[IDV #VMD-708649]: IDV - Sudden failure to run

Hi Mike-

> >>>> Institution: Bluebird Meteorology
> >>>> Package Version: 2.0RC3
> >>>> Operating System: fedora core 5; Linux 2.6.2157 (I think)
> >>>> Hardware Information: Dual Opteron 248, 500 GB HDD, connected to network 
> >>>> with similar computers
> >>>> Inquiry: Initially, the new 2.0RC3 installed perfectly on the first try 
> >>>> and ran flawlessly.  I have an nVidia card installed in place of the 
> >>>> onboard ATI Rage on the Tyan motherboard.
> >>>>
> >>>> Just as suddenly, IDV hung with a "Could not create a graphics 
> >>>> configuration"  The only event taking place between the successful and 
> >>>> unsuccessful episodes was a yum auto update of Linux to the 2.6.2157 
> >>>> version from 2.6.2145 (or whatever the newest number is!)
> >>>>
> >>>> I booted with the previous Linux version, but received the same message.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> How are your starting the IDV?  Can you send me the stack trace?  If you
> >>> are not using the runIDV script, I'm guessing that the path to your Java
> >>> got changed to the default for Linux which is gnu Java and the IDV is 
> >>> starting
> >>> pointing to that one instead of the one installed with the IDV.
> >>>
> >>> If the IDV starts and just shows the Dashboard or the main window with
> >>> just the menu, use the Help->About menu and look to see what is
> >>> listed under the System tab on the dialog that pops up.
> >>>
> >
> >
> >> In fact, I'm not even seeing the dashboard.  I've always used runIDV to
> >> start the app.  It has always run wonderfully on my Windoze platforms
> >> (98, 2000, now XP), but the Linux platforms are the mainstay of my network.
> >>
> >> Your hunch seems reasonable.  I suspect either uninstalling IDV and
> >> reinstalling it, setting the environmental variable, or moving the path
> >> to its correct location would probably fix the situation.  I'll give
> >> those a try, with the reinstallation being the last option.  I will also
> >> remove all the Java I can find so that I make sure we're starting with a
> >> clean system.  Is there a particular place where IDV looks for its
> >> version of Java?  Is that Java 1.4 JRE or is there a newer version used
> >> by IDV?
> >>
> >
> > Since you don't even get the dashboard, I'm thinking it's something
> > in your X configuration that is giving fits.  The runIDV script is
> > in the installation directory and should by default point to the
> > jre/bin/java directory there for it's Java and Java 3D.
> >
> > What is your DISPLAY environment variable set to?  Can you send me the
> > entire printout of the error messages that display when you see the
> > "Could not create a graphics configuration message"?
> >
> >
> >> By the way, the new version runs faster, installs more neatly, and has a
> >> nicer feel to it than even 1.3b2 (that ran on the Windoze box!).  BTW,
> >> even 1.3b2 never ran on the Linux Fedora platforms, but 2.0CR3 ran just
> >> fine.
> >>
> >
> > Thanks for the info.  Maybe we'll call it the PF Flyers edition - Runs 
> > faster, Jumps higher. ;-)
> >
> > Don
> >
> >
> >
> > Ticket Details
> > ===================
> > Ticket ID: VMD-708649
> > Department: Support IDV
> > Priority: Normal
> > Status: Open
> >
> >
> >
> YAHOO!!!  (oops, not that Yahoo...)
> 
> It's ALIVE!!!  You were right, but it took some head scratching to work
> it out.  The Nvidia driver was the issue.  The configuration file:
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf appeared to be functioning correctly.  Unfortunately,
> the "section DEVICE" was loading a driver called "vesa."  Now, that
> might be OK for some of the nVidia drivers, but the repos drivers use
> "driver nvidia" (not even "driver nv").  So, it's no surprise that Java
> couldn't find GLX.  It's also little wonder that I couldn't find the
> issue, since the X log file looked perfectly OK.  What saved it was the
> problems I had several weeks ago with nvidia's driver file and, finding
> the need to use a repo source rather than nvidia.
> 
> ATI's drivers appear to be similarly flawed.  I don't know if this is
> generally true of all the nvidia and ATI drivers on all architectures,
> but on this one, with x86_64 (dual Opteron 248's) it is an issue.
> 
> Anyway, it works and I learned another clue in "As Linux Turns."

Video drivers are one of the biggest issues we run into on all platforms.
On linux, it's particularly a problem if you install a special driver and
then try to update the system.

Thanks for tracking down and fixing the problem.  Let me know if you have
other problems with this.

Don

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VMD-708649
Department: Support IDV
Priority: Normal
Status: Open