twitchy, jittery, glitchy, tearing video w/ Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala 64 bit OS

[High_Yield]

Hey,

Got a brand new Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT to go with my 64 bit AM2 system since the on board video seemed "glitchy".  Well, my problems still are not solved.
- Using a USB mouse seems to make the problems worse no matter what mouse Poll I set to (2, 4, etc...)
- Using a PS2 mouse has helped somewhat but...
- Yes, Compiz is off
- I have tried several video drivers for my NVidia card, all behave the same
     - Note, I install the 1.9? driver but it still displayes 1.85??.  I do not know how to remove the old driver.
- The higher the frame rate, the better things are, like 250 fps or more
- Some times, it behaves very well and smooth, other times HORRBILY glitchy
- Resolution does not seem to matter, 640 low detail runs the same as 1024 high detail
- no joystick is used here
- I have tried several different mice, all behave the same
- I'm using the standard config stuff with my Verizon FIOS connection, cl_maxpackets 125, Rate 25000, snaps 40

I believe it is related to the use of a mouse since if I use arrow keys things appear to run smoothly.  But, it may be sound related as well (Pulse junk).  Baffling.

To describe the "glitch" more... all may be going along fine and then a mouse movement will cause a shutter, delay, or tear in the video.  Sometimes, it seems to "lock in" and ALL mouse movements are corrupted/twitchy until a restart of the game.
Just too many variables to track it down.

I will now tinker more w/ r_smp and other config items and even try Windows as well since it is a dual boot system.

Any ideas are appreciated.

[sago007]

My guess is the pulse junk, at least you would hardly be alone with that problem. It would be the same problem as me and everyone else that uses 9.10.

My solution is somewhere on this forum. I hardly remember it, but it is something about installing the pulse-only version of libsdl and disable openal ingame.

[tosk1]

Sago07 - Are you referring to your post here  http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=3447.0

It worked for me too. Got rid of my audio/lag problems. There is still some minor lag every now and again, especially when a map first loads. But its not really a problem. Its barely noticable.

[High_Yield]

Well, I've tried everything and it will not go away.

I've even installed Windows and OA Windows on this box dual boot and the same junk happens.
I believe it's either my motherboard, a sound issue, an interrupt issue, or most likely an NVidia driver issue IMO.

Even at 300 FPS with NO drop in fps displaying and playing a local (non-internet) game it is just jumpy and twitchy when the mouse moves, and sometimes just keyboard movement.  My old 386 worked better than this AM2 with a NVidia 9800 GT.  VERY sad and I am actually really pissed after spending so much $$.

[High_Yield]

Good Progress...

I still have minor twitching in Windows XP Sp3 and Ubuntu Karmic I'll have to revisit but no faith in Karmic at the moment.

It seems that "r_smp 1" is the main culprit on my dual core system.
I was hoping to take advantage of it but it seems that r_smp needs to be off or MAJOR problems.  That lousy glitchy twitchy, heavy feeling - ugh.

Also, playing on the FF(Femme Fatales or Female Fraggers -dunno...) server is HORRIBLE for me.  It's listed in the Purple color on the server list run by Vindimy/Princess I believe.  Other servers I've tried, even with higher ping, perform MUCH better for me.

Maybe other can try as well and if it's no good then disable it completely.

So - there it is... HTH

[Falkland]

It seems that "r_smp 1" is the main culprit on my dual core system.
I was hoping to take advantage of it but it seems that r_smp needs to be off or MAJOR problems.  That lousy glitchy twitchy, heavy feeling - ugh.

SMP support won't work anymore as it is now

I've posted here the link to a patch that makes SMP support working again ...

- The ioquake discussion
- The patch

It applies to ioquake3 rev 1515 , so just expect to resolve conflicts with newer sources before compiling the new engine. I've tested it on a dual Turion and it worked for me , but I had not the possibility to test it in deepth ( simply because that hardware wasn't mine )

[High_Yield]

Thanks Falk...

Unfortunatley, I went back to the FF server and is still sux0rs.

Please note that:
- my FPS (cg_drawfps 1) shows NO LAG WHATSOEVER, full 200+ FPS always
  - com_maxfps 200
- my Net(cg_Lagometer 1) shows smooth as silk, like a calm lake
  - rate = 25000, snaps = 40, maxpackets = 125
- my provider is Verizon FIOS(fiber optic) and I ping ~15 to the FF server
- it also seems that the 'syncing frames' on option helps somewhat

That said, there are OTHER server which play like I remember Quake3 and OA of old.  The "Super" servers where I ping over 100 and other random places.  The "Nemesis" server is online again recently for no reason but it lags badly and displays a flickering "connection interrupeted" incessently - I used to play there all the time.

So honestly, I have tinkered so much I don;t know what the %@$% is going on but at least in Windows I can play well on ~some servers ~some of the time with a real 200+ FPS and it feels like that as well.

Possibly whatever has been done to network code to add the "delag" is fooking things up.  I also remember playing on the old "Brutal" server with Odigo etc.. and had AWESOME ping and smooth feel. then at some point the "delag" cr@p came on and it sucked for me but doods w/ 300+ ping were loving it, and railing me at that!!!.

I dunno - just dumping my experiences and maybe someone can make things right.
If I hold still, all usually looks OK, but if I move it is all twitchy and jittery, like the buildings are redrawn 2 times per second.

- Biostar AM2 NV61s motherboard w/ AMD dual core 4600+
- Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT video
- Latest 196.21 Nvidia drivers
- Verizon Fios kikazz Internet
- All NVidia settings to "Performance mode"
- Tried all possible vid and sound config combinations possible I believe
   - (can console out of bad resolutions with a black screen! (`/r_mode 2 Enter)

Any help is appreciated

[High_Yield]

Hopefully a FINAL update.

My mobo, Biostar Am2 SE blah blah has onbard video and LAN.
Video was off.
The LAN has a setting in properties "optimize for throughput", or "CPU".
It was on CPU and I tried putting it on Throughput and ALL servers so far are PERFECT !!!!

J.C.!!!! what a time waster.

Will keep you posted but I beleive all is well - may try turning smp back on ;-/

- B

[Falkland]

The "Nemesis" server is online again recently for no reason but it lags badly and displays a flickering "connection interrupeted" incessently - I used to play there all the time.

The Nemesis (new) location is now UK and probably the server has less resources than the previous Nemesis since max slots number is lower .

[High_Yield]

Well,

Things are much better, but not perfect. And FF(Female Fraggers) despite having the best ping for me is the WORST.  Still twitchy.  I play on a server on CZ(Chechoslovakia?) with a ping of 130 and it plays smoothly.  So I'm still very confused.

Also, I need to test running at "normal" max_FPS which for me was 125.  At 125 FPS on older systems w/ older OA the game was smooth as silk.  Now, I believe I have to go above 250 FPS to get ~almost~ as smooth as my older systems.

Sorry for all the babble and changes but things seem to change per server and the config's do not "fully transfer", so... just trying to provide status when possible.

[cheb]

I believe I had a similar problem a few years ago with some old games running in a Windows XP machine equipped with an USB mouse (AFAIR, these were Clive Barker's Undying and Half-Life 1)

I solved it by lowering the game process priority.

AFAIR, in Linux it would be launching it by "nice -n 5 ./openarena.i386").