VMD-L Mailing List

From: Axel Kohlmeyer (akohlmey_at_cmm.chem.upenn.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 20 2009 - 08:56:12 CST

On Tue, 20 Jan 2009, Ramon Crehuet wrote:

RC> Der VMD users,
RC> I've recently installed VMD on an Opensuse 11.1 box with an ATI HD 2400
RC> card using the ATI driver.
RC> When I open the VMD, the OpenGL window (where molecues are displayed) is
RC> transparent. I see the background windows. When I move the molecule then
RC> it shows its content, flickering. Has anybody encountered this problem?
RC> It is really annoying!

ramon,
this looks very much like a driver bug. if that is
the case, VMD cannot do much about it. you could
try dropping down to minimal OpenGL support by setting
the VMDSIMPLEGRAPHICS environment variable to 1.

please see the linux release notes for more details.

since you do have a problematic machine, it would be
interesting to see, how the latest alpha version binaries
perform. have a look at the recent postings about them
and how to get them.

cheers,
   axel.

RC> Here are the first welcome lines in the console:
RC>
RC> Info) VMD for LINUXAMD64, version 1.8.6 (April 6, 2007)
RC> Info) http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/vmd/
RC> Info) Email questions and bug reports to vmd_at_ks.uiuc.edu
RC> Info) Please include this reference in published work using VMD:
RC> Info) Humphrey, W., Dalke, A. and Schulten, K., `VMD - Visual
RC> Info) Molecular Dynamics', J. Molec. Graphics 1996, 14.1, 33-38.
RC> Info) -------------------------------------------------------------
RC> Info) Multithreading available, 4 CPUs detected.
RC> Info) Free system memory: 3476MB (87%)
RC> Info) ATI Linux driver detected, limiting features to avoid driver bugs.
RC> Info) Set the environment variable VMDDISABLEATILINUXWORKAROUND
RC> Info) to enable full functionality on a known-safe driver version.
RC> Info) OpenGL renderer: ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT
RC> Info) Features: STENCIL MSAA(4) MDE CVA MTX NPOT PP PS GLSL(OVF)
RC> Info) GLSL rendering mode is NOT available.
RC> Info) Textures: 2-D (4096x4096), 3-D (8192x8192x8192), Multitexture (8)
RC>
RC>
RC> Thanks for your attention,
RC> Ramon
RC> 

-- 
=======================================================================
Axel Kohlmeyer   akohlmey_at_cmm.chem.upenn.edu   http://www.cmm.upenn.edu
   Center for Molecular Modeling   --   University of Pennsylvania
Department of Chemistry, 231 S.34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323
tel: 1-215-898-1582,  fax: 1-215-573-6233,  office-tel: 1-215-898-5425
=======================================================================
If you make something idiot-proof, the universe creates a better idiot.