Problem on Mandrake 10.2

[mauriciotcnvdrif]

Forum,

after installing with success the latest version downloaded from sourceforge (VDrift-2007-03-23-full-2.package), can't run it. The machine is a 1.7GHz + 512MB + Sis300 (video card) running Mandrake Linux 10.2 (kernel 2.6.11-6mdk). From command line, I am able to see the error that is the following:

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[mauricio@mauricio bin]$ ./vdrift
BinReloc successfully initialized.
Executable path: /usr/share/games/vdrift/bin/vdrift
Data dir: /usr/share/games/vdrift/data
Localedir: /usr/share/games/vdrift/share/locale
No data_dir found in VDrift.config, using /usr/share/games/vdrift/data
Found config file /home/mauricio/.vdrift/controls.
Found config file /home/mauricio/.vdrift/VDrift.config.
No data_dir found in VDrift.config, using /usr/share/games/vdrift/data
Version of game: 2007-03-23
Skin name not found in config file...
Warning: option-47 is missing its default value. Assuming "".
Force feedback device: /dev/input/event0
Force feedback gain: 2
Force feedback inverted: 0
Run with -verbose for troubleshooting.
Run with -nosound to disable sound.
Run with -benchmark to play a replay and output benchmark data.
0 joystick(s) found:
[sis_alloc.c:154]: Failure to allocate Z buffer.

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Other configurations taken from VDrift.conf and controls are as follow:

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[mauricio@mauricio settings]$ pwd
/usr/share/games/vdrift/data/settings
[mauricio@mauricio settings]$ more controls
#Generated by VDrift, feel free to edit manually

# joystick type: wheel or joystick, touchiness compensation
joysticktype joystick off

# for a joystick button:
# [function name] joy [joystick number] button [button number] [true for not held down, false for held down] [true to trigg
er when button is pressed, false to trigger when button is released]

# for a joystick axis:
# [function name] joy [joystick number] axis [axis number] [true for positive axis, false for negative axis]

# for a keyboard key:
# [fuction name] key [key name as defined in lists/keys] [true for keys that aren't held down, false for keys that are] [t
rue to trigger when key is pressed, false to trigger when key is released]

reset key r false true
neutral key n true true
first_gear key 1 true true
second_gear key 2 true true
third_gear key 3 true true
fourth_gear key 4 true true
fifth_gear key 5 true true
sixth_gear key 6 true true
reverse key BACKQUOTE true true
disengage_shift_up key w true true
disengage_shift_down key s true true
engage key w true false
engage key s true false
gas key UP false true
brake key DOWN false true
steer_left key LEFT false true
steer_right key RIGHT false true
start_engine key s true true
handbrake key SPACE false true
view_hood key F1 true true
view_incar key F2 true true
view_chaserigid key F3 true true
view_chase key F4 true true
view_orbit key F5 true true
view_free key F6 true true
view_external key F7 true true
view_extfollow key F8 true true
pan_left key KP4 true true
pan_right key KP6 true true
pan_up key KP2 true true
pan_down key KP8 true true
replay_ff key PERIOD true true
replay_rw key COMMA true true
screen_shot key F12 true true
joystick_info key j true true
pause key p true true

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[mauricio@mauricio settings]$ pwd
/usr/share/games/vdrift/data/settings
[mauricio@mauricio settings]$ more VDrift.config
[ main ]
version = 2006-10-06

[ game ]
game_mode = 0
camera_mode = 3
selected_car = TL
car_paint = 0
track = zandvoort
record = off
ghost = off
num_shots = 0
antilock = off
traction_control = on

[ network ]
host_game = 1
server_port = 1234
server_ip = 127.0.0.1

[ display ]
width = 800
height = 600
depth = 16
texture_size = medium
show_hud = on
show_fps = off
mph = on
view_distance = 2500.000000
fullscreen = off
anisotropic = 0
antialiasing = 0
input_graph = off
car_shadows = on
skin = simple

[ sound ]
volume = 0.750000
music_volume = 0.42

[ mouse ]
xsens = 1.000000
ydead = 0.200000
ysens = 0.900000
enabled = 0

[ control ]
autoclutch = off
profile = joystick
button_ramp = 0.0

[ joystick ]
type = joystick
touchcomp = off
deadzone = off
calibrated = off
selected_index = 0

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It seems, by the section "control", that the game is configured to use a joystick. If this is the true cause of the error I am getting, how could I configure it to use the keyboard as determined by the configuration already made in the controls file? Need to create a "keybord" section in VDrift.conf? Need your help. Thanks in advance.

[thelusiv]

Can you tell us how much video memory your SiS card has? It looks like the problem is an error in your video drivers, possibly related to the amount of resources VDrift is requesting and the amount of resourses your card has to offer.

On controls, all the default controls are assigned to keyboard keys. See the controls file. The [ controls ] section and [ joystick ] section of VDrift.config are only options that enhance the controls, not the control definitions themselves.

[yochenhsieh]

Hello,
It's nice to see that there's someone else except me using Mandriva/Mandrake as well. Unfortunately, I have a bad news to tell you, SIS video cards do not perform very well at 3D gaming in Linux. In fact, SIS does not support all their products in Linux, and neither does the company release any specifications for community to develop Linux drivers.

I would suggest that if you can upgrade for a new video card, go buy a new one. Both ATi and nVidia video cards have very nice performance in Linux, though most people would recommend you buying a nVidia due to better OpenGL support. However, if you are on a laptop or intergrated chipsets, you're probably run out of luck. Alternatively, you may want to try Thomas Winischhofer's unofficial SIS drivers, but in most cases it usually doesn't make any difference.

Regards,

You-Cheng Hsieh

[mauriciotcnvdrif]

thelusiv, yochenhsieh,

thanks for your replies. The first scenario was in a desktop workstation at the job. Another, at home, using Mandriva2006 and also a SiS video card (model 630) it is not possible to run Vdrift. The pc is using the max shared memory that is possible to configure (64MB) and the error that appears indicates file sys_context.c (line 190) and the message "Bad bytesPerPixel". It is time to think about an upgrade. Thank you all.

[yochenhsieh]

thelusiv, yochenhsieh,

thanks for your replies. The first scenario was in a desktop workstation at the job. Another, at home, using Mandriva2006 and also a SiS video card (model 630) it is not possible to run Vdrift. The pc is using the max shared memory that is possible to configure (64MB) and the error that appears indicates file sys_context.c (line 190) and the message "Bad bytesPerPixel". It is time to think about an upgrade. Thank you all.

I believe SIS630 is an intergrated chipset, because I have the same on my previous laptop. I suggest you better check if your mainboard has AGP slots for upgrades, otherwise you will (almost) need to buy a new PC.

[thelusiv]

That's definitely an integrated card...first off, no one would use a SiS card by choice in their system...second off he mentioned that it was using shared memory, and I've never heard of a video card which uses shared memory but isn't integrated into the motherboard.

If you need any suggestions on what card to get, or anything like that, please let us know. Sorry the game doesn't work for you...hope you can fix it.

[mauriciotcnvdrif]

Hello all,

thanks for your help. Yes, it is an integrated video card and the motherboard is a very weak one (the brand is Matasonic or something like that) and the few pci/isa slots it has are already used. Don't even have a chance to give a try on other video cards. As I am already planning to get a new computer, I will consider buying a good video card, like this one:

http://www.shbants.com.br/loja/product_i...01f24c672b

Until there I am going have to wait. No problems. Thanks you all again.

[thelusiv]

Not a bad card. But you might as well skip AGP now and head to PCI-express. That's where it's really at.

[yochenhsieh]

As thelusiv said, the main steam is PCI-EXpress now. I also suggest buy a card with last 3 digit >= 600 if you have enough budget available, e.g. GeForce 6600, 7600, Radeon X600, X1600.

This is probably off-topic, but I just upgrade to Mandriva 2007 Spring (aka 2007.1) which is released recently. I recommend it if you want to install a new Linux OS.