'First Look' performance-enhanced client preview now available for Linux

graphics are cranked, sounds great, renders speedy. Just crashed at first with all of the introductory pop-ups. Still impressed!

Mirrors are Fantastic! Incredible!!!

A 25% reduction in FPS, though

Turning on Multi Threading (I have only one cpu, so it would only help if the single threading would have been blocked by something) does not make any real difference on the FPS.

Rezzing is fast, the client is stable... I am VERY Happy!

Now if only Dynamic Reflections did not have such a performance hit...

---------------------------------

Same machine etc, but under windows - I cannot even get shiny working, let alone Dynamic Reflections! We REALLY have it good, in Linux

I've seen some cases where dynamic reflection was only a 5% hit.

Its exciting to see the feature in any case, I imagine with better environment map acquisition scheduling it could earn its way to on by default.

Running with the following:

Sempron 2400+
Ubuntu Edgy Eft
nVidia 5500 AGP graphics card w/128 MB RAM
nVidia driver 9746
the latest First Look Linux client at the time of this writing (SecondLife_i686_1_13_3_57575_FIRSTLOOK)

I notice that occasionally, some textures are rendered oddly, as a bunch of little rectangles.

I can upload or send a snapshot showing the problem if that would help.

I'm getting a consistent crash using the latest firstlook when enabling VBO. This wasn't happening with the earlier first look clients.

Details are:

Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz
1Gb RAM
ATI X740 GFX card with 128Mb
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: MEDION RADEON X740XL Generic
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6011 (8.28.

On a side note, I can't say I really see any difference in raw fps from this and the mainline Linux client although texture loading does seem smoother and finally getting the alpha sorting problem fixed is just fantastic. The windows client on the same setup however shows an incredible difference in raw fps, from about 8 to consistently 20-30 at my home (Rua).

In the blog entry about the new first look client, it is noted by users that THIS version is no longer faster than the usual version.

I presume that MANY optimizations have been removed due to compatibility or stabilty reasons - some people were getting really weird graphics with the first look client - since this version is planned to become the new Live Version.

I HOPE the rip-roaring wild goes like hell first look client will be available again after the current one goes "preview". I will be VERY sad if it isn't * sniff *

Just to followup on my crash report, I'm getting this on the terminal when it crashes...


*** glibc detected *** double free or corruption (fasttop): 0x0e0b30b8 ***


Any clues?

Dynamic reflections are gone again with 57679? Can anyone confirm or tell me the new position of this feature?

Thanks!
Daniel

I still have them, because they were on in 57575 before I upgraded.

There does not seem to be a menu entry to switch it on or off any more.

In the Linden Blog, I found this entry: http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/02/05/first-look-1134-now-available/#comment-151245

Quote "Aha, it’s in Debug Settings. RenderDynamicReflections". I personally did not find it in the new First Look Client, though...


And this, from Steve Linden: http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/02/05/first-look-1134-now-available/#comment-151257

Quote:
"Also: if you had enabled dynamic reflections (which is still in the early testing phase so will *not* be making it into this release which is why the option has been removed), you will need to either remove the ‘RenderDynamicReflections’ option from your Documents And Settings/USER/Application Data/Second Life/settings_firstlook.xml file, or remove that file entirely (which will restore your settings to the default value)."

That should give you a hint as to how to ENABLE it

I presume this will also work for the Release Client, if Dynamic Reflections is stable for you..

Yep,

Dynamic Reflections have been disabled (it was mentioned in the blog).

The feature was too immature to really be used. As this version is about to be turned into the main client, all "buggy" features are disabled/removed.

After it becomes the main client, I suppose that the "buggy" features are enabled again. So we can test them ...

Regards,
Marcoh

But still the cross section option is left in the viewer, although it doesn't work at all At least I didn't see it working ever.

This is all I see: http://zi.furhome.net/downloads/intersection_plane_demo.avi

By the way. you CAN use the OLD cleint, turn dynamic reflections on, and then install the new one. The setting seems to be kept. Worked for me in Windows, too

The previous and current (57787) First Look clients every so often freeze.

The text output I get when this happens is ends with:

2007-02-08T04:52:55Z WARNING: No parent joint by name mScreen found for attachment point Bottom
2007-02-08T04:52:55Z WARNING: No parent joint by name mScreen found for attachment point Bottom Right
2007-02-08T04:52:55Z INFO: Decoded 4 msgs this frame!
*** glibc detected *** double free or corruption (fasttop): 0x97e92830 ***
2007-02-08T04:52:55Z WARNING: *** Caught signal 6
2007-02-08T04:52:55Z INFO: remove_marker_file()
2007-02-08T04:52:55Z INFO: Opening stack trace file /home/rknop/.secondlife/logs/stack_trace.log
2007-02-08T04:52:58Z INFO: Finished generating stack trace.

Here's the stack trace:

0: ELF(do_elfio_glibc_backtrace()+0x200) [0x97193c0]
1: ELF(viewer_crash_callback()+0x15f) [0x971fdef]
2: ELF(signal_handlers(int)+0x1f2) [0x970c972]
3: [0xb7f12420]
4: [0xb7f12410]
5: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6(abort+0x109) [0xb74affb9]
6: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6 [0xb74e3c8a]
7: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6 [0xb74eb51f]
8: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6(__libc_free+0x82) [0xb74eb5c2]
9: /usr/local/SecondLife_FirstLook/lib/libstdc++.so.6(_ZdlPv+0x21) [0xb768f
8b1]
10: /usr/local/SecondLife_FirstLook/lib/libstdc++.so.6(_ZNSs4_Rep10_M_destro
yERKSaIcE+0x1d) [0xb766e8f3]
11: /usr/local/SecondLife_FirstLook/lib/libstdc++.so.6(_ZNSs6assignERKSs+0xa
3) [0xb766ff13]
12: ELF(LLImageBase::allocateData(int)+0x55) [0x9820655]
13: ELF(LLImageRaw::allocateData(int)+0x14) [0x98212e4]
14: ELF(LLImageRaw::LLImageRaw(unsigned short, unsigned short, signed char)+
0x4a) [0x981b03a]
15: ELF(LLSurface::generateWaterTexture(float, float, float, float)+0xc7) [0
x8fa3c27]
16: ELF(LLSurfacePatch::updateTexture()+0x2d7) [0x8fbc5e7]
17: ELF(LLSurface::idleUpdate(float)+0xaa) [0x8fa0aba]
18: ELF(LLViewerRegion::idleUpdate(float)+0x1b) [0x9409aab]
19: ELF(LLWorld::updateRegions(float)+0x6b) [0x9669e7b]
20: ELF(idle()+0x16dd) [0x971449d]
21: ELF(main_loop()+0x31c) [0x9720dec]
22: ELF(main+0x2e3e) [0x9728bbe]
23: /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xc [0xb749aea8]
24: ELF(__gxx_personality_v0@@CXXABI_1.3+0x1c1) [0x8056c41]

Just tried First Look 57787, doesn't work too well, crash every time...

2007-02-08T08:49:45Z INFO: LLViewerAssetStorage:toreAssetData (legacy) e5cb01e8-394f-88e0-f3be-9ae7405aa420:texture ASSET_ID: a6745f13-33f1-79c9-cc89-0bfcd2e07911
2007-02-08T08:49:45Z INFO: xfer request id: 7877505399357261911 to 69.25.105.30:12035
2007-02-08T08:49:45Z INFO: starting vfile transfer: a6745f13-33f1-79c9-cc89-0bfcd2e07911,texture to 69.25.105.30:12035
2007-02-08T08:49:47Z INFO: LLIMView::createFloater: from ea89b2a3-65c5-4efc-a1b6-66e1c2422c9f in session 0f1641a1-6827-8480-0737-e2aaa2636236
2007-02-08T08:49:47Z INFO: Getting asset data for: 67cc2844-00f3-2b3c-b991-6418d01e1bb7
2007-02-08T08:49:47Z INFO: Starting transfer for 67cc2844-00f3-2b3c-b991-6418d01e1bb7
2007-02-08T08:49:47Z INFO: Receiving 671918e6-dd3c-13cb-2445-ed3f37f0346e, size 13085 bytes
2007-02-08T08:49:48Z INFO: Unknown object updates: 15
*** glibc detected *** corrupted double-linked list: 0×1317a270 ***

Setting MALLOC_CHECK_=0 just causes it to crash without glibc trapping the error.

OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: MEDION RADEON X740XL Generic
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6286 (8.33.6)

This is without EnableVBO checked, with it checked the client will grind to a halt within about 30 seconds to a minute.

Really hope this version doesn’t become live just yet.

Just for some good news for a change, the latest First Look Client just about doubled my FPS on a Celeron 2.2 GHz / 1 GB Main Memory / NVidia FX 5200 with 128 MB system, and seems to be stable for me, on my main SuSE 10.0 / 2 GByte etc system as listed in my signature.

I DID have issues with attachments being in strange places (Earrings around my knees, for example) and loose flying Hair Prims on the last version. With the Earrings, re-wearing them fixed it. For hair, I relogged.

On the new version (even with the no-longer existent Dynamic Refelctions enabled), I have no issues yet other than purple flashing on water surfaces when crossing a Sim boundary near water.

I will be VERY pleased when this release ist stable, and offered as live. But it seems that may take a while yet

Yes that was my problem. It was still turned on and couldn't turn it off w/o killing my prefs.

But I found out my way:
Client -> Debug Settings -> Drop Down "RenderDynamicReflections" -> False/True

Thanks!

Still crashing with First Look 57837

2007-02-09T08:40:01Z WARNING: No parent joint by name mScreen found for attachment point Bottom Left
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z WARNING: No parent joint by name mScreen found for attachment point Bottom
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z WARNING: No parent joint by name mScreen found for attachment point Bottom Right
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z INFO: Decoded 15 msgs this frame!
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z WARNING: Failed to set locale en_US.utf8
*** glibc detected *** corrupted double-linked list: 0xa3333e78 ***
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z WARNING: *** Caught signal 6
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z INFO: remove_marker_file()
2007-02-09T08:40:01Z INFO: Opening stack trace file /home/XXX/.secondlife/logs/stack_trace.log
2007-02-09T08:40:04Z INFO: Finished generating stack trace.

Stack trace:

0: ELF(do_elfio_glibc_backtrace()+0×200) [0×971a1f0]
1: ELF(viewer_crash_callback()+0×15f) [0×9720c1f]
2: ELF(signal_handlers(int)+0×1f2) [0×970d542]
3: [0xb7f87420]
4: /lib/tls/libc.so.6(gsignal+0×47) [0xb74e9947]
5: /lib/tls/libc.so.6(abort+0×109) [0xb74eb0c9]
6: /lib/tls/libc.so.6 [0xb751f08a]
7: /lib/tls/libc.so.6 [0xb752685c]
8: /lib/tls/libc.so.6(__libc_free+0×82) [0xb75269f2]
9: /home/XXX/tmp/SecondLife_i686_1_13_3_57837_FIRSTLOOK/lib/libstdc++.so.6(_ZdlPv+0×21) [0xb76cc8b1]
10: /home/XXX/tmp/SecondLife_i686_1_13_3_57837_FIRSTLOOK/lib/libstdc++.so.6(_ZdaPv+0×1d) [0xb76cc8fd]
11: ELF(LLImageBase::deleteData()+0×39) [0×981e919]
12: ELF(LLImageFormatted::~LLImageFormatted()+0×16) [0×981ff76]
13: ELF(LLImageJ2C::~LLImageJ2C()+0×3f) [0×982b1cf]
14: ELF(LLTextureFetchWorker::endWork(int, bool)+0xc9) [0×90139b9]
15: ELF(LLWorkerClass::checkWork(bool)+0×2b9) [0×9bb4599]
16: ELF(LLTextureFetch::getRequestFinished(LLUUID const&, int&, LLPointer&, LLPointer&+0xe2) [0×90114a2]
17: ELF(LLViewerImage::updateFetch()+0×830) [0×922d2a0]
18: ELF(LLViewerImageList::updateImagesFetchTextures(float)+0×1ca) [0×9237e7a]
19: ELF(LLViewerImageList::updateImages(float)+0xba) [0×9240a9a]
20: ELF(idle()+0×1983) [0×9715573]
21: ELF(main_loop()+0×31c) [0×9721c1c]
22: ELF(main+0×2c52) [0×9729802]
23: /lib/tls/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xc [0xb74d5ea8]
24: ELF(__gxx_personality_v0@@CXXABI_1.3+0×1c5) [0×8056c81]

OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: MEDION RADEON X740XL Generic
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6286 (8.33.6)

I have the First Look client running on two Linux machines.

The slower machine is an AthlonXP 2000+ with 1GB RAM, a GeForce FX 5500 with 128 MB RAM, running Debian Sarge (generic i386). XFree86, OpenGL version 1.5.3 NVIDIA 71.74.

The faster machine is an Athlon64 3800+ with 1GB RAM, a GeForce 6150 with 256 MB RAM, running Debian Etch (AMD64). xorg, OpenGL version 2.0.2 NVIDIA 87.76.

The second machine — nearly twice the speed of the first, and with twice the video RAM — is only giving me 70% to 90% the framerate of the slower machine (maybe 75% to 90%). Is this because it's a 32-bit application running on a 64-bit OS? (I expected a slight performance hit for going through the 32-bit compatibility libraries, but that seems a bit excessive.)

Is there any way to improve things, or should I just wait for a 64-bit version of the viewer?

Thanks,
Johanna

Are the settings (resolution, draw distance, particles etc) the same?

I had a REALLY great improvement on an NVidia fx 5200 128 MB card, quite a bit more than on my 6800 or 7800 cards, but this card is also set to minimum - no shiny, no slow optimizations, low draw distance. Maybe the First Look is tailored for the simpler graphic quality of the smaller card?

Yes, I went through all the settings to make sure everything (except the Graphics Card Memory setting) was the same, to make sure the comparison was valid.

I may have to burn a Knoppix CD and try them both out with an identical OS, just to rule that factor out.

Well, it looks like FL won't run at all under Knoppix:

2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: createContext: creating window 800x600x32
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z WARNING: createContext: window creation failure. SDL: Couldn't find matching GLX visual
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: destroyContext begins
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: shutdownGL begins
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: SDL_QuitSS/VID begins
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z WARNING: *** Caught signal 11
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: remove_marker_file()
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: Opening stack trace file /home/knoppix/.secondlife/logs/stack_trace.log
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: Finished generating stack trace.
2007-02-11T01:04:48Z INFO: Starting Second Life Viewer Crash Reporter

I have noticed, that with the particles set to 4096, I see a lot less particles than on the normal client.

Also, on Graphics Detail in Preferences, enable ripple water, avatar vertex program, bump mapped & bump mapped and cloth are all greyed out. They are active according to the radio buttons, though. However, they are not active in the program - at least, Bump Mapped and Cloth, and Ripple Water are not active. With Avatar Vertex Program I can't really tell.

Enabling Dynamic Reflections (development on which which has probably been suspended while the main features are debugged) still results in a performance drop of 25% from when they are disabled. They now get disabled on program start. Reflection of objects closer than a shiny area are still there - I don't expect that to change until the first look client goes live, and work continues on Dynamic Reflections, though. And shiny surfaces still flash purple when crossing a sim boundary.

The First Look Client is still 50% faster on FPS than the standard client, with my setup.

Otherwise, stable and fast! Great!

The problem I have with the first look client (not just this version, but every version I tried in the last 2 months or so) is some kind of "memory leaking" problem. I tried with and without the export LL_GL_BASICEXT=x , and it seem to help a bit (as in delaying the problem) to have it enabled. I haven't tried fiddling around with a-m options, basically because I have no clue which ones to try . Problem seems to be the same with or without the vbo-thing enabled.

When I start SL-firstlook, i can login, and with almost all versions have no real graphical problems. But watching the memory use (1.5 gb), i see the used memory increasing and increasing, up to the point linux starts swapping out, which is a killer for performance . I'm on an athlon 3000+, with a radeon mobility 9200 64 mb... The normal client has this problem only sometimes when I edit appearance, but I don't get the problem there most of the time.

I ordered a dell xps m1710, with a geforce 7950, so when I receive it i"ll try it out on that as well (I hope it works there, since the code is going to be switched over to the normal viewer soon?), but does anybody have an idea what's causing this?

I am not seeing any smoke effects at all with the First Look client. (GeForce 3, Nvidia 9361)

Performance seems good though, and it seems a little more stable than the last release.

Opps!

The fact that the radio buttons were greyed out, is because "export LL_GL_BASICEXT=x" ijn the secondlife script was active by default. I commented it out again...

All is working again now Ripple water, bump mapped & cloth, everything! And No Speed Loss in comparison - stability is perefect, too - still, and as always

Reflections are behaving themselves, too. fantastic!