"An application want to turn on your camera..."

You might want to identify that "application" & see if it's any known form of spyware. I sure wouldn't allow it execute without a lot more info!

The dialog box making the announcement didn't offer an option to inquire further. Format-wise it looked about like the dialog box that reports the system is up to date, except with two choices (allow and deny) rather than just "ok".

Might there be a log file somewhere recording events like this?

Thanks for writing,

bob prohaska

Some Canon cameras can be controlled over USB -- I have a Powershot 620 that can -- but I think you're right that the A460 can't.

You say that you have been copying photos off the A460 (directly onto the Pi)? What software are you using for that? Is it possible that that software is running (in the background?) and wants to talk to the camera (which it has seen before)?

It's not /necessarily/ suspicious, but you should identify the software that's issuing the prompt to be sure.

Before searching for a software (application) "culprit", I'd check to see if the OP is using a DE; and, if he is, then check if there is a default multimedia application, and if/how it's configured (pop-up notifications, etc.) I don't have that issue, 'cuz I run "pure" X11 (XDM and JWM), so no pesky pop-ups.

When I connect the camera I get a popup asking if I want to open the File Manager. When I click "yes", a generic-looking window with the title bar showing gphoto2://Canon_Inc_Canon_Ditital_Camera_[long hex number] This has been happening since I started with Raspberry Pi some years ago.

The "application wants to use the camera..." popup was standalone and unlike the file manager and gphoto windows. It really looked like a system dialog box similar to the "system is up to date" box that appears after an upgrade from the desktop title bar menu. Except that it appeared some time (hours?) after an upgrade.

If by DE you mean desktop environment, I'm using whatever comes with Bookworm, with no concious customizations. There's nothing like Skype or Zoom in the Raspberry menu. The Chromium browser was running, and a bunch of LXterminal windows.

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

That is probably the culprit.

Can you explain a bit more? Chromium is a popular and sometimes justified scapegoat, but it's primarily a display process, not a capture process.

Speaking of chromium, I just noticed the latest upgrade disabled ublock-origin. That's scapegoat-worthy. Can apt revert the change?

bob prohaska

Browsers use the camera for video calls - Zoom, Teams, ... (when you aren't using their dedicated apps)

Some websites also use it for taking static photos - eg a bank wants to take a picture of you and your ID for verification.

They shouldn't ask for camera permission unless a website wants it, but perhaps you went to a website that did.

That's a feature (for Google, not for you):

Theo

I wasn't doing anything that would justify a photo ID, but it would make sense to seek a snapshot for future use. But it seems really dumb to openly ask that a camera be used when no camera is present.

Firefox it is. At least for now.

Agreed, that's a poor solution. Still, there are a number of alternative browsers (brave, dillo, iridium, opera, vivaldi, palemoon....) Do any work?

thanks for writing,

bob prohaska

You're running "stock" (plain-vanilla) Debian 12 with Raspberry Pi "enhancements", right? Upgraded from Debian 11, rather than a fresh install, right? In either case, you're probably using the default DE (LXDE), right?

At some point you attached your Canon A460, and the "smart" DE auto-configured it as the default multimedia camera. The system probably "remembers" it as being connected and/or wants to verify that it's there and/or that it (or some other device) is there.

If you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras.