Linux problem : Black screen but sound

[JoNas]

Hello,

I've just received the 3 games christmas bundle limited edition. Very nice set of games and I very appreciated the Defcon's manual

Then I install Uplink and I notice a problem: I have a black screen but sound when I launch Uplink.

I am under Ubuntu 7.10, with a Thinkpad T22 (laptop) @900MHz and 256mb. My graphic card is an S3 Savage 8mb, it is rather poor but I can easily play SDL games such as Abuse without any glitches.

I tested my fresh install of Uplink from the CD with the latest 1.55 patch and my terminal show me an error about GCC 4.2.0.I read IV forums to know that I have just to delete libgcc_s.so.1 from my lib directory. Then my game don't launch at all and worst it shown me no error in my terminal!
I came to ~/.uplink/debug.log and I see this line

Code: Select all

An error occured in Uplink
Files integrity is not verified

So I look at IV forums and I just see that my World.dat was missing. In fact it was not included in the linux version of my disk.
So i get it from my Win install and I start the game and now I am here, black screen but sound (i hear the music and the dial number).

I tried to launch Uplink from both the script and the binary, same result.
I tried to delete my ~/.uplink directory, no changes.
I tried to launch Uplink with options such as (+&-)graphics_fullscreen , +graphics_screendepth -1, and +graphics_screenrefresh -1, nothing new.

Here's my last entry of debug.log:

Code: Select all

===============================================
NEW GAME     0:11, 5/1/2008
===============================================
Version : 1.55
RELEASE
Linux Build
Version 1.55 (RELEASE)
Compiled on Mar 19 2007 at 13:34:53
(code-C)(code-M)(code-T)
Loading uplink options from /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Tried to set unrecognised option: 1

=====DEBUGGING INFORMATION ENABLED=====
Loading application data
Successfully loaded data archive data.dat
Successfully loaded data archive graphics.dat
Successfully loaded data archive loading.dat
Successfully loaded data archive sounds.dat
Successfully loaded data archive music.dat
Successfully loaded data archive fonts.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch2.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch3.dat
Finished loading application data
Init_Game called...creating game object
Finished with Init_Game
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Initialising SDL...done
 SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done
 SDL is now changing the window caption and diverse settings ...done
 Initialising OpenGL...
Finished initialising OpenGL.
Now registering callback functions...done
 Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Init_Fonts called...setting up system fonts
Registering fonts...done
 Loading system fonts into memory...
done
Unregistering fonts...done
 Finished with Init_Fonts
 Init_Sound called...setting up sound system
Compiled with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Running with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Finished with Init_Sound
Init_Music called...loading modules
Finished with Init_Music
Creating main menu.
====== END OF DEBUGGING INFORMATION ====
Loading LAN from data/lans/sample.txt...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

(you may notice the "Tried to set unrecognised option: 1", it's just the -1 value for graphics_screendepth, maybe the problem is here?)

and this is a result of glxinfo:

Code: Select all

jonas@jonas-laptop:~$ glxinfo | grep "direct rendering"
direct rendering: Yes

That's all that i can give you I think.

Thanks in advance for your help and sorry for my pretty bad english

[frenchfrog]

Try to launch uplink in safe mode ('+graphics_safemode') directly from the binary in the lib/ directory?

[JoNas]

Yes I forgot to mention it, I try the safe mode too. But to be sure I try again a few minutes ago, it doesn't work, but thanks for your idea.

How can I pass the '-1' value for (ie. for graphics_screendepth)? Because as you can see in my debug.log, it is recognized like a option not like a value!

[frenchfrog]

Setting graphics_screendepth to -1 is the same as the default behavior which give you 16 bit.

Try something like !graphics_screendepth 32


(I haven't check but I'm not even sure all the command line options are still honored)

[Krell]

I haven't tried the Linux Uplink flavor yet, have to dig up my Linux Live CD. Anyways, looks to me that one of the options you're using doesn't know what to do with the 1 parameter. What's the full ./ of the command as it pertains to the debug file?

[JoNas]

I try to add '!graphics_screendepth' 32, '!graphics_screendepth' 16 and '!graphics_screendepth' -1 with no result.

I found how to use the -1 value without error! The parameter must be between two quotes (the ' symbol).

What's the full ./ of the command as it pertains to the debug file?

Sorry but I don't understand very well this sentence. If you mean my full path to uplink executable i'll give it to you:

/home/jonas/Dokayop8/Jeux/uplink/lib/uplink.bin.x86

[frenchfrog]

SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done

When you played with the graphics_screendepth setting did the above line changed accordingly?

[JoNas]

I've just tested with 3 different parameters and every time in debug.log i can read
"SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done"


Here's the results in debug.log of the 3 command lines.

First with:

jonas@jonas-laptop:~/Dokayop8/Jeux/uplink/lib$ ./uplink.bin.x86 -graphics_fullscreen '!graphics_screendepth' -1

Debug.log:

===============================================
NEW GAME 19:24, 8/1/2008
===============================================
Version : 1.55
RELEASE
Linux Build
Version 1.55 (RELEASE)
Compiled on Mar 19 2007 at 13:34:53
(code-C)(code-M)(code-T)
Loading uplink options from /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

=====DEBUGGING INFORMATION ENABLED=====
Loading application data
Successfully loaded data archive data.dat
Successfully loaded data archive graphics.dat
Successfully loaded data archive loading.dat
Successfully loaded data archive sounds.dat
Successfully loaded data archive music.dat
Successfully loaded data archive fonts.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch2.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch3.dat
Finished loading application data
Init_Game called...creating game object
Finished with Init_Game
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Initialising SDL...done
SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done
SDL is now changing the window caption and diverse settings ...done
Initialising OpenGL...
Finished initialising OpenGL.
Now registering callback functions...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Init_Fonts called...setting up system fonts
Registering fonts...done
Loading system fonts into memory...
done
Unregistering fonts...done
Finished with Init_Fonts
Init_Sound called...setting up sound system
Compiled with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Running with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Finished with Init_Sound
Init_Music called...loading modules
Finished with Init_Music
Creating main menu.
====== END OF DEBUGGING INFORMATION ====
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

---

Secondly with:

jonas@jonas-laptop:~/Dokayop8/Jeux/uplink/lib$ ./uplink.bin.x86 -graphics_fullscreen '!graphics_screendepth' 16

Debug.log:

===============================================
NEW GAME 19:26, 8/1/2008
===============================================
Version : 1.55
RELEASE
Linux Build
Version 1.55 (RELEASE)
Compiled on Mar 19 2007 at 13:34:53
(code-C)(code-M)(code-T)
Loading uplink options from /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

=====DEBUGGING INFORMATION ENABLED=====
Loading application data
Successfully loaded data archive data.dat
Successfully loaded data archive graphics.dat
Successfully loaded data archive loading.dat
Successfully loaded data archive sounds.dat
Successfully loaded data archive music.dat
Successfully loaded data archive fonts.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch2.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch3.dat
Finished loading application data
Init_Game called...creating game object
Finished with Init_Game
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Initialising SDL...done
SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done
SDL is now changing the window caption and diverse settings ...done
Initialising OpenGL...
Finished initialising OpenGL.
Now registering callback functions...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Init_Fonts called...setting up system fonts
Registering fonts...done
Loading system fonts into memory...
done
Unregistering fonts...done
Finished with Init_Fonts
Init_Sound called...setting up sound system
Compiled with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Running with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Finished with Init_Sound
Init_Music called...loading modules
Finished with Init_Music
Creating main menu.
====== END OF DEBUGGING INFORMATION ====
Loading LAN from data/lans/sample.txt...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

---

And finally with:

jonas@jonas-laptop:~/Dokayop8/Jeux/uplink/lib$ ./uplink.bin.x86 -graphics_fullscreen

Debug.log:

===============================================
NEW GAME 19:30, 8/1/2008
===============================================
Version : 1.55
RELEASE
Linux Build
Version 1.55 (RELEASE)
Compiled on Mar 19 2007 at 13:34:53
(code-C)(code-M)(code-T)
Loading uplink options from /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

=====DEBUGGING INFORMATION ENABLED=====
Loading application data
Successfully loaded data archive data.dat
Successfully loaded data archive graphics.dat
Successfully loaded data archive loading.dat
Successfully loaded data archive sounds.dat
Successfully loaded data archive music.dat
Successfully loaded data archive fonts.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch2.dat
Successfully loaded data archive patch3.dat
Finished loading application data
Init_Game called...creating game object
Finished with Init_Game
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Initialising SDL...done
SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done
SDL is now changing the window caption and diverse settings ...done
Initialising OpenGL...
Finished initialising OpenGL.
Now registering callback functions...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success
Init_Fonts called...setting up system fonts
Registering fonts...done
Loading system fonts into memory...
done
Unregistering fonts...done
Finished with Init_Fonts
Init_Sound called...setting up sound system
Compiled with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Running with SDL_mixer version: 1.2.7
Finished with Init_Sound
Init_Music called...loading modules
Finished with Init_Music
Creating main menu.
====== END OF DEBUGGING INFORMATION ====
Loading LAN from data/lans/sample.txt...done
Saving uplink options to /home/jonas/.uplink/options...success

Thanks for helping me

[JoNas]

And I forget to mention that my cursor wich is white changing correctly to a black one in uplink (=the sdl window), so I just have a problem with graphics, no problem with sound and cursor.

[JoNas]

I forgot to test with the '!graphics_screendepth' 32 parameter. This is what i can read when I try with this "32" value (same command line as 2 posts above):

Debug.log (cut):

[...]
Initialising SDL...done
Warning, difference in depth between the video mode requested 32 and the closest available 16 for width: 1024, height:768, flags:2
SDL is now opening a 1024x768 window in 16 depth ...done
[...]

It's normal isn't it?

[frenchfrog]

Yeah the output is normal, but it seems your setup don't support 32 bits colors which is anormal in these days (Yeah for S3 Savage 8mb I guess).

[JoNas]

I think it's normal. I have a S3 Savage IX-MV (8MB SGRAM, AGP 2x). The others SDL games are OK on my laptop (IBM Thinkpad T22).

[JoNas]

I just try to get thwe Windows version working with wine but with no sucess

It's a bit frustrating

I still look around for a solution.

EDIT: For information the famous game abuse-sdl plays nice on my desktop at 16bpp (I don't think my graphic card can handle 32bpp nor 24bpp)

[JoNas]

To try to solve my problem I have to know one thing:

Is Uplink is full SDL or 50/50 OpenGL & SDL?

[frenchfrog]

You may try to replace the SDL binary provided in the Uplink package.