Changes between Version 7 and Version 9 of Ticket #6320


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Timestamp:
Sep 10, 2021, 6:26:45 PM (3 years ago)
Author:
dave_k
Comment:

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  • Ticket #6320

    • Property Keywords corrupt added
  • Ticket #6320 – Description

    v7 v9  
    1 **Summary**\\
    2 After upgrading to a new version, multiple users have experienced a problem where the game seems to be frozen and has black or distorted video output. User-installed mods seem to trigger this problem.
     1**Summary**\\ After upgrading to a new version, multiple users have experienced a problem where the game seems to be frozen and has black or distorted video output. User-installed mods seem to trigger this problem.
    32
    43Removing all user-installed mod files seems to resolve the problem, but should only be considered a workaround. I think that this bug will still be experienced by users in the future due to design flaws in the game startup sequence.
    54
    6 **Visual proof**\\
    7 Example 1 (dave_k's computer)\\
    8 [[Image(screenshot0001_scaled_down.png)]]
     5**Visual proof**\\ Example 1 (dave_k's computer)\\ [[Image(screenshot0001_scaled_down.png)]]
    96
    10 Example 2 (dave_k's computer)\\
    11 [[Image(screenshot0002_scaled_down.png)]]
     7Example 2 (dave_k's computer)\\ [[Image(screenshot0002_scaled_down.png)]]
    128
    13 Example 3 (Tirili's computer)\\
    14 [[Image(tirili screenshot_scaled_down.png)]]
     9Example 3 (Tirili's computer)\\ [[Image(tirili screenshot_scaled_down.png)]]
    1510
    16 **Expected vs. actual results**\\
    17 Expected results: The game starts up, displays the main menu and thematic artwork, and plays music. The main menu responds to mouse clicks and the game functions correctly.
     11**Expected vs. actual results**\\ Expected results: The game starts up, displays the main menu and thematic artwork, and plays music. The main menu responds to mouse clicks and the game functions correctly.
    1812
    1913Actual results: The game starts, and the game window is all black or else very garbled with strange colors and a collage of various parts of the windows on the desktop. Mouse input has no effect other than moving the 0ad-themed mouse cursor around. No audio plays, not even music, despite resetting the user configuration.
     
    2216
    2317**Steps to reproduce**\\
    24 First, if you are using Debian or a Debian-derived distribution of Linux such as Ubuntu, ensure that 0ad-data was not built with dh_strip_nondeterminism enabled for .zip files. This ensures reliable reproduction of the symptoms.
    2518
    26 Then, extract the attached file, "Tirili 0ad dot local share 0ad files aka 0adRenamed3.tar.gz", to /home/<yourusername>/.local/share/0ad/, or the equivalent Windows folder for user mods. A minimal test case includes only mods/user/gui/page_pregame.xml.cached.xmb and mods/user/gui/page_splashscreen.xml.cached.xmb. Other files are unnecessary. In fact, there are security issues with unverified mods, and I don't know whether Tirili only installed verified mods or not. So I would suggest testing with only the two simple xmb files. I have included the entire user mods folder that Tirili sent as proof that this problem is practically occurring in a realistic user environment. Specifically, user mods were installed in the past, 0ad was upgraded and previously-invisible bugs were triggered.
     19 1. If you are using Debian or a Debian-derived distribution of Linux such as Ubuntu, ensure that 0ad-data was not built with dh_strip_nondeterminism enabled for .zip files. This ensures reliable reproduction of the symptoms.
    2720
    28 **Environnment**\\
    29 Two users have reported this problem so far, Tirili and Farid.\\
    30 Tirili uses GNU/Linux. Slackware distribution. AMD APU (CPU combined with GPU) that is approximately 6 months old.\\
    31 Farid uses GNU/Linux. Unknown distribution and hardware.\\
    32 And, I am able to reproduce the symptoms with Debian GNU/Linux. Intel CPU and nVIDIA GPU.
     21 2. Backup and remove all files and directories in /home/<yourusername>/.local/share/0ad/mods, or the equivalent path for your operating system. See [https://trac.wildfiregames.com/wiki/GameDataPaths GameDataPaths] for equivalent paths on different operating systems.
    3322
    34 **Console logs**\\
    35 See attached file, "2021-08-21 bug report from Tirili - backtrace.txt". Note that the last console log message is "TIMER| ps_lang_hotkeys: 1.00483 ms". Also note that the current source line in the backtrace is just where it happened to be at the time that I asked Tirili to press Ctrl-C in order to obtain a backtrace. The game loop is able to continue normally and calls to Render() and LimitFPS() complete. Yet the game window video output remains black (or garbled, depending on the test environment).
     23 3. Extract two files from the attached file, "Tirili 0ad dot local share 0ad files aka 0adRenamed3.tar.gz", to /home/<yourusername>/.local/share/0ad/, or the equivalent Windows folder for user mods. The two files that one should extract, mods/user/gui/page_pregame.xml.cached.xmb and mods/user/gui/page_splashscreen.xml.cached.xmb, will produce a minimal test case that should reproduce the symptoms. Other files in the tarball are unnecessary. In fact, there are security issues with unverified mods, and I don't know whether or not Tirili avoided installing unverified mods. So, I would suggest testing with only the minimal test case of the two simple xmb files.
    3624
    37 **Related tickets**\\
    38 I plan to post additional tickets for the following related issues.\\
    39 1. Add diagnostics: listing files accessed and gui error messages on console and in log file instead of only in graphical window. The latter can't be read if the GUI is not working correctly.\\
    40 2. Add ability to enable verbose startup, error and warning messages or logging.\\
    41 3. Add detection of broken mods and offer to reset mod configuration. Or, support a command line switch to reset the mod configuration. Or, support a command line switch to enable "safe mode" where mods are disabled, and advanced graphics features are also disabled.
     25I have attached the entire user mods folder that Tirili sent as proof that this problem is practically occurring in a realistic user environment. Specifically, user mods were installed in the past, 0ad was upgraded and previously-invisible bugs were triggered.
     26
     27 3. Clear the 0ad cache (remove all files and folders in ~/.cache/0ad
     28
     29 4. Start the game.
     30
     31**Environnment**\\ Two users have reported this problem so far, Tirili and Farid.\\ Tirili uses GNU/Linux. Slackware distribution. AMD APU (CPU combined with GPU) that is approximately 6 months old.\\ Farid uses GNU/Linux. Unknown distribution and hardware.\\ And, I am able to reproduce the symptoms with Debian GNU/Linux. Intel CPU and nVIDIA GPU.
     32
     33**Console logs**\\ See attached file, "2021-08-21 bug report from Tirili - backtrace.txt". Note that the last console log message is "TIMER| ps_lang_hotkeys: 1.00483 ms". Also note that the current source line in the backtrace is just where it happened to be at the time that I asked Tirili to press Ctrl-C in order to obtain a backtrace. The game loop is able to continue normally and calls to Render() and LimitFPS() complete. Yet the game window video output remains black (or garbled, depending on the test environment).
     34
     35**Related tickets**\\ I plan to post additional tickets for the following related issues.\\
     36
     37 1. Add diagnostics: listing files accessed and gui error messages on console and in log file instead of only in graphical window. The latter can't be read if the GUI is not working correctly.\\
     38 1. Add ability to enable verbose startup, error and warning messages or logging.\\
     39 1. Add detection of broken mods and offer to reset mod configuration. Or, support a command line switch to reset the mod configuration. Or, support a command line switch to enable "safe mode" where mods are disabled, and advanced graphics features are also disabled.