Installing Ov8 Stereo on RH8.0 Linux

Instructions for Installing ONO v8 on Linux RedHat (11-20-02)

This installation worked using the following hardware and software. I have reconstructed this from my notebook, so I do apologize if I omitted something or my instructions are unclear. Please email me (joseph_wedekind@urmc.rochester.edu) if you need help and I will try my best to help.

Computer: Dell 340n workstation 2.5 GHz
OS: Dell pre-installed RH Linux version 8.0. (kernel version 2.4.18-18.8.0).
Monitor: Dell 21" P1130 Trinitron CRT
Video Card: Nvidia Quadro4 700 XGL (64 MB).
IR Emitter: NuVision 3 Pin mini-DIN from McNaughton INC (OR, USA) 60GX-T1
LC Glasses: NuVision 60GX

Problem:

In order to operate the Nvidia graphics card in stereo, one must install the appropriate drivers and kernel from the Nvidia web site. At present, the available NVIDIA_KERNEL rpm and src rpm on the Nvidia website (http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=linux_display_1.0-3123) are incompatible with the latest version of RH Linux.

Solution: one must construct the NVIDIA kernel and driver starting from the tar file available on the Nvidia website (above).

Check O in MONO MODE (with X-windows running):

First download the glut library:

one option is:

http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/redhat/8.0/i386/glut-3.7-8.i386.html

as root,

$ rpm ivh glut-3.7-8.i386.rpm

This file provide glut & libglut.so.3, which should allow you to run lin_ono from

(ftp://xray.bmc.uu.se/pub/alwyn/ov80/).

Run in mono under tcsh or csh if the environmental parameters are:

$ setenv STEREO UNKNOWN

(Note: enter the tcsh or csh shells from the normal bash shell by typing

$ tcsh

$ csh.

I don't know much about the bash shell yet, but the csh works).
You will need to enter this line along with your other ODAT and OSYM information as well.

Now get the Nvidia driver and kernel:

(http://www.nvidia.com/view.asp?IO=linux_display_1.0-3123)
NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-3123.tar.gz (it doesn't matter that your machine is i686)

The driver version does not matter, but the kernel does. Obtain the kernel tar file:

NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-3123.tar.gz

You must have an Xfree86 version greater than 4.0.1 (for your X-windows).

Also, check out the PDF file from Nvidia, which is a useful source of information for conducting the following installation.

http://download.nvidia.com/Xfree86_40/1.0-3123/NVLinuxR25Notes_3123.pdf

The O-Faq has cited this document previously.

Once you are convinced that O works satisfactorily in mono, perform the Nvidia installations as root, but running init level 3.

Changing the run level from 5 to 3 (no X-windows).

as root, edit the file:

$ vi /etc/inittab

change 'id:5:initdefault' to level 3. This changes your run level to network without X-windows. Now reboot your computer. (init 0 works on the command line as well).

(No X-windows now)

When your monitor comes up as a black screen, login as root.

make a directory for the Nvidia installations.

eg.

$ mkdir /charon1/programs/video

$ cd /charon1/programs/video

now build the NVIDIA kernel

$ tar xvzf NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-3123.tar.gz

$ tar xvzf NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-3123.tar.gz

This creates two new directories for the kernel and glx.

There is a Makefile which is fairly simple and useful because it describes the paths for the README documentation (from which this installation description was taken in part).

Also, you need to know where your kernel headers are located. This location is specified by the SYSINCLUDE argument.

$ cd NVIDIA_kernel

$ makeinstall SYSINCLUDE=/usr/src/linux-2.4

the output on my system reads:

ld r o NVDriver Module-linux Module-kernel
size NVDriver
text data bss dec hex filename
894285 55380 52396 1002061 f4a4d Nvdriver
Nvdriver installed successfully

If this did not work or there are unassigned variables you may not have the correct location assigned for your kernel headers. In this case, I recommend that you carefully read the documenation that was installed in a directory such as

/usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README (see the Makefile for the exact path).

Now go back to the NVIDIA_GLX directory

$ cd ..

$ makeinstall NVIDIA_GLX

Editing the XF86config File

Before you are finished, you must enter the appropriate settings into the X windows config file. These settings are described in the PDF file from NVIDIA.

There is a backup of this file in the /etc/X11 directory but I always make another one called XF86config-save so that you can at least run the X sever from the original settings.

$ vi /etc/X11/XF86config

make the following changes that were suggested by Dr Ezequiel Panepucci of the Brunger Lab (he read the PDF file apparently):

################ pieces from XF86Config ##################
Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double-buffering
Load "glx" # OpenGL X protocol interface
Load "extmod" # Misc. required extensions
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "quadro4" # make sure this matches "Device" in the Screen Section
VendorName "Nvidia"
BoardName "Quadro4 700XGL"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "UseEdidFreqs" "true"
Option "IgnoreEDID" "false"
Option "NvAgp" "1"
Option "CursorShadow" "1"
Option "Stereo" "3" # Quadbuffered stereo
EndSection
################ END of pieces from XF86Config #################

now restart the X-windows

$ startx

You should be able to log in with X-windows running under the Nvidia driver in place of the generic driver vesa. Also, nv does not work either, so you must use nvidia from the installation described above. (This effort will apparently support PYMOL stereo as well).

before starting Ono type

$ setenv STEREO ON (or STEREO=on ; export STEREO) if using bash

Don't forget to change your run level back to 5 in the inittab (see above).

Now run
$ lin_ono startup.o

Toggle with F1 for stereo on and the emitter should start.

If you have problems with only the left or right eye being displayed in the X-window while O is turned on in stereo, try changing the graphics options under menu item graphics. Also adjust the line settings with F3. This provided much better quality lines and made the flickering of the X-windows go away.

This card also works under windows 2000 on the same Dell system (single boot). Be sure to install glut-3.7.6-bin and the NVIDIA drivers 41.03_win2kxp.exe and Stereo_30.87.exe. It may be necessary to uninstall the NVIDIA hardware driver but I am not certain since I have run our of computers and I don't have time to test all of these things I'd rather do science.

11-21-02 JEW