Oolite Bulletins

Oolite test release 1.74.2 is now available from GURPO. This is a bug-fix update to 1.74.1.

Changes between Oolite 1.74.1 and Oolite 1.74.2:

• Stopped player from selecting invalid jump destination during jump countdown.
• Fixed docking permissions inconsistencies: all hostile stations now refuse docking permissions.
• Switching to custom views now allowed in a consistent way.
• Weapon repeat rate is now per-weapon.
• Current zoom level is now preserved when switching HUDs.
• Exhaust plume now resets after hyperspace jumps/scripted teleporting/auto-docking.
• Fixed overlapping system confusion when loading games and searching for systems.
• All automatically generated sun skimmers should now be adequately shielded.
• Fixed occasional “bleached”-looking planets on system info screen.
• Fixed wrong distance showing on the short range chart when switching back from the long range chart.
• Improved default speech synthesis voice (not Mac OS X).
• SystemInfo.systemsInRange() can now be called on a specific SystemInfo object, instead of always applying to the current system.
• New JavaScript event: shipAttackedOther() (inverse of shipBeingAttacked(), called immediately after shipBeingAttacked()).
• If a script removes a piece of equipment in the equipmentDamaged() event handler, no “equipment damaged” message is generated.
• Ship.removeEquipment() now works on damaged equipment.
• Fixed substitution priority for expandDescription() and expandMissionText(), the local override dictionary now takes precedence over everything else.
• New shipinfo key: station_roll.
• Fixed some cases where AIs could break group handling.
• Shader errors detected in the link phase (generally, problems involving state shared between the vertex and fragment shader) are now reported properly.

That's superb. Does this include the speech with Pulseaudio fix?

Yeap!

Strange - I get the stuttering with renamed Pulseaudio espeak lib. But if I rename so neither espeak is used (ie. uses system lib), there is no stuttering.

That's a way, too!

EDIT: In my vboxes work for all these three ways. Anyway.
Since it works with your system's espeak, leave it like that.

http://debs.oolite.org/dists/lenny/Release.gpg: Cannot initiate the connection to debs.oolite.org:80 (2a01:348:6:d4::2). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://debs.oolite.org/dists/lenny/test ... -en_US.bz2: Cannot initiate the connection to debs.oolite.org:80 (2a01:348:6:d4::2). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)
http://debs.oolite.org/dists/lenny/test ... 6/Packages: Cannot initiate the connection to debs.oolite.org:80 (2a01:348:6:d4::2). - connect (101 Network is unreachable)

Ummm, problems?

Looks like. You could just go oolite.org & download the autopackage from there, though...

Oolite 1.74.2 is (finally) also available via the repository for Debian and Ubuntu users.

PLEASE NOTE: for Ubuntu lucid (and soon maverick), a backported version of the GNUstep libraries is provided. This may cause conflicts with other software installed on your system.

For people who already have the apt-sources configured on lucid, you must update them in order to install Oolite and the backported GNUstep! Details on http://debs.oolite.org/AptSources.html.

(Edit: Oolite for Ubuntu Maverick and Debian Squeeze is now also available)

Hmm!

I just wish sometimes that Linux was as simple as Windows. There are times when I just want to get stuck into some Thargoid bashing without the 3 hour pre-amble messing with setups and configs.

I added the repositories for both the oolite package and the gnu-step in Ubuntu 10.10 x64 (maverick) and all 'seemed' to be ok. I built it from the console (sudo apt-get install oolite) as it's my preferred method while learning Linux; Even though the game was now showing with the latest version in the package installer instead of the Ubuntu repositories 2.65 version that was previously offered. The game appeared in the gui menu and I eagerly clicked on the menu item. A small loader screen/box opened in the centre of my monitor giving credits and version numbers I assume, because 3 seconds later it disappears and the game doesn't run.

I used the 'package remove <package>' command and all was returned to previous state (I think). Then tried the installer in the package manager, but this failed at the gnu-step conflict and just kept going in circles offering to 'fix' the package list in update manager.

I then downloaded the x64 and x86 versions from the Oolite website and tried again but these versions had the gnu-step conflict and just plain refused to install.

I had ver. 2.65 running and was blissfully happy until I found that blasted oxp list. Now I just can't bring myself to give up on this and re-install that version having seen the YouTube videos and screenshots of what I'm NOT getting. 8(((

If anyone can pick out any familiar points and can offer a fix on anything I've said here I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'll be squatted over in that corner behind you, quietly rocking and waiting.

Oh dear, it does sound as if things have gotten a bit messed up.

First up, remove the Oolite debian sources from your package manager. Make sure that includes the gnustep one you added.

Then in the package manager, purge the oolite packages, if any are still installed, AND all of the gnustep packages. Like I mention above, this backported version of GNUstep -will- conflict with any other official Ubuntu software which also relies on GNUstep, such as Oolite 1.65, although it should NOT affect the autopackage versions.

Your system should now be back to where it was unless the autopackage versions did something odd (I'll wait for Getafix to jump in and help you out with those).

However, if you can get Oolite 1.74.2 from the repository installed again and the splash screen up, it would be very helpful to:
1. Disable any OXPs which you may have installed already. Let's just try with a vanilla Oolite first.
2. Try running it from the command line, and see if any errors pop up.
3. Try running from the command line with the --nosplash flag:
"oolite --nosplash"
If it's still not running, please post any output, and also the "Latest.log" file which should be in "~/.Oolite/Logs/Latest.log"

Hope this helps,
- Micha.

Micha, thanks very much for the reply.

The "oolite --nosplash" option made no difference as the splash screen still appeared. /shrug

I removed the deb sources in update manager and removed the installed 1.74 version of oolite through the software centre. Now I am only offered version 1.65-7 so I am back to where I was.

I went to the Oolite website and re-downloaded the x86 and x64 versions again (just in case) and with the (x64) V1.74 re-installed running from the games/oolite menu option threw up the splash screen and exited just as before. However, running oolite from the console threw up this error...

----------------------
2010-10-28 16:16:08.916 oolite[29296] File NSUserDefaults.m: 626. In [NSUserDefaults +standardUserDefaults] Improper installation: No language locale found
bt_audio_service_open: connect() failed: Connection refused (111)
bt_audio_service_open: connect() failed: Connection refused (111)
bt_audio_service_open: connect() failed: Connection refused (111)
bt_audio_service_open: connect() failed: Connection refused (111)
drmRadeonCmdBuffer: -22. Kernel failed to parse or rejected command stream. See dmesg for more info.

Erk. It looks like Oolite died with an error. When making an error
report, please copy + paste the log above into the report.
----------------------

... and instructions to look in dmesg, which incidentally was 15 pages long and made no sense to me at all as I saw no mention of oolite, although there were the following errors concerning my radeon card right at the end of the dmesg lising...

----------------------
[17933.038183] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] Buffer too small for color buffer 0 (need 1075200 have 262144) !
[17933.038187] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] color buffer 0 (256 4 0 1050)
[17933.038189] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
[17945.260752] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] Buffer too small for color buffer 0 (need 1075200 have 262144) !
[17945.260756] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] color buffer 0 (256 4 0 1050)
[17945.260758] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
[18109.606811] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] Buffer too small for color buffer 0 (need 1075200 have 262144) !
[18109.606815] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] color buffer 0 (256 4 0 1050)
[18109.606817] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
[18417.633441] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] Buffer too small for color buffer 0 (need 1075200 have 262144) !
[18417.633445] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] color buffer 0 (256 4 0 1050)
[18417.633447] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
[18445.356046] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] Buffer too small for color buffer 0 (need 1075200 have 262144) !
[18445.356050] [drm:r100_cs_track_check] *ERROR* [drm] color buffer 0 (256 4 0 1050)
[18445.356052] [drm:radeon_cs_ioctl] *ERROR* Invalid command stream !
----------------------

Unfortunately, I am way beyond my Linux expertise now and am resorting to trawling the Internet for answers.
I'm going to install version 1.65-7 from the software centre anyway because I need my oolite fix after 2 days without it. Albeit sans oxp's. 8(
I'll also keep looking for solutions to my Ubuntu problem but I won't hold my breath. I will most definitely not resort to booting into windows.

Thanks again for the help so far.

Do you have the latest drivers for your graphics card? In particular, are you running the open-source or binary drivers?

Odd that you still get the splash screen though - I just tested with current versions and the --nosplash switch works fine for me. If you get the urge to try again, after installing, can you type the following command and paste the result here?
Note they are backwards single quotes (on my keyboard, it's the key to the left of the '1' key).

Also, I'm not sure where the autopackage version installs oolite, but if you install the debian package version again, you can try running the binary directly:

PS. The bt_audio_service and language locale warnings are not important. It's just your radeon issue

Thanks Micha, I'll look at the gfx drivers and re-install the game a bit later... tonight perhaps.

Edit:
Well I did look at the ati drivers and it turned out that the fglrx and catalyst drivers for Ubuntu 10.10 maverick were released a few days ago. I therefore looked in package manager and sure enough the new 8.780 fglrx drivers were available and I promptly installed them.

Unfortunately, not even the 1.65 version of oolite will run now and none of the versions even display the splash screen. (x86 and x64)

In fact, none of my 3D games run any more.

My fear is that I am way in over my head with messing around with linux drivers and stuff and have ruined what was a previously perfectly working desktop. I lack the knowledge to reverse/fault find what I've done so I'm probably looking at a re-install of Ubuntu. ./sigh

Hi Martynf_uk!

Here follows some info to sort things out
for the autopackage oolite package.

1. HowToInstall.txt
Unpacking the .tgz file will also extract a "HowToInstall.txt" file.
This is a "first-aid kit" text file explaining:
a. how to install oolite autopackage,
b. how to remove oolite autopackage,
c. how to troubleshoot the speech synthesis feature
d. where the documentation is located,
e. how to install (O)olite e(X)pansion (P)acks and
f. the directory structure created by Oolite installation.

2. Installation location
If during installation you provide a root privileged password,
oolite will be installed in /usr/lib/Oolite. This oolite installation is
accessible by all users just by running "oolite" from a terminal.

If you don't provide a root privileged password during installation,
then oolite will be installed in the user's folder "~/.local/lib/Oolite".
This oolite installation is accessible by the user just by running "oolite"
from a terminal.

Note: For the most common Linux distros (i.e. Ubuntu, Fedora,
Mandriva, OpenSuse, Debian) the oolite installation will install an oolite
icon in a related "Games" menu.

3. GNUstep and other installed libraries
The autopackage oolite package installation will not disturb, by any
means, your distro's libraries. It will install its own library set within the
Oolite installation directory structure. This library set is only visible by
Oolite during its execution and is tested in all the aforementioned Linux
distros to be fail-safe.
GNUstep also follows this rule. Oolite autopackage comes with it's own
gnustep library. It doesn't matter if you have a different or buggy
gnustep installed in your system.

4. 64bit distros (i.e. x86_64/AMD64)
Oolite autopackage for Linux has a separate package for 64bit
architectures. Use it and forget about the 32bit version.
I don't want to hear about ia32-libs!


One last note for Ubuntu 10.xx and ATI Radeon.
Following an Ubuntu security update, a bug has been detected in the ATI
drivers (delivered by AMD).
You may follow the related Ubuntu forums discussion here.
The patch can be downloaded from this AMD page.
Just make sure it suits your distro and video card model.