New Patch is HERE (August 30th!!) Feedback needed for final release.

**Urkle** · 07-24-2009, 03:04 PM

Everyone,

I am working on a new build that should alleviate many of the ATI issues as well as the sound issues people are encountering.

Changes include

Upgraded CG library (shader compiler)
ATI fixes from the latest Windows hotfix release
Updated OpenALSoft openal implementation (which support for pulseaudio)

Testing patch is available here. NOTE this is ONLY for The Penumbra Collection, not the individual releases.

Sound and Pulse Audio
Now, due to my "build environment" that I'm using to maintain compatibility across distributions I can not compile pulse audio, and therefore no support in the distributed OpenALSoft OpenAL library. I also do not want to switch build environments at this time as it'd be too risky. I will be looking into a more updated build environment for "Unknown" however.

However, if your distribution provides OpenAL Soft version 1.8.446, just use that version and remove the installed version in the "lib" directories of Overture and BlackPlague.

Now, one extra thing I've added is in the "Sound" menu in the game there is a new option called "Output Device" this option will control what output device OpenAL will use.. You'll have to restart however to change the setting, and if it fails to load it will fallback to the default.

From what I've been testing, pulse audio sucks. Tongue

: Well it works better if you have a multi-core system than it does on a single core system. But at least the output device list will allow you to bypass the pulse audio integration in ALSA and use the hw directly if (for example) you have an SB live card which does hardware mixing (oh I love my SB Live).

ATI Drivers
OK, the Opensource drivers do not currently work. I've had one report of bleeding edge stuff working here in this post. I have not yet had a chance to test that to verify.

I have verified that the game does run on my ATI HD 2600 under Fedora 11 using the 9.8 Catalyst drivers.. OH, and this was using pulse audio AND while compiz was running. Big Grin

:

If you can not use the FGLRX drivers (aka catalyst) with your video card (due to it being dumped as "legacy" and running a NEW distribution) you'll have to look at the whole thread linked above and pester the open source group to finish implementing more of the OpenGL spec. OR pester ATI to update their legacy drivers. (as right now the nvidia legacy drivers work out of the box on current distros).

Graphics Drivers Random Comment
Honestly I'm rather un-impressed with the state of graphics drivers on linux. I had to completely uninstall the nvidia drivers install the ati drivers.. reboot a few times. then it worked. there's no way for me to use BOTH the ati and nvidia card in linux unless I only use the opensource drivers Sad

.. But even then I doubt I'll be be able to use them as one screen. And from what I've read and heard it's like this on windows as well. But on my Mac.. I can use them both at the same time.. Even "hot plugging" the monitors from one card to another so I can test both drivers without rebooting Big Grin

:

Anyways..
Feedback REQUIRED
Please provide any feedback on the patch. Oh, also the patch DOES support unattended mode, just pass -u to the installer (-h for all help) and it will install with no GUI. I also upgraded to a newer version of the installer software and included BOTH the 32bit and 64bit GTK+ and ncurses front-ends. (I have dropped the fltk due to a NASTY bug which caused the installation of the full game to take hours) I've rather pushed the installer to the limits with the Collection.. 2.4 GB of data and around 13,500 files :-D..

**Yuhaney** · 07-24-2009, 03:09 PM

Good to hear you're working on a solution!

Though I have no idea about Linux myself, but looks like lot of people are strugling with problems of the Linux release of the game.

**fabioamd87** · 07-25-2009, 03:29 PM

oh thanks!
why you didn't say nothing on my thread that you are working on a patch for pulseaudio? :>

**Yuhaney** · 07-25-2009, 04:12 PM

Depends when you posted your thread? Since Urkle started to work with this yesterday...

**fabioamd87** · 07-26-2009, 10:42 PM

(07-25-2009, 04:12 PM)Scraper Wrote: Depends when you posted your thread? Since Urkle started to work with this yesterday...

here, but no yesterday Smile

ps: penumbra will support surround sound?

**Urkle** · 07-27-2009, 12:14 AM

unfortunately at this point, no surround sound on linux or mac.

I do plan on spending some time getting surround sound working for FrictionalGames next game (and possibly port it back if there's demand).

**fabioamd87** · 07-28-2009, 01:19 PM

thanks, I think that surround sound is a must in horror games.

07-31-2009, 12:46 AM

So we were supposed to see a patch in the next day or two.... 6 days ago. :( Is there at least a preview of the patch we can have? :P

**Urkle** · 07-31-2009, 03:37 AM

I know I know.. I'm working on it. I have to fight with pulse audio tomorrow, then I'll push out the initial test patch tomorrow evening.

**fabioamd87** · 07-31-2009, 11:29 PM

good work, I know that pulseaudio sometime is bad...