# Picamera not working as expected **URL:** \ **Category:** balenaOS\ **Tags:** raspberrypizero\ **Created:** [March 19, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672 "2019-03-19T22:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nelson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/nelson/32/1303_2.png) [@nelson](https://forums.balena.io/u/nelson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672/1 "2019-03-19T22:19:14Z")
Hi, I have been trying to get the rpi camera to work but it seems there’s something wrong with the `io.balena.features.kernel-modules` label. These are my Dockerfile and docker-compose file: **docker-compose.yml** ``` version: '2.1' services: picture: build: . restart: always privileged: true labels: io.balena.features.kernel-modules: '1' io.balena.features.dbus: '1' ``` **Dockerfile** ``` FROM balenalib/raspberry-pi-alpine-python:3.7-3.8 RUN pip install -U pip \ && READTHEDOCS=True pip install --no-cache-dir picamera WORKDIR /src COPY . . CMD modprobe v4l2_common && python test.py ``` My `test.py` file just imports the `picamera` module. This will always result in the following error: ``` 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image Traceback (most recent call last): 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "sample.py", line 2, in 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image import picamera 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/picamera/ __init__.py", line 72, in 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image from picamera.exc import ( 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/picamera/exc.py", line 41, in 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image import picamera.mmal as mmal 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/picamera/mmal.py", line 47, in 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image from .bcm_host import VCOS_UNSIGNED 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/picamera/bcm_host.py", line 47, in 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image _lib = ct.CDLL('libbcm_host.so') 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/ctypes/ __init__.py", line 366, in __init__ 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image self._handle = _dlopen(self._name, mode) 19.03.19 23:11:12 (+0100) test-image OSError: libbcm_host.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory ``` I have tried the example provided on [https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera) and I get the exact same result. Can anyone look into this? I’m trying this on both a RPi Zero W and a RPi3-B Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![nelson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/nelson/32/1303_2.png) [@nelson](https://forums.balena.io/u/nelson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2019, 9:45am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672/4 "2019-03-21T09:45:03Z")
As a follow up on my previous post, the workaround to get this to work is to use the debian base image instead of the alpine and install `libraspberrypi-bin` package. Without it seems the shared libraries are not present. Can someone double check that this example is actually working? [https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera) thanks, nelson ---
**Author:** ![thomask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@thomask](https://forums.balena.io/u/thomask)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672/6 "2019-11-23T14:59:34Z")
Hey! I (still) got the same problem. The git example is also not working. Did all the configuration ([https://www.balena.io/docs/learn/develop/hardware/i2c-and-spi/](https://www.balena.io/docs/learn/develop/hardware/i2c-and-spi/)) and so on but still get the some error. Unfortunately your solution isn’t working either… ☹ Can’t install `libraspberrypi-bin` cause its not fount. Maybe this is cause I’m using an raspberry pi 4? Have you found an other solution to this task? Thanks a lot! Thomas ---
**Author:** ![mbalamat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/mbalamat/32/1245_2.png) [@mbalamat](https://forums.balena.io/u/mbalamat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 11:52am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672/9 "2019-11-25T11:52:49Z")
Hi @thomask did you use this project [https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera) and tried to install the libraspberrypi-bin if not can you share your Dockerfile? Can you check if there are any /dev/video\* devices present (on host and on the container). Also a thing to try if you are using the balena-rpi-python-picamera project is to change this line [https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera/blob/8eb2af20befd172943655b12355494dfdd1e1d90/Dockerfile.template#L1](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-rpi-python-picamera/blob/8eb2af20befd172943655b12355494dfdd1e1d90/Dockerfile.template#L1) to use a raspberry pi 3 image. ---
**Author:** ![nemis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/nemis/32/4441_2.png) [@nemis](https://forums.balena.io/u/nemis)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/picamera-not-working-as-expected/5672/11 "2020-09-06T11:53:42Z")
Hi, I am having the same issues with an rpi4. also tried your last proposal and changed to using the following: `FROM balenalib/raspberrypi3-64-ubuntu-python` Also tried with and without `modprobe v4l2_common` but that command does not work anyways…