diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 23fdace..2d85cca 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ add_library (robocad-cpp SHARED
     "src/internal/common/updaters.cpp" 
 )
 
-target_link_options(robocad-cpp PRIVATE "LINKER:/NODEFAULTLIB:library")
+if (MSVC)
+  target_link_options(robocad-cpp PRIVATE "LINKER:/NODEFAULTLIB:library")
+endif()
 target_link_libraries(robocad-cpp PRIVATE ${OpenCV_LIBS})
 target_link_libraries(robocad-cpp PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
 
diff --git a/include/internal/common/robot_configuration.hpp b/include/internal/common/robot_configuration.hpp
index 06484eb..69066aa 100644
--- a/include/internal/common/robot_configuration.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/common/robot_configuration.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class DefaultAlgaritmConfiguration : public RobotConfiguration
 {
 public:
     DefaultAlgaritmConfiguration() {
-        camera_index = 2;
+        camera_index = 0;
         with_pi_blaster = false;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/shufflecad.hpp b/include/shufflecad.hpp
index eac41d4..34bfcfb 100644
--- a/include/shufflecad.hpp
+++ b/include/shufflecad.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class Shufflecad
 
     void print_to_log(std::string message, 
                       std::string message_type = LOG_INFO, 
-                      std::string color = "#cccccc");
+                      std::string color = "#808080");
 
     std::vector<ShuffleVariable*> variables_array;
     std::vector<CameraVariable*> camera_variables_array;
@@ -156,8 +156,17 @@ class CameraVariable
     std::vector<uint8_t> get_value()
     {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->data_mutex);
+        // No frame yet (e.g. robot has no camera, or none captured so far):
+        // cv::imencode throws on an empty Mat, which would propagate out of the
+        // camera thread and terminate the whole program. Send a "null" placeholder.
+        if (this->value.empty())
+            return { 'n', 'u', 'l', 'l' };
         std::vector<uchar> result;
-        cv::imencode(".jpg", this->value, result);
+        try {
+            cv::imencode(".jpg", this->value, result);
+        } catch (const cv::Exception&) {
+            return { 'n', 'u', 'l', 'l' };
+        }
         return result;
     }
 private:
diff --git a/src/internal/common/connection_real.cpp b/src/internal/common/connection_real.cpp
index c297e36..741bdfa 100644
--- a/src/internal/common/connection_real.cpp
+++ b/src/internal/common/connection_real.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ ConnectionReal::ConnectionReal(Robot* robot, Updater* updater, RobotConfiguratio
     try
     {
         camera_instance = new cv::VideoCapture(conf->camera_index);
+        if (camera_instance->isOpened())
+            robot->write_log("Camera opened on index " + std::to_string(conf->camera_index));
+        else
+            robot->write_log("Camera FAILED to open on index " + std::to_string(conf->camera_index) +
+                             " (VideoCapture did not throw, but device is not available)");
     }
     catch (const std::exception& e)
     {