video   Capture a video clip through the daemon HTTP API
stop    Stop the daemon
status  Show daemon status

Capturing a webcam image

1. Start the daemon (if not running)

bash

aeyes start

This forks to the background and opens the webcam (~30 FPS frame buffer).

2. Check daemon status

bash

aeyes status

3. Capture a frame

bash

# Custom output path (required - no default path)
aeyes frame -o /tmp/my-photo.jpg

4. List available cameras

bash

aeyes cams

5. Capture a video clip

bash

aeyes video -o /tmp/my-clip.avi

6. Stop the daemon (optional)

bash

aeyes stop

Quick capture workflow

bash

# One-liner: ensure daemon is running, capture, return path
aeyes start 2>/dev/null || true
sleep 1
aeyes frame -o /tmp/aeyes-capture.jpg
echo "Image saved to: /tmp/aeyes-capture.jpg"

Live webcam streaming

You can view the live webcam feed directly in your browser while the daemon is running. This is useful for inspecting the webcam or showing the feed to the user.

Web UI URLs

Camera	URL
Camera 0	http://localhost:43210/web/0
Camera 1	http://localhost:43210/web/1
Default camera	http://localhost:43210/web/default

Opening the live stream

Share the URL with the user so they can click it, or open it yourself in a browser:

bash

# Display URL for user
echo "Live webcam view: http://localhost:43210/web/0"

# Or open in Chrome (if available)
google-chrome http://localhost:43210/web/0 2>/dev/null &

Features of the web UI

Dark-themed interface
Real-time MJPEG stream
Status indicator (Connecting/Connected/Stream error)
Responsive layout
Multiple clients can view the same stream simultaneously

MJPEG stream endpoint

For programmatic access to the stream:

bash

# Get the MJPEG multipart stream
curl http://localhost:43210/cams/default/stream

HTTP API reference

bash

# List cameras
curl http://localhost:43210/cams

# Get a frame
curl -o frame.jpg http://localhost:43210/cams/default/frame

# Capture a video (query params: max_length, fps)
curl -o video.avi http://localhost:43210/cams/default/video?max_length=5&fps=15

# Live MJPEG stream
curl http://localhost:43210/cams/default/stream

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
`aeyes` not found	Not in PATH	Add `~/.cargo/bin` to PATH
Build fails	Missing Rust	Install rustup (see above)
Daemon fails to start	Webcam in use or port 43210 occupied	Close other apps using camera, check `aeyes status`
Empty/black capture	Wrong device	Check `/dev/video*` devices
Permission denied	No video group access	`sudo usermod -aG video $USER` then logout/login
Web UI not loading	Daemon not running	Run `aeyes start` first

Platform notes

Linux: Primary supported platform (uses V4L2/nokhwa)
Windows/Mac: Planned but not yet supported (see roadmap)

IPC details

HTTP API:
```
http://127.0.0.1:43210
```
The daemon maintains a latest-frame buffer, so captures are instant
Adaptive exposure control keeps bright screens readable in dark rooms
Live streaming via MJPEG multipart (supports multiple concurrent viewers)

aeyes

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Webcam capture with aeyes

What is aeyes?

Locating the binary

Installing from source

Available commands

Capturing a webcam image

1. Start the daemon (if not running)

2. Check daemon status

3. Capture a frame

4. List available cameras

5. Capture a video clip

6. Stop the daemon (optional)

Quick capture workflow

Live webcam streaming

Web UI URLs

Opening the live stream

Features of the web UI

MJPEG stream endpoint

HTTP API reference

Troubleshooting

Platform notes

IPC details