3 files changed, 31 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/dot_config/waybar/config.jsonc b/dot_config/waybar/config.jsonc
index 47d6b64..c09eb1f 100644
--- a/dot_config/waybar/config.jsonc
+++ b/dot_config/waybar/config.jsonc
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     "network#bond",
     "battery",
     "privacy",
+    "custom/webcam",
     "pulseaudio",
     "custom/wifi",
     "bluetooth",
@@ -169,6 +170,13 @@
     ],
   },
 
+  "custom/webcam": {
+    "exec": "~/.config/waybar/webcam-status.sh",
+    "return-type": "json",
+    "interval": 2,
+    "tooltip": true,
+  },
+
   "custom/notifications": {
     "exec": "~/.config/waybar/mako-status.sh",
     "return-type": "json",
diff --git a/dot_config/waybar/executable_webcam-status.sh b/dot_config/waybar/executable_webcam-status.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8e5570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_config/waybar/executable_webcam-status.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Emit waybar JSON when any /dev/video* device is held open by a process.
+# V4L2 capture (firefox, zoom, OBS, etc.) doesn't go through PipeWire's
+# privacy portal, so the built-in waybar privacy module never sees it.
+set -eu
+
+devs=$(echo /dev/video[0-9]*)
+case "$devs" in
+  '/dev/video[0-9]*') exit 0 ;;  # no devices present
+esac
+
+# fuser exits 0 when at least one device has an opener, 1 otherwise. Stderr
+# carries 'PID' for each match; redirect it away.
+if fuser $devs >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  printf '{"text":"CAM","tooltip":"webcam in use","class":"active","alt":"active"}\n'
+else
+  printf '{"text":"","alt":"idle"}\n'
+fi
diff --git a/dot_config/waybar/style.css b/dot_config/waybar/style.css
index 3072ad2..29d9885 100644
--- a/dot_config/waybar/style.css
+++ b/dot_config/waybar/style.css
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ window#waybar {
 #privacy,
 #custom-memory,
 #custom-wifi,
+#custom-webcam,
 #custom-notifications,
 #custom-thunderbird {
   padding: 0 6px;
@@ -118,6 +119,10 @@ window#waybar {
   color: #fb4934; /* red — only visible when active */
 }
 
+#custom-webcam.active {
+  color: #fb4934; /* red — only rendered when webcam is in use */
+}
+
 #custom-notifications {
   color: #928374; /* gray baseline */
 }