Fast O on Linux HOWTO

Getting O to run as fast as an Octane on a cheap Linux PC

Many reports have described O as running "fast" or "nice and smooth" on linux, but, until recently, I had not seen the O version for Linux be anything but pathetic when compared side-by-side to our Octane.

But, that's all over now. It took me a week or so to figure it out, but I have tried to lay everything out here:

Hardware:

Diamond Viper 770 AGP graphics card (Nvidia Riva TNT2 chip)
dual Pentium II 450MHz system
4 Gb hard drive, 256Mb RAM, etc. etc.

Software:

Procedure:

Install XFree86 4.0 or above.

I think the easiest way to do this is to just upgrade to RedHat 7.x. Xfree86 4.0.x comes standard with RedHat 7.x. I was never able to get the tar files from xfree86.com to install properly. Probably my fault/laziness.

You can download CDROM disk images (*.iso) for the install CDs of RH7.x from ftp.redhat.com. Ftp the disk1 and disk2 images to your nearest computer with a CD burner, and use them as a "disk image" in your CD burning software. Boot from the first CD and you're ready to install linux. Note: this does not work on iMacs with the standard software.

Install the Nvidia GL drivers

Instructions on how to do this are available from Nvidia. They now have specific RPMs for the RedHat 7.0 kernels, but I think the safest thing to do is get the SRPM and re-compile the driver. It's just one more command. Below is a transcript of exactly what I did on a fresh RedHat 7.1 install, in nauseating detail. The text I actually typed is in green:

jamesh@linux% su - 
Password:
[root@linux /root]# uname -a
Linux linux.berkeley.edu 2.4.2-2smp #1 SMP Sun Apr 8 20:21:34 EDT 2001 i686 unknown
[root@linux /root]# mkdir /tmp/nVidia
[root@linux nVidia]# cd /tmp/nVidia
[root@linux nVidia]# wget 'http://www.nvidia.com/Pages.nsf/Lookup/linux_02/$file/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.src.rpm'
[root@linux nVidia]# wget 'http://www.nvidia.com/Pages.nsf/Lookup/linux_01/$file/NVIDIA_GLX-0.9-769.i386.rpm'
[root@linux nVidia]# ls -lrt
total 1464
-rw-r--r--    1 jamesh   gopher      36016 Apr 28 10:02 README.html
-rw-r--r--    1 jamesh   gopher     416534 May  4 08:17 NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.src.rpm
-rw-r--r--    1 jamesh   gopher    1033035 May  7 18:50 NVIDIA_GLX-0.9-769.i386.rpm
[root@linux nVidia]# rpm --rebuild NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.src.rpm 
Installing NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.src.rpm
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.85707
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ rm -rf NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
+ /bin/gzip -dc /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.tar.gz
+ tar -xf -
+ STATUS=0
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ cd NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 0 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chown -Rhf root .
++ /usr/bin/id -u
+ '[' 0 = 0 ']'
+ /bin/chgrp -Rhf root .
+ /bin/chmod -Rf a+rX,g-w,o-w .
+ exit 0
Executing(%build): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.85707
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
+ make NVdriver
cc -c -Wall -Wunknown-pragmas -Wno-multichar -O  -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES -DUNIX -DLINUX -DNV4_HW -DNTRM -DRM20 -D_X86_=1 -Di386=1 -D_GNU_SOURCE -DRM_HEAPMGR -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES   -DNV_MAJOR_VERSION=1 -DNV_MINOR_VERSION=0 -DNV_PATCHLEVEL=769  -I. -I/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/build/include nv.c
cc -c -Wall -Wunknown-pragmas -Wno-multichar -O  -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES -DUNIX -DLINUX -DNV4_HW -DNTRM -DRM20 -D_X86_=1 -Di386=1 -D_GNU_SOURCE -DRM_HEAPMGR -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES   -DNV_MAJOR_VERSION=1 -DNV_MINOR_VERSION=0 -DNV_PATCHLEVEL=769  -I. -I/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/build/include os-interface.c
cc -c -Wall -Wunknown-pragmas -Wno-multichar -O  -D__KERNEL__ -DMODULE -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES -DUNIX -DLINUX -DNV4_HW -DNTRM -DRM20 -D_X86_=1 -Di386=1 -D_GNU_SOURCE -DRM_HEAPMGR -D_LOOSE_KERNEL_NAMES   -DNV_MAJOR_VERSION=1 -DNV_MINOR_VERSION=0 -DNV_PATCHLEVEL=769  -I. -I/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/build/include os-registry.c
ld -r -o Module-linux nv.o os-interface.o os-registry.o
ld -r -o NVdriver Module-linux Module-nvkernel
size NVdriver
   text    data     bss     dec     hex filename
 465637   28160   19524  513321   7d529 NVdriver
+ exit 0
Executing(%install): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.30436
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
+ '[' -z '' ']'
++ uname -r
+ export TARGET_KERNEL=2.4.2-2smp
+ TARGET_KERNEL=2.4.2-2smp
+ '[' -n /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9 -a /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9 '!=' / ']'
+ rm -rf /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9
+ '[' -d /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/kernel/ ']'
+ INSTALLPATH=/var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/video
+ mkdir -p /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/video
+ install -m 0444 NVdriver /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9/lib/modules/2.4.2-2smp/video
+ unset RPM_BUILD_ROOT
+ /usr/lib/rpm/brp-compress
+ /usr/lib/rpm/brp-strip
+ /usr/lib/rpm/brp-strip-comment-note
Processing files: NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
Finding  Provides: (using /usr/lib/rpm/find-provides)...
Finding  Requires: (using /usr/lib/rpm/find-requires)...
PreReq: /bin/sh /bin/sh rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) <= 4.0-1
Requires(interp): /bin/sh /bin/sh
Requires(rpmlib): rpmlib(PayloadFilesHavePrefix) <= 4.0-1
Requires(post): /bin/sh
Requires(preun): /bin/sh
Requires: kernel >= 2.2.0
Wrote: /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.i386.rpm
Executing(%clean): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.16152
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ cd NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
+ '[' -n /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9 -a /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9 '!=' / ']'
+ rm -rf /var/tmp/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9
+ exit 0
Executing(--clean): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.16152
+ umask 022
+ cd /usr/src/redhat/BUILD
+ rm -rf NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769
+ exit 0
[root@linux nVidia]# rpm -ivh /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/NVIDIA_kernel-0.9-769.i386.rpm 
Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
   1:NVIDIA_kernel          ########################################### [100%]

NVdriver installed successfully

[root@linux nVidia]# rpm -ivh NVIDIA_GLX-0.9-769.i386.rpm 
Preparing...                ########################################### [100%]
  --- WARNING!!
      libglx.a
      libGLcore.a
      libGL.a
      libGL.so.1.2.030401
 --- Above file(s) possibly belong to a conflicting MESA rpm.
 --- They have been renamed to xxx.<originalFile>.RPMSAVE to
 --- avoid conflicting with the files contained within this
 --- package.
 --- Please check http://www.nvidia.com/drivers/xfree86_40.html
 ---   for details, under section 5.2
   1:NVIDIA_GLX             ########################################### [100%]

I wrote the following awk command to edit the XFree86 configuration file, but you could just as easily use vi. The "diff" command below should more clearly indicate the needed changes.

[root@linux nVidia]# cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.original 
[root@linux nVidia]# cat /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.original |\
awk '$1=="Driver" && $2 == "\"nv\"" {print " Driver \"nvidia\"";next} \
$1=="Load" && $2 == "\"GLcore\"" {$0= "#" $0}\
$1=="Load" && $2 == "\"dri\"" {$0= "#" $0}\
{print}' |\
cat > /etc/X11/XF86Config-4
[root@linux nVidia]# diff /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.original 
28c28
< # Load "GLcore"
---
> Load "GLcore"
33c33
< # Load "dri"
---
> Load "dri"
118c118
< Driver "nvidia"
---
> Driver "nv"
[root@linux nVidia]# cd /usr/lib
[root@linux lib]# ln -sf libGLU.so libMesaGLU.so.3
[root@linux lib]# ln -sf libGL.so libMesaGL.so.3

Install o

[root@linux lib]# cd ~/rpms
[root@linux rpms]# rpm -i o-data-6_4-1_noarch.rpm
[root@linux rpms]# rpm -i o-util-6_4-1_i386.rpm
[root@linux rpms]# rpm -i --nodeps o-6_4-1_i386.rpm

Restart the computer (just in case it matters)

[root@linux rpms]# reboot

Run my o benchmark

[root@linux /root]# mkdir /tmp/otest
[root@linux /root]# cd /tmp/otest
[root@linux otest]# wget http://bl831.als.lbl.gov/~jamesh/benchmarks/omark.tar
[root@linux otest]# tar xvf omark.tar
helix.omap
helix.pdb
test.omac
binary.o
[root@linux otest]# ono
O> @test.omac

This macro loads up a calculated map of an alpha helix, and gives it a "spin" in o. O has a special "spin" command which is meant for benchmarking graphics hardware. Several "spin" times with this very map are available here. If your computer takes longer than 10 seconds to "spin" this map, then there is probably something wrong with your setup. Have a look at nVidia's FAQ to find out more.

Anyway, this is how I saved my lab $30,000 bucks on new SGIs that we no longer need.

Back to the Elves Homepage.

This page is not finished. It will never be finished, and neither will yours. Admit it.

James Holton <jholton@uclink4.berkeley.edu>