Winex

[flipper]

I realize this is way off topic...

I'm running a Gentoo 1.4_rc1 system and I want to try getting EQ up & running from a purely Linux system (no Windows partitions). Below is how I envision getting Winex setup and optimized on my system. Do you guys/gals think this is a workable setup.

1. Sign up on Transgaming and download the binary tgz distribution (or the rpm file and use rpm2tgz). Unarchive the file in / and test winex to make sure it's working.

2. Download the winex-cvs version -- or in my case, unmask winex-cvs and emerge it, but dont let it compile.

3. Export the CFLAGS environment variable before compiling such that I can get the optimizations that I desire (e.g. -march=athlon-xp -O3 -any_other_optimizations_you_like).

4. Compile it:
./configure
make dep
make
make install

5. Configure the winex config files and test away.


Is there any issues with installing winex-cvs over the binary winex distro from Transgaming? Have any of you tried this approach with success? I'm also quite hazy on step 5, but I hope to nail that down by reading more on Transgaming and other boards.

[Trumpcard]

I'd try the CVS version... Why manually optimize instead of just using the standard gentoo build parameters, or do you just have your CXX flags highly configured?

[flipper]

According to folks on the Gentoo boards, winex doesn't always play nice with optimized CFLAGS variables, so they force it to use compatibility-minded optimizations.

I just compiled the CVS version using the ./tools/winexinstall install script that is packaged with winex. Before doing that I hand edited the ./tools/Makefile to insert the following optimization parameters:
-march=athlon-xp -m3dnow -mmmx -fomit-frame-pointer -O3 -pipe -ffast-math -fthread-jumps -funroll-loops -falign-loops=2

These are pretty aggressive but folks are reporting that it works fine in Quake3. I'll be trying it out in EQ of course.

FWIW, I'm using the CVS 2-0 branch because that's what folks on the Transgaming boards are raving about. <boggles> This is all very new and confusing to me.

[flipper]

Well, I compiled the cvs version (not from emerge) with the CFLAGS mentioned above and I'm getting very playable frame rates (actually silky smooth) with a Geforce256, XP1800+, 512MB RAM, at 800x600. At 1024x768 it is playable but there is some screen lag. This GF1 is nearing the end of its life cycle hehe.

[Trumpcard]

Very cool... I was going to give it a shot last night but decided to go to haunted houses instead! LOL.. I think I'll kick off a emerge before I go to work and see how it goes..

[TheClaus]

I must say that gentoo rocks. I can't say enough about it. I was going to try EQ on it but because I don't have a live account I am at the mercy of the emu which is broke with the latest client. So I'll wait.

[flipper]

Although I love Gentoo, it's not all peaches and cream. For instance, there is no easy way to get gcc-3.2 and gcc-2.9x to coexist on a Gentoo 1.4 system. In the unoptimized distributions (RH, Mandrake, etc) they provide prebuilt packages for both versions of gcc that will co-exist happily. My Gentoo box is nicely optimized, but no eqemu for now because I can't get gcc-2.9x installed (or gcc-3.1 for that matter).

[Trumpcard]

I had 3.0.4 and 2.9x coexisting by using gcc3 for the 3 version and just gcc 2.9x. I've heard really good things about RH8 other than the KDE issues, but I still love gentoo. It just forces me to work on getting the code to compile with 3.2, which Im sure we want to see happen anyway. Worst case scenerio, we get someone to compile it for us and ship us the executables.

[TheClaus]

You are correct in that sense however look at how much other crap gets installed with Mandrake or Redhat. Even Transgaming says that it has problems with RH's patched kernel. I know gentoo has their own patched kernel also but you have more choice with gentoo. I was going to take a look at eqemu this weekend and see what is wrong compile wise and if I get it to work with 3.2 i'll let everyone know.

[flipper]

Speaking of pactched kernels. The gentoo-source kernel works perfectly fine for me in winex. To be completely safe you could choose the vanilla-source (or whatever they call the plane jane kernel.org kernel).

With regard to pre-built eqemu... at this point I would certainly be happy with that. There's something to be said for compiling your own with your perferred compiler options, but beggars can't be choosers.

[Trumpcard]

Well, its a temporary workaround.. My production box is running RH 6.2 , so I can just compile it up there and ship out the exectuables (assuming I can get them to compile there, dont compile alot of that box). I'll take a look tonight and see if I can get it to build, and put the exectuables up if I can.

I agree about RH's kernel, it's made for as complete functionality as possible, without much regard for bloat. My kernel is actually pretty big for a gentoo installation, but I usually compile too much initially, then take out parts in chunks gradually once I get the system working the way I like it. The hard part for me is having to remember to rebuild the Nvidia and alsa drivers everytime I rebuild the kernel. I still want to try the new winex, havent really messed with it to tell the truth.

You guys make sure to show up at the developer meeting on Sat. at 12:00 PST (3:00 EST).. Image put up a note on the channel about it, but havent seen an announcement about it here.

[flipper]

I do the same thing Trump. I almost always forget to recompile NVdriver and ALSA. I usually figure it out pretty quick when X fails to start up ;)

I'd love to peep in on the dev meeting this Saturday, but RL will have me away from the house :(

[Trumpcard]

I've got a SB Live in this thing, is it just me, the speakers, or the support for that card, but does the ALSA sound kinda suck?

I just loaded the kernel module for it directly and it sounded better to me. Might have to play around with it a bit more this weekend.

Trying to compile eqemu on RH 6.2 right now, got to find where I installed the mysql libs to. Damnit, I knew I should have just loaded the rpm!

LOL

[TheClaus]

I've got a SB Live in this thing, is it just me, the speakers, or the support for that card, but does the ALSA sound kinda suck?

I just loaded the kernel module for it directly and it sounded better to me. Might have to play around with it a bit more this weekend.

Trying to compile eqemu on RH 6.2 right now, got to find where I installed the mysql libs to. Damnit, I knew I should have just loaded the rpm!

LOL

Trump,

I read that you shouldn't use alsa but EMU10k1 (http://sourceforge.net/projects/emu10k1). It isn't alsa but heard excellent results with it. They say though that you have to purify your system away from alsa. Check out this thread (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=12955) for more info on how to do that.

[Trumpcard]

Thanks Claus, I was using the emu10k1 kernel module, I'll download this one and give it a try. Sounds like it might be fun getting rid of alsa..

[TheClaus]

Well from what I saw it is a remove of alsa everything. Then you do a find on all the packages that are still using the lib files and recompile without alsa. Then remove the libs. It looked like alot of work but as with gentoo it is worth it. Personally my sound card loves alsa. Just have to remember that when recompiling the kernel to remerge alsa and also add my video drivers. I should make an ebuild for my video drivers. Using a Kyro2 card and the drivers have to be loaded everytime I recompile also.

[Trumpcard]

Thanks for the tip Claus, the emu10k1 driver off sourceforge sounds 1000% better than the alsa one.

[TheClaus]

Glad it worked for you. I can't wait to junk this card I have now for a Sound Blaster Live 5.1