celestia crashes at startup

[guest]

Hi,
I am using SuSE 9.1 on a computer with ATI FireGL T2 graphics card.
Here is what I currently run:
- 3.11.1 ATI fglrx driver from SuSE,
- KDE 3.2.1 and QT in the most recent versions you get when updating via YOU (e.g. the installed version of QT is qt3-3.3.1-36.16.rpm).
- Most recent default kernel 2.6.5-7.108 from SuSE.

Neither version 1.3.1 supplied with SuSE 9.1 nor version 1.3.2, which I compiled myself, run. They both crash immediatley after startup. It seems that they crash as soon as they try to initialize the ARB vertex programs, because only one such line is displayed on the console. Using LIBGL_DEBUG=1 reveals that fglrx is complaining about lots of calls to openGL functions where something (arguments?) are "out of context".

I can make celestia run, if I use LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1 (which of course makes it very slow) and - IN ADDITION! - force celestia with LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib to use the standard libGL.so, not the one which comes with the fglrx driver. Interestingly, it does not help to simply force indirect rendering. The fglrx version is under /usr/X11R6/lib, the standard version is under /usr/lib. Thus, I can get celestia running with pure software rendering, if I type
env LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1 LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib celestia .
I should add that the LIBGL_DEBUG output goes away when I force usage of /usr/lib/libGL.so.1.2, but celestia still crashes in the same way, as long as I do not force software rendering as well.

Googling around, I found a hint that celestia is using openGL 1.4 api. It seems that the standard libGL.so.1.2 provides only openGL 1.2 api, while the one supplied with the fglrx driver supports partially openGL 1.3 api. I also do not know whether the ARB vertex program requires more than openGL 1.2 or what the ATI drivers offer. If so, is there a way to leave this (but not everything else) to software rendering?

Anybody else using fglrx and having problems or sucess stories with celestia?

[selden]

Celestia uses only the OpenGL functions that the device driver claims to support. Apparently ATI's ARB_vertex_program code for some cards still has serious bugs.

I'd suggest disabling Celestia's use of ARB_vertex_program. Edit celestia.cfg and remove the # at the start of the line that says

# IgnoreGLExtensions [ "GL_ARB_vertex_program" ]

[guest]

Many thanks, your suggestion worked!

However, I still have to force usage of the standard /usr/lib/libGL.so.1.2 instead of the libGL supplied with the fglrx driver. But this seems to be typical for KDE/QT applications using openGL, because the same is true for all the GL screensavers coming with KDE.

I have the impression that the fglrx libGL does support ARB_vertex_program, but only in the openGL 1.3 api. When I use LIBGL_DEBUG=1, I see that fglrx complains about not getting an api version and thus it falls back to the 1.2 api. Could this be related to the problem that celestia and other KDE/QT apps using GL crash with the fglrx driver?

[bloby123]

Celestia 1.3.2 turns all white when i click on it. I use XP and my display driver is MOBILITY RADEON from ATI

[selden]

bloby123,

Celestia sometimes shows a white window when it's taking forever to load an Addon and you've selected some other window in the meantime. I haven't heard of this happening at startup time, before.

Unfortunately, most graphic display problems are caused by old, buggy graphics drivers. Please update your system to ATI's lastest drivers and let us know if that helps.

Also, if you haven't already done so, please read Prelimiary User's FAQ at the top of the Users Forum. The first few Q/As may help.

[bloby123]

What I mean is that the cursor loads. When i click inside the window, the whole window turns white (including the toolbar on the top). I haven't added any addons. Going to the faq, turning off Hardware accelaration works but it's very very slow and i don't think i would like it like that.

EDIT: I didn't know that the drivers had a special name. I thought it was somthing else. I'll ty that. Thanks. I'll post again if I need more help.

[bloby123]

They don't provide updates for the drivers remember, it's called Mobility Radeon

[selden]

bloby123,

Often, but not always, laptop manufacturers provide their own "glue chips" to interface with the graphics chips so you have to use drivers that they've written instead of generic ATI drivers.

Usually you can find driver upgrades by doing a Web search for the words
ATI Mobility Radeon
plus the name of the company.

Often they are available on the Web site of the company that made the laptop. Sometimes 3rd party sites have them, although you have to be careful to be sure that supposed drivers aren't actually malware.

For example, rivers for HP laptops are at http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hpcpqnk/us/download/18382.html
and for some IBM laptops are at
http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=TPAD-ISV

.

[bloby123]

Fujitsu doesn't provide updates