Lightweight USB Webcam Recorder with Audio — Simple, Efficient, and Fully Customizable


TatorCam is a Lightweight bash based webcam recording utility designed for Linux systems using USB webcams and ALSA audio devices. It provides a simple terminal menu to:

Select video and audio devices

Configure output folder

Set video resolution and bitrate

Preview camera

Monitor audio levels

Start and stop recordings easily

Save and load your settings automatically

Features
Minimal CPU usage with optimized ffmpeg settings (ultrafast preset, single-threaded encoding)

Auto-creates and tracks output recording folders

Supports custom audio and video device selection

Adjustable video resolution and bitrate

Real-time audio level monitoring

Simple camera preview using ffplay

Persistent configuration stored in ~/.camrecorder_config

Human-friendly terminal menu interface

Requirements
Linux system

USB webcam supported by v4l2 (Video4Linux2)

ALSA-compatible microphone/audio device

ffmpeg (with libx264 and aac support)

arecord and aplay (ALSA utilities)

ffplay (for preview)

Install missing tools via your package manager, e.g.:

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sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg alsa-utils
Usage
Download or clone the TatorCam script: camera.sh

Make it executable:

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chmod +x camera.sh
Run the script:

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./camera.sh
Use the menu to:

Select your audio and video devices

Set output folder and video settings

Preview your camera

Start and stop recording

Configuration File
TatorCam saves your preferences automatically to:

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~/.camrecorder_config
This file stores:

Output folder path

Audio device name

Video device path

Video resolution

Video bitrate

Tips for Best Performance
Use a modest resolution like 640x480 or 1280x720 for low CPU load

Set bitrate according to quality needs (e.g., 1000k is good for 720p)

Avoid camera preview while recording to reduce CPU usage

Use the ultrafast preset for encoding speed and low lag