Linux, Fedora 7, x86-64: Always runs first-time game

[frenchfrog]

Uplink 1.55

1440 x 900, 32 bit, 60 hz 'options' file

[fairbanks002]

I installed the 1.55 patch and it fixed the first time startup issue and the game is now creating -- and saving -- the options file.

However, for some reason it is still not saving the video changes. Every time I start the game it is going to the default resolution settings.

Also, it still appears that it may be killing X early from the info in the Debug log.

I'm going to try it with your config file now and see how it works.

[frenchfrog]

Uplink test if a given resolution is available and is hardware accelerated before applying it.

Perhaps there is a problem with the resolution you are trying to use?

[fairbanks002]

There shouldn't be... I run it just fine in GNOME.

I'm not sure what kind of drivers I'm running for my video card and monitor, and I'm not exactly sure how to check that in Linux, but they may be causing an issue.

I'm may try running Uplink in KDE and see if that changes anything... do you think that might help?

EDIT: Correction: I checked my Display settings and it appears that it recognizes both my GeForce 6800 video card and my VA1912wb monitor correctly.

[frenchfrog]

Running KDE shouldn't change anything.

Also Gnome/KDE don't use a hardware accelerated display (the good term is 'direct rendering').

[fairbanks002]

I didn't realize that they don't use hardware acceleration...

This makes me think of 2 questions.
1. Where can I get better/newer/different drivers for nVidia cards that support hardware acceleration (to my knowledge, nVidia doesn't support Linux).
2. Can I disable hardware acceleration in Uplink and (hopefully!) still have control over what resolution I use?

EDIT: I just found a control library for nVidia cards that is supposed to help the Xorg video driver... Not exactly sure if this will help, but I'm installing and testing it now.

[frenchfrog]

You already have direct rendering working, else Uplink wouldn't even start. nVidia do have Linux drivers.

I don't recommend you mess up with your video drivers unless you are prepared (if needed) to search and ask questions on your distro support forums.

[fairbanks002]

The problem was I needed those file libraries. I didn't mess with my card settings directly, I just used the package manager to install some libraries I needed. I simply searched for nVidia and got 2 hits:

libXNVCtrl - 1.0-4.fc7.i386
libXNVCtrl - 1.0-4.fc7.x86.64

Neither was installed when I found them. I installed both files, and the resolution in Uplink is now fixed, running at 1440 x 900, and running much faster.

Turns out the 1.55 patch solved my options file problems and I needed the library files for the Xorg video driver.

Thanks for all your help solving this problem! I never could have done it myself.

[fairbanks002]

Okay, my game is running and working properly now for the most part, but I did notice one other problem.

The game is creating a new options file when there isn't one just fine. However, when I try to change display options, it is not writing the changes to the options file.

When it creates a new options file, it starts me in the default 1024 x 786 resolution w/ faster button animations disabled. If I use the options file your provided me, it runs in 1440 x 900 w/ faster button animations enabled. Even if I only change the speed of the button animations, I still can't get the options file to save.

I think it may be quitting X before it writes the options file.