[Solved] WARNING: Timer <OOJSTimer

[Diziet Sma]

Anyway, it shouldn't have any problems running Oolite at high settings.

Agreed... but there is something about AMD IGUs. Mind you, I'm biased... I hate AMD drivers!

You're not the only one.. I'll never buy a laptop with AMD graphics again.

[another_commander]

@Duggan: I am still not convinced it is Oolite's fault. Had it been something caused by the game, we would have been flooded with reports of system crashes, reboots, shutdowns etc. Instead, it seems it's rock solid on every machine except yours. If you would like to pursue it further, may I recommend running a memory check on your laptop? Hard disk was found faulty but maybe it was not the only faulty part. There are free tools such as MemTest86, which can potentially catch physical memory module problems. Maybe it's worth a try.

Edit: Oh and, one more thing you may want to try, is run the 32-bit version of 1.80 and see if that changes anything. 1.77.1 was published as 32-bit executable only, and 1.80 32-bit is built using the exact same compiler configuration and libraries as 1.77.1. In case that does indeed fix the problem, then I would be strongly inclined to conclude that faulty memory is at play.

[Lone_Wolf]

Agreed... but there is something about AMD IGUs. Mind you, I'm biased... I hate AMD drivers!

You're not the only one.. I'll never buy a laptop with AMD graphics again.

Weird, i have the same feeling towards anything with intel & nvidia graphics.

Maybe it's because the linux opensource drivers for amd cards appear to be far more mature then intel & nouveau drivers.
(don't ask me about amd proprietary drivers on archlinux, that's a sad tale. nvidia proprietary drivers tend to be great performance wise, just make sure you buy a card that's as generic as possible else you're in even bigger trouble with nvidia proprietary drviers then with amd proprietary drivers)

[Duggan]

Hello another_commander,

I have as you have advised , performed a memory test and no errors have been found.The situation as was is that my HDD gets very hot running the 64 bit Oolite 1.80 and crashes my OS bringing about a black screen followed shortly by a reboot . My Neurosis is now being piqued as , as you quiet rightly said, the only one seemingly being effected by this issue is me. And yet, my Lap top is shiny, glisteningly so infact, new. I accept fully that these machines are made on Monday mornings and Friday Afternoons. I figured I might have gotten me possibly a Friday afternoon one.

Having sent the thing in for Repair thinking it faulty because of it's failure with 1.80 (64 bit version). They...The Acer People ran all their diagnostics and returned the machine to me stating that it had passed all the tests. Hopefully you begin to understand why this matter is now getting to me the stage where I am blowing bubbles in my soup and talking to tall buildings.

That is to say... If it is not Oolite 1.80 64 bit flavour, and it is not my Machine... What on Earth is it ?

The only error I get in my log prior to crash is that timer one. the sd plist is as suspected empty.

There is however a hope for one last shot at 1.80 that I have as yet not tried... That is ..although my system is 64 bit..to try your recommendation of flying the 32 bit flavour as it's build is that of 177.1.

Further I have taken on board the less than favourable views regarding AMD HD8330 and have took to thinking, in the absence of any other logical explanation that this may be impacting upon my gaming experience. I even re installed Catalyst and that reckons my drivers are up to date.

I will give the 32 bit version a go in the one last desperate hope that this resolves this matter . Thank you all for your patience and time in indulging me in what is fast becoming a twitch inducing matter.

Post Script: Even if my 1.80 woes are never solved, I am truly heartened that Oolite is not lost to me.

[Duggan]

12 Hours in to game play using 32 bit 1.80 ..No crashes. I can only conclude that despite having a 64 bit OS, the AMD Radeon HD 8330 is not up to the job for the 64 bit version of Oolite 1.80.

In effect...This issue would now appear resolved .

[Neelix]

12 Hours in to game play using 32 bit 1.80 ..No crashes. I can only conclude that despite having a 64 bit OS, the AMD Radeon HD 8330 is not up to the job for the 64 bit version of Oolite 1.80.

Actually I would say the only conclusion you can come to is that something in the 64 bit version of Oolite 1.80 triggers some glitch that causes your computer to crash. There isn't nearly enough evidence in this thread to diagnose anything more specific than that. Speculation about the issue having anything to do with graphics card or its driver is still just that at this point - speculation. That sort of speculation is useful in the process of troubleshooting, but only as an intermediate step in process of tracking down the problem. it's not something you can base a conclusion on directly.

In effect...This issue would now appear resolved .

I'm glad you have a solution that seems to work for you.

- Neelix

[another_commander]

Actually I would say the only conclusion you can come to is that something in the 64 bit version of Oolite 1.80 triggers some glitch that causes your computer to crash. There isn't nearly enough evidence in this thread to diagnose anything more specific than that. Speculation about the issue having anything to do with graphics card or its driver is still just that at this point - speculation. That sort of speculation is useful in the process of troubleshooting, but only as an intermediate step in process of tracking down the problem. it's not something you can base a conclusion on directly.

Exactly this. And I would add also that probably more than 12 hours of non-crash gameplay might be needed before we can say that the issue is solved - and in reality it won't be till we find the actual root cause of the problem.

[Duggan]

And for my next Stupid observation...

Oolite 1.80 crashes only when the Power lead is plugged in.

I have now taken to thinking that like most mobile devices these days, My System overheats because I am using it while it is plugged in... Agreed...I am clutching at straws here... But it is what it appears to be

[Diziet Sma]

No idea how having it plugged in might lead to that issue, but merely as an observation, I must admit I'm not that impressed with the trend to make laptops as thin and light as possible.. I understand why they would want to do so, of course, but in my opinion, and from a number of discussions I've had with other techs, the side-effect is that it just makes them more and more vulnerable to overheating problems..

I'd rather have a decent-sized chassis to function as a heat-sink, and enough room to fit an efficient fan, than something that dies whenever it gets a bit overheated. Even though my current 7yo laptop sounds like a 747 taking off when the fan gets wound up, and the area to the right of the touchpad can get almost hot enough to cook an egg on, thermal problems have never been an issue.

If you really suspect it's temperature related, you might want to consider investing in a fan-assisted laptop cooling pad.. I use one on mine now (mostly so I don't get that damn fan noise all the time) and have found my laptop runs about 20°C cooler. As a bonus, the folding feet at the rear tilt the keyboard up at a much more comfortable angle for typing.

[Eric Walch]

No idea how having it plugged in might lead to that issue,

My previous adaptor for my MacBook did cause strange things to happen to my trackpad. Believe it or not, the trackpad did not work correctly when the MacBook was standing flat on the table. The problem went over when lifting one corner up or work with the laptop on your lap.

The problem was reproducible on another MacBook bij using that adaptor with the other MacBook. I never could understand how this could effect the trackpad in combination how the MacBook was standing on the table.

One day, I heard a strange sound and the white adapter got brown staines because something in the interior blew itself up . With the new adapter all problems are gone.

[StathisR]

Oolite 1.80 crashes only when the Power lead is plugged in.

A faulty power adaptor can cause such problems. Can you find another one to test it?

[Duggan]

I shall look into it further as I am thinking , I can do ought else on the computer while the power lead is plugged in except play Oolite, Though it has to be said..Oolite works fine without the power lead plugged in when the machine is fully charged. That is to say...If I have run down the battery a bit..It still plays fine on Charge,,My OS only crashes if I am playing Oolite on a full battery with it plugged in. Either way , I reckon I have cured my issue, that is to say , I should not play Oolite when I have a full battery and the thing plugged in.

[Duggan]

It was indeed the Power adapter that is at the root of my woes

[StathisR]

It was indeed the Power adapter that is at the root of my woes

I assume you have replaced it already. A faulty power adaptor can damage your computer.

[Diziet Sma]

It was indeed the Power adapter that is at the root of my woes

Congratulations on having solved the mystery!
<adds another item to my list of weird hardware symptoms>