My Long Journey To Houdini On Linux

[lisux]

Okey guys, just to let everyone know, Im staying with linux. I just finished all the pain - and here comes all the joy. I got my Vaio laptop to have WiFi, sound All those extra buttons, nvidia card, sata raid and of course houdini to work like a charm on Ubuntu 6.10

Am I not the happiest man on earth? =))

One question dennis.

I have been using Ubuntu with houdini for more than a year and I have had a problem from the begginings.

Is a redraw problem in the viewport, is mainly noticiable when you are modeling, when you need to use marquee selection or open popup menus using the CTRL-RMB, many times the viewport goes creazy, the popoup menu only disapears when I force a redraw, changung the view to quead or single viewport, or after using the marquee the RMB do starnge things, or when I use trhe ladder handler from the viewport I have to type Esc to explicitely erase it, etc ...

Many problems with the viewport when modeling.

I am using Ubuntu Dapper and an Nvidia Quadro 500, have you experimented this Open GL problems in your Ubuntu?

Anh one with the same problem?

PS: I have tried with many combinations of environemnt variables like HOUDINI_OGL_DBL_BUFFER_FIX or HOUDINI_OGL_MARQUEE_FIX.

Sometimes it solves the problem for a time but after this the probl;ems appears again.

I am using the nvidia driver version: 1.0.8762

Thanks

[Dennis Sedov]

Hmm.. I dont have this problem with my install. Try to do the following, check if you have the latest build of Houdini and laterst nvidia drivers. What I did is downloaded the latest driver (.run) that requires you to compile it for kernel - now I have no problems. Ohh, and btw are you with ATI or NVidia?

One question dennis.

I have been using Ubuntu with houdini for more than a year and I have had a problem from the begginings.

Is a redraw problem in the viewport, is mainly noticiable when you are modeling, when you need to use marquee selection or open popup menus using the CTRL-RMB, many times the viewport goes creazy, the popoup menu only disapears when I force a redraw, changung the view to quead or single viewport, or after using the marquee the RMB do starnge things, or when I use trhe ladder handler from the viewport I have to type Esc to explicitely erase it, etc ...

Many problems with the viewport when modeling.

I am using Ubuntu Dapper and an Nvidia Quadro 500, have you experimented this Open GL problems in your Ubuntu?

Anh one with the same problem?

PS: I have tried with many combinations of environemnt variables like HOUDINI_OGL_DBL_BUFFER_FIX or HOUDINI_OGL_MARQUEE_FIX.

Sometimes it solves the problem for a time but after this the probl;ems appears again.

I am using the nvidia driver version: 1.0.8762

Thanks

[mentor]

2 lisux

Have you installed Nvidia drivers properly? I had some problems with Nvidia drivers and Ubuntu 6.06.

If you use Ubuntu, please also ensure that the linux-restricted-modules packages have been uninstalled. Alternatively, you can edit the /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules configuration file and disable the NVIDIA linux-restricted kernel modules (nvidia, nvidia_legacy) via:

#sudo gedit /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules

DISABLED_MODULES="nv"

Visit new Ubuntu project http://ubuntustudio.org/

Edited February 16, 2007 by mentor

[LEO-oo-]

For the nvidia-drivers on Ubuntu: Check Envy by Roberto Milone.

[stevenong]

Visit new Ubuntu project http://ubuntustudio.org/

This sounds really interesting though it uses Gnome which I'm not really keen on. I know I can remove Gnome & use KDE instead (been there, done that) but it's just a personal thing knowing that the installation is not as "clean" (for lack of a better word) as it can be or as I want it to be.

I'll check it out in April & see if there's a kubuntustudio.

Cheers!

steven

[mentor]

I like KDE too And i hope to get KubuntuStudio! Some day...

Edited February 16, 2007 by mentor

[Dennis Sedov]

What is the main difference between KDE and Gnome? I started with linux not so long ago and was trying to use KDE, once I had some luck installing Ubuntu and have everything work - I kind of got used to using gnome and really like it.

[mentor]

http://www.kde.org/whatiskde/

[Dennis Sedov]

http://www.kde.org/whatiskde/

=) makes sence

[lisux]

What is the main difference between KDE and Gnome? I started with linux not so long ago and was trying to use KDE, once I had some luck installing Ubuntu and have everything work - I kind of got used to using gnome and really like it.

Jeje one of the most famouse questions in the open source scene.

Well for me, after using KDE, Gnome, and many window managers for years the pro and cons are:

- Gnome is better for newbies, it is easier and don't have so much options like KDE, is simpler.

- Maybe and advanced user prefer KDE due to it bunch of options and flexibility.

- Genome has better productivity tools, maybe the two main desktop utiulities, the web browser and office apps are perfectly integrated in Gnome via firefox and Open Office, KDE have similar options but not so advanced.

- In the other hand usually KDE apps are better integrated into the desktop, and the explorer, konqueror is by far one of the best apps in the Oopen Source world.

- So, at the end is an user choose, try both of them for a time and get your own conclusions.

Nowdays I am using Gnome, I have been usiong KDE for more than a year but when I move to Ubutnut I realize that Gnome is better integrated than Kubuntu, at least for me, and then I begin to usr Gnome again, and I am happy thge gnome project have improved the reliability and speed a lot and now is a very good option.

Only one more option to add my 2 cents to the discuccion, you can get a look at XFCE, not so integrated like GNOIME/KDE but is lighter than both of them and you have an integrated version in Ubunutu is called Xubuntu.

And to finish, thanks for tha advices about to upgrade the nvidia drivers, but I have experiemnted the problems I explain previusly with many versions of older nvidia drivers, I don't If the problem is in the nevidia drivers, so can anybody told me if they have experimented probl;ems with pop up menues from the viewport while modelling with the new nvidia drivers, I have to take time to upgrade drivers in the machines so I want to be as sure as possible that this will solve the problem.

Thanks

[digitallysane]

Since this has already evolved in a general talk, I'll add my own dilemma: is it any advantage to use another, lighter, window manager? I kinda dislike the whole Gnome / KDE stuff (I'd like something not so windows/macos like and much lighter).

What does one lose by not using Gnome but let's say Enlightenment or Window Maker or FluxBox?

Dragos

[mentor]

digitallysane

You can try different KDE/Gnome themes... Or XFCE

I've discovered very nice gnome file manager - Gnome Commander - https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/gcmd/

and links for download: ftp://ftp.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/g/gnome-commander/

Enjoy!

Edited February 19, 2007 by mentor

[digitallysane]

I know about themes. However, if I'll use Linux, it would be only because of Houdini. So I don't need the complex (and slower, and resource consuming) desktop environments which try to offer on Linux an experience similar to the Windows or Mac desktop. I want something light & fast & non-intrusive. I played a little with a Sabayon Live CD and Elightenment or Fluxbox or WindowMaker seem to me much closer to what I'd like for an OS whose sole purpose is to run Houdini.

Dragos

[mentor]

I think that modern Desktop Environments (DE) are not resource consuming And if you have istalled Beryl - most of DE functions takes your video card (OpenGL)

I'm not worrying about resource-consuming DE at all

[Dennis Sedov]

I think that modern Desktop Environments (DE) are not resource consuming And if you have istalled Beryl - most of DE functions takes your video card (OpenGL)

I'm not worrying about resource-consuming DE at all

Yeah Beryl is really nice. One thing I found though that it is not quite stable as it could be. It is usable, I just don't like window borders disappear even once a day.

[lisux]

I know about themes. However, if I'll use Linux, it would be only because of Houdini. So I don't need the complex (and slower, and resource consuming) desktop environments which try to offer on Linux an experience similar to the Windows or Mac desktop. I want something light & fast & non-intrusive. I played a little with a Sabayon Live CD and Elightenment or Fluxbox or WindowMaker seem to me much closer to what I'd like for an OS whose sole purpose is to run Houdini.

Dragos

Several ooptioj you can try with Ubuntu:

- XFCE. perfect ratio between desktop/windowmanager:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu

- Window Maker: incredible look, themes are in tif and tga(crazy), and very low low consuming asn stable. The way of working is very different to other environements:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=85363

- Fluxbox: the lowest in resource consuming:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fluxbox

- IceWM: one of the perfect between resource consuming, stability and usability:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/inst...n-ubuntu-linux/

http://www.binonabiso.com/en/Ubuntu-miniRAM-HOWTO.html

Hope this helps

[digitallysane]

Thank you very much. Of course I like WindowMaker too, who can resist that NeXT look.

What about Enlightenment?

Dragos

[LEO-oo-]

The old stable version of Enlightenment (DR16) is simple and there is a lot of theme-eyecandy. You have to turn off all the effects and gimmicks to speed up the system. Only in the newer (beta) release is a file-manager. In the older version you have to use Eterm or you run Nautilus. I havnt try E17 with the new system. It seems the active development of Enlightenment is dead

[Dennis Sedov]

Well, I would not call Gnome or KDE resource consuming. Maybe 10 years ago 160mg of ram was something out of SciFi book, but today, I don't mind seeing 160mb of ram being used when I boot into Gnome, (or even 240mb with Beryl) This is still LESS then Windows anyway

[digitallysane]

Well, I would not call Gnome or KDE resource consuming. Maybe 10 years ago 160mg of ram was something out of SciFi book, but today, I don't mind seeing 160mb of ram being used when I boot into Gnome, (or even 240mb with Beryl) This is still LESS then Windows anyway

This is probably very true, however (in my particular case, I don't speak generally) there are two reasons for not wanting Gnome/KDE:

1. The technical/practical one: as I stated, I want to use linux only (or mainly) for Houdini stuff. So all the services offered by a complete desktop environment are of little use to me, even more, they get in the way. I'd also want the system to be as snappy as possible when it comes to Houdini. Even if it's OK to run Gnome, if I can get even more performance with Fluxbox, then I'm happier.

2. The subjective one: if I'm gonna use another operating system, I want to feel that. I want to see the original ideas originated from that operating system. It's very useful that Gnome and KDE try to emulate Windows and Mac OS way of working to make the transition to Linux easier for the majority of new users, but I'm not interested in that. I don't want to run Linux and feel like I'm using Windows.

(well, the accepted exception is when some window manager tries to emulate NeXT, which I never used and looks gorgeous, contrary to XP ) From what I've seen in the LiveCD I tried, window managers like FluxBox or window maker offer original and fast ways of working (at least for my limited needs) which I'd happily explore.

Dragos