UT2004 Reliability Problems

Kalmairn · n00b Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 61

Hi, everyone.

Not even sure where to start on this one. UT2k4 installed perfectly, but it is very unstable on my system when I run it under Linux. (It works perfectly under WinXP.

)

When it crashes, I can't get any bug information or reports from the executable - it basically hoses up and that's it. It'll leave a 'ut2004-bin <defunct>' and a 'ut2004-bin' in the process list, and I have to reboot to get any resemblance of performance back once it crashes.

A crash is likely to occur in the first 2-5 minutes of play (or video).

On *rare* occasion (only once so far), it dropped back to X after UT died out, and printed an error which I did not record not realizing this would be a real problem.

I run UT2k3 fine. I can also play UT2k4 in WinXP just fine, although (surprisingly!) the performance isn't quite as good.

System Specs:
Athlon XP2400 (not o/c'ed)
512MB PC2700 (single stick)
nVidia GeForceFX 5900
Soyo Ultra Platinum (VIA-based KT333 chipset) Mobo
Integrated Audio - CMI8138 Chipset

Kernel 2.6.6-rc1 (also a problem with 2.6.1)
Kernel agpgart
nvidia-drivers build 5336
nvidia-glx build 5336
Otherwise stable (non-~x86)

Anyone else experiencing any problems?

Cheers,

Kal.

tactless · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2004 9:18 pm Post subject:

Actually, the Windows (DirectX, really) version of UT2004 should be quite a bit faster, because the OpenGL version is just a wrapper to it.
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wolf31o2 · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 3:10 am Post subject:

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=45031

emerge ut2004

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zakk · l33t Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 614 Location: Oakland, CA

tactless · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:09 am Post subject:

No, the Linux version uses a wrapper (DirectX-syntax) instead of direct OpenGL, which makes it slower.
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"If it wasn't for fog, the world would run at a really crappy framerate."

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zakk · l33t Joined: 16 Jun 2003 Posts: 614 Location: Oakland, CA

No.
Just for you, I've added:
http://icculus.org/lgfaq/#dxwrap

Do you know who worked on the Linux port?
Daniel Vogel and Ryan Gordon.
You can see me talking to Ryan at the icculus.org booth I ran here:
http://timedoctor.org/~zakk/images/keep/ryan_and_z.jpg

In summary: I don't know where you got your information, but it is wrong.

Blutkind · n00b Joined: 11 Apr 2004 Posts: 35

Hey Kalmairn, I've heard that issue 3 times with 2.6.5+ kernel versions, I think the erroring out of X is more related to X and the nvidia driver with UT2004 crashing that ut2004 crashing it. But that's just what i've seen check in #gentoo.
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tactless · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:30 pm Post subject:

Sorry about that... someone had me totally convinced.
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"If it wasn't for fog, the world would run at a really crappy framerate."

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srlinuxx · l33t Joined: 22 Nov 2003 Posts: 627

Well, mine crashes pretty often and I still run 2.4.25. Most other games are very stable on my system.
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VladP12 · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 3:31 am Post subject:

i used to get my games crashing all the time (Loading the map 2nd or 3rd time the game would SHUT DOWN my PC) but then my dad reset the prossesor multiplier on my Pc from 12x to 15x(on both prossesors) and now everything runs smoothly and never crashes.

Im happy to play all the games NON-Stop without any suddenn shut-downs

So try to reset ur prossesor multiplier to a bit higher one and see what happens.

BTW it will cost you around 20$(Condctive grease for ur cooler that goes on ur prossesor) plus S&H and some 10-8 millimeter wires, but well worth the price

I'm not sure but i think this is a bit off topic
I appologise if it is.

pascalbrax · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 10:17 am Post subject:

ut2004 (using the installer on the cd, not emerge) works almost perfectly on my athlonxp with an oooold nvidia geforce2/gts. it crashed only once since the install time. on the other side, when i boot in windows and play ut2004 from XP, it crashes a lot (and nwn, too... and warcraft3, too... and max payne, too...)
i think my hardware was NOT designed for windows

btw i installed it on my notebook with ati radeon 9200M and works fine.
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HydroSan · Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2004 7:05 pm Post subject:

I've looked through the log in /home/(user)/.ut2004. It appears to be an SDL bug, as it will complain about some segfault or error, and dies. I'm not at my computer right now, but I get the problem even still sometimes. It tends to happen more on Capture The Flag mode, IMO.
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Esben · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 10:49 pm Post subject: Maybe it is true what they say

that in high-energy physics (game) atoms become unstable.

At least, when my UT2004 became unstable and began crashing, I took a good look at the options I had just turned on. When I switched physics from high to medium, it suddenly became stable. No crashes since then.
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Kalmairn · n00b Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 61

Hi, everyone.

I've apparently found a fix, for what it's worth.

I just upgraded to a P4/3GHz on an FIC mb with DDR3200 memory. It runs smoothly and reliably now....even though I've only recompiled the kernel so far.

So, while I doubt it's a hardware problem, it might be a problem related to the hardware itself.

Maybe we can find some commonality in the specific hardware:

AthlonXP2400 266FSB
Soyo Dragon Ultra Platinum KT333
(VIA Chipset, C-Media 8738 audio)
Geforce FX 5900
512MB DDR 2700

Cheers,

Kal.