This weekend I decided to check how far I could go on the path to having NixOS support to my webcam. I found out that my laptop needs ipu7 drivers, and that nixpkgs already has ipu6 support in place, so I started adapting all related files in the hope it would be sufficient. It was not 
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You can find my changes here: Comparing NixOS:master...DiogoDoreto:unstable-ipu7-webcam · NixOS/nixpkgs · GitHub
It all compiles and the kernel seems to recognize my camera without errors, but I’m still getting no image from it.
Right now I do not know how to keep investigating the issue. If anyone has any further ideas to share I would gladly continue moving this forward.
$ sudo dmesg | grep ipu7
[ 2.814351] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0002)
[ 2.814364] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Device 0x645d (rev: 0x4)
[ 2.814365] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: IPU7 PCI BAR0 base 0x000000204e000000 BAR2 base 0x0000002051d82000
[ 2.814412] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: IPU7 PCI BAR0 mapped at 00000000aebde3a8
[ 2.820418] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: IPU7 SKU 0 in secure mode mask 0x0
[ 2.821663] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: firmware cpd file: intel/ipu/ipu7_fw.bin
[ 2.823122] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: FW binary0 info:
[ 2.823125] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Name: psys
[ 2.823126] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Version: 1.1.9.240627135220
[ 2.823127] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Timestamp: build_id:331942702
[ 2.823127] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Commit: commit_id:d84f5c35
[ 2.823128] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: FW binary1 info:
[ 2.823129] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Name: isys
[ 2.823129] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Version: 1.1.9.240627135318
[ 2.823130] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Timestamp: build_id:3823931988
[ 2.823130] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Commit: commit_id:d84f5c35
[ 2.827619] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Found supported sensor OVTI08F4:00
[ 2.827663] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Connected 1 cameras
[ 2.829238] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Sending BOOT_LOAD to CSE
[ 2.892332] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: Sending AUTHENTICATE_RUN to CSE
[ 2.921443] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: CSE authenticate_run done
[ 3.338324] intel_ipu7_psys.psys intel_ipu7.psys.40: IPU psys probe done.
[12330.468735] intel-ipu7 0000:00:05.0: IPU7 in secure mode