3D and/or games break X, needing reboot
All, I have never used/enabled 3D on Linux, before. However, when I installed SuSE 8.1Pro, the installer recognized my ATI Rage 128 board and suggested that 3D might finally be an option. I said "Yes". So, during the install, I picked a few 3D-ish games that didn't need network/multiplayer: -tulpas - TuxRacer - tuxedo - FlightGear and a couple more. I'm running KDE, as installed from the 8.1 DVD, and updated by YOU. When I run any of the games except (I think...) tulpas, my system soon freezes, not accepting keyboard or mouse input. The games seem to work for the first few seconds or minutes, with reasonable speed and smoothness, but since I've never had 3D on linux, I don't really know how to tell if it's working or if I'm just looking at software performance as provided by an Athlon 1.1G and non-accelerated video. I don't know how to tell if Linux is affected, below the X level, because I'm always forced to reboot when this happens. It does not occur in ordinary (non-game) use of KDE and office apps. Where should I start looking for the cause, or should I just de-select "3D" in YasT2 and forget about silly games? /kevin
The 02.12.09 at 12:40, KMcLauchlan@chrysalis-its.com wrote:
So, during the install, I picked a few 3D-ish games that didn't need network/multiplayer: -tulpas - TuxRacer - tuxedo - FlightGear and a couple more.
These games, specially flight gear, require HW accel to work. If not enabled, they crawl at 1 image per second, or worse, on a 1.8 Ghz pentium IV. That usually means 3D in sax2. About your crash, I don't know. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson
On Monday 09 December 2002 14:37, Carlos E. R. wrote: [...]
These games, specially flight gear, require HW accel to work. If not enabled, they crawl at 1 image per second, or worse, on a 1.8 Ghz pentium IV. That usually means 3D in sax2.
About your crash, I don't know.
From what has been said, would you assume that it was 3D that was killing my system? Any thoughts on another application that I could try, that would use 3D (and not cost money...), that might help confirm/isolate the source of the problem? Anybody know of an app that can switch between 3D and no-3D, on-the-fly? It seems to me that the 3D drivers(?) or underpinnings are constantly enabled, but are only invoked when needed, thus I can run the rest of my system and software without crashes, but when something needs 3D, it starts breaking. I mean, I've had the system up for several days running just KDE, KMail, some browsing (Opera and Konq) and office apps, with no problems. By contrast, I've killed it within 30 seconds of KDE loading, by starting Tuxracer and then exiting the game. Other times, I've had Tuxracer or one of the other games going for several minutes before things....... just stopped. It doesn't seem to matter what other apps I might have open at the time. /kevin
The 02.12.10 at 10:22, Kevin McLauchlan wrote:
These games, specially flight gear, require HW accel to work. If not enabled, they crawl at 1 image per second, or worse, on a 1.8 Ghz pentium IV. That usually means 3D in sax2.
About your crash, I don't know.
From what has been said, would you assume that it was 3D that was killing my system?
Well... it is a possibility. Video programming was always difficult, and it was always very easy to lock the computer. For example, the driver may need full control of the cpu for a short time, and if the program locks at that point the system could not recuperate. I don't know how it is handled that in linux; but I understand there is a big problem because some makers (like nvidia) do not release the necesary information to make open source drivers, so they either have to reverse engineer them, or use whatever driver the maker makes. I guess there are other people here that could expand on this far better than me.
Any thoughts on another application that I could try, that would use 3D (and not cost money...), that might help confirm/isolate the source of the problem?
Some have been reported on another thread, but just search for 3d in yast or pin.
Anybody know of an app that can switch between 3D and no-3D, on-the-fly?
There are some programs that might do that, but I have to read the docs to make sure. Try finding out about these: swfplayer switch2mesasoft switch2nv switch2nvidia switch2nvidia_glx switch2xf86_glx In my case, I guess switch2nv and switch2nvidia would do exactly that.
It seems to me that the 3D drivers(?) or underpinnings are constantly enabled, but are only invoked when needed, thus I can run the rest of my system and software without crashes, but when something needs 3D, it starts breaking. I mean, I've had the system up for several days running just KDE, KMail, some browsing (Opera and Konq) and office apps, with no problems.
Could be. But in the case of nvidia (the one I know) the driver is completely different: nv, whic is open, or nvidia, from the maker, and binary only. Only the second support 3d and hardware accel.
By contrast, I've killed it within 30 seconds of KDE loading, by starting Tuxracer and then exiting the game. Other times, I've had Tuxracer or one of the other games going for several minutes before things....... just stopped.
It doesn't seem to matter what other apps I might have open at the time.
Well... your crash might be due to something else completely different. Have you read the messages about barrier=none? It would apply, if you use reiserfs. There is a new kernel patch. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson
On Tuesday 10 December 2002 17:50, Carlos E. R. wrote: [...]
Anybody know of an app that can switch between 3D and no-3D, on-the-fly?
There are some programs that might do that, but I have to read the docs to make sure. Try finding out about these:
swfplayer switch2mesasoft switch2nv switch2nvidia switch2nvidia_glx switch2xf86_glx
In my case, I guess switch2nv and switch2nvidia would do exactly that.
Probably I should avoid anything that says NVIDIA, since I'm running an ATI card with ATI chips. [...]
It doesn't seem to matter what other apps I might have open at the time.
Well... your crash might be due to something else completely different. Have you read the messages about barrier=none? It would apply, if you use reiserfs. There is a new kernel patch.
Ah!... I'll look into that. I am using reiserfs. Thank you. /kevin
KMcLauchlan@chrysalis-its.com wrote:
When I run any of the games except (I think...) tulpas, my system soon freezes, not accepting keyboard or
3D games are the most computationally intensive apps. The cause to your problem is likely this: The main processor heats up too much resulting in computer hang. Get a bigger cooler. To check that it's really this: look in BIOS for CPU temperature after normal operation (non games). Then, _imediately_ after you get a frozen computer, reboot, enter the BIOS and check the temperature. >=45 degrees Celsius I'd say is too much, although this is an empiric value, based on my experience. The processor of the video card heats up too much. Check the cooler or heatsink on it. -- Silviu Marin-Caea Systems Engineer Linux/Unix http://www.genesys.ro Phone +40723-267961
participants (4)
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Carlos E. R. -
Kevin McLauchlan -
KMcLauchlan＠chrysalis-its.com
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Silviu Marin-Caea