Comments on: Sauerbraten, ATI fglrx, and xgl http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/ Random things that interest me that I may want to remember later. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:19:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: beerfan http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-91 beerfan Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:07:13 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-91 <p>@neil:<br /> For games and other apps which don't behave with compiz I use the following formula.<br /> --------------------<br /> metacity --replace &<br /> sleep 2<br /> program &&<br /> sleep 2<br /> compiz --replace &<br /> --------------------<br /> What is the purpose of ~/.config/disable ? In fact, what owns ~/.config? I have yet to figure that out. Most apps use a directory with a name which makes it obvious.</p> @neil:
For games and other apps which don’t behave with compiz I use the following formula.
——————–
metacity –replace &
sleep 2
program &&
sleep 2
compiz –replace &
——————–
What is the purpose of ~/.config/disable ? In fact, what owns ~/.config? I have yet to figure that out. Most apps use a directory with a name which makes it obvious.

]]> By: matthew http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-90 matthew Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:40:04 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-90 <p>I know Alberto and have used Envy in the past. I've been keeping up on the developments with the latest ATI proprietary offering and I'm not convinced it is ready for use on a computer that I need consistently accessible for work...now, if it was my backup computer, you can be certain I would have the latest beta (alpha, even) installed and be playing. I am hopeful that December's ATI driver release will be more stable and so I'll be watching the reports as they come, once the next driver version is released.<br /> <br /> The free driver works okay for most games, but it is not only measurably slower, it is perceptively slower as well. Telling a difference in the performance between the two is easy, so for the moment, I'm not interested in using the free driver. I'm more of a pragmatist than a purist with this anyway. All things being equal, I'll choose the open driver. Since the performance is not yet equal in ways that matter to me, I'll pick what works best for me.<br /> <br /> I played Sauerbraten for about 30 minutes last night, just to test things out, running as jdong suggested. I had some annoying 1-2 second freezes occasionally that never happened before...so, I'm still looking for a good solution. That solution may simply be to wait until the next driver is released and hope for the best. Sigh.</p> I know Alberto and have used Envy in the past. I’ve been keeping up on the developments with the latest ATI proprietary offering and I’m not convinced it is ready for use on a computer that I need consistently accessible for work…now, if it was my backup computer, you can be certain I would have the latest beta (alpha, even) installed and be playing. I am hopeful that December’s ATI driver release will be more stable and so I’ll be watching the reports as they come, once the next driver version is released.

The free driver works okay for most games, but it is not only measurably slower, it is perceptively slower as well. Telling a difference in the performance between the two is easy, so for the moment, I’m not interested in using the free driver. I’m more of a pragmatist than a purist with this anyway. All things being equal, I’ll choose the open driver. Since the performance is not yet equal in ways that matter to me, I’ll pick what works best for me.

I played Sauerbraten for about 30 minutes last night, just to test things out, running as jdong suggested. I had some annoying 1-2 second freezes occasionally that never happened before…so, I’m still looking for a good solution. That solution may simply be to wait until the next driver is released and hope for the best. Sigh.

]]> By: tinin http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-89 tinin Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:45:43 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-89 <p>Hey man, come on! just try the envy driver installer from Alberto Milone. It SHOULD be the default 3d driver installer for prop drivers, it just works, and if not, it has awesome forums to ask Milone to correct bugs.</p> Hey man, come on! just try the envy driver installer from Alberto Milone. It SHOULD be the default 3d driver installer for prop drivers, it just works, and if not, it has awesome forums to ask Milone to correct bugs.

]]> By: Kelly Clowers http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-88 Kelly Clowers Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:55:49 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-88 <p>Matthew, Re: the free driver being slower - is that a major issue? Not disagreeing, just curious/surprised. I use the free drivers for my 9550 and it has no trouble playing Quake 3 which is the heaviest game I play. Is Sauerbraten that intensive?</p> Matthew, Re: the free driver being slower - is that a major issue? Not disagreeing, just curious/surprised. I use the free drivers for my 9550 and it has no trouble playing Quake 3 which is the heaviest game I play. Is Sauerbraten that intensive?

]]> By: James http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-87 James Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:44:56 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-87 <p>Have you tried the latest ATI proprietary driver? Admittedly it's proprietary, but I've got a Radeon XPRESS 200M in my laptop (I hate it) and I can run Compiz on that, and it's a lot more stable than my experiences with xgl. Envy does a wonderful job of installing it, too :). Actually speaking of which, I *have* to have the ATI driver since upgrading to Gutsy, as the fglrx just won't work... *shrugs*</p> Have you tried the latest ATI proprietary driver? Admittedly it’s proprietary, but I’ve got a Radeon XPRESS 200M in my laptop (I hate it) and I can run Compiz on that, and it’s a lot more stable than my experiences with xgl. Envy does a wonderful job of installing it, too :). Actually speaking of which, I *have* to have the ATI driver since upgrading to Gutsy, as the fglrx just won’t work… *shrugs*

]]> By: Cyrus Jones http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-86 Cyrus Jones Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:54:57 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-86 <p>I have an ATI Radeon X800, and use the free driver. The free driver has improved a lot (from having no 2D support -> 2D support -> 3D support -> better 3D support). Still, the FPS in many games are not as high as I'd like (and maybe 1/3-1/2 that of fglrx). But the fglrx driver drives you crazy with its issues (including the XGL in the old driver and the problems with the new driver). But the killing point that let me choose the free driver (besides freedom), was that fglrx would overheat my card (my computer would be extremely loud and hot- enough to threaten my hard drive). Shame on ATI/AMD for not fixing the overheating issue.</p> I have an ATI Radeon X800, and use the free driver. The free driver has improved a lot (from having no 2D support -> 2D support -> 3D support -> better 3D support). Still, the FPS in many games are not as high as I’d like (and maybe 1/3-1/2 that of fglrx). But the fglrx driver drives you crazy with its issues (including the XGL in the old driver and the problems with the new driver). But the killing point that let me choose the free driver (besides freedom), was that fglrx would overheat my card (my computer would be extremely loud and hot- enough to threaten my hard drive). Shame on ATI/AMD for not fixing the overheating issue.

]]> By: matthew http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-85 matthew Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:58:38 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-85 <p>Marius: the free driver works well, but it is a lot slower, especially with games and such. Compiz works well with it, though. If I were only using this laptop for work and flashy desktop effects, I would definitely stick with the free driver. For any real game play, FPS ratings in almost all games are 3 to 4 times faster with the fglrx driver.</p> Marius: the free driver works well, but it is a lot slower, especially with games and such. Compiz works well with it, though. If I were only using this laptop for work and flashy desktop effects, I would definitely stick with the free driver. For any real game play, FPS ratings in almost all games are 3 to 4 times faster with the fglrx driver.

]]> By: Marius Gedminas http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-84 Marius Gedminas Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:07:30 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-84 <p>How does the free driver fare on your hardware? 9700 is pretty old, the 'radeon' driver should support 3D on it.</p> How does the free driver fare on your hardware? 9700 is pretty old, the ‘radeon’ driver should support 3D on it.

]]> By: matthew http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-83 matthew Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:47:19 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-83 <p>neil: thank you for the idea! I appreciate it.<br /><p> <p>jdong, FTW. Thanks!<br /> <br /> I just added the display to my sauerbraten startup script and it works beautifully. Woo hoo!</p> neil: thank you for the idea! I appreciate it.

jdong, FTW. Thanks!

I just added the display to my sauerbraten startup script and it works beautifully. Woo hoo!

]]> By: neil http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-82 neil Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:57:58 +0000 http://matthewhelmke.net/wordpress/2007/11/29/sauerbraten-ati-fglrx-and-xgl/#comment-82 <p>change the file $HOME/.config/enable to be called disable and then restart metacity or kwin with --replace to get rid of the XGL, and then run the game. Long winded but a wee script in the systemtray is how I did it. I moved to the newer drivers, but am not convinced on them yet.</p> change the file $HOME/.config/enable to be called disable and then restart metacity or kwin with –replace to get rid of the XGL, and then run the game. Long winded but a wee script in the systemtray is how I did it. I moved to the newer drivers, but am not convinced on them yet.

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