Does Sacred Gold freeze the OS for you ?

[ivanovic]

It is more likely that the nvidia driver has some extra "persitent settings" file comparable to /etc/ati/amdpcsdb from fglrx. Though I don't have an nvidia card, so I can't verify this.

[zeb_]

I know this sounds crazy, so maybe this is why I don't get any comment. But has anybody an idea of what could be happening ?

[zeb_]

That's absolutely incredible: this happened in ArchLinux too. I passed the option NvAGP "1" in my xorg.con file and checked the freeze was fixed. Then, I removed the option again, and now after reboot the game works fine!

I know that sounds crazy, but I see only 2 hypothesis for this persistence:

- does the nvidia driver modifies the graphics card bios settings permanently when using NvAGP 1 ?

- does the driver modifies (permanently) some system configuration in Linux (I am thinking of the AGP settings) ?

[zeb_]

You should also ask on Nvidia sub-forum.

Yes, that's a good idea.

[sobkas]

Thanks a lot for your help.

You should also ask on Nvidia sub-forum.

[zeb_]

Thanks a lot for your help.

[sobkas]

Which CPU stress software do you use ?

Stress.
You can use package from your distribution or get it directly from this website:

http://weather.ou.edu/~apw/projects/stress/

[sobkas]

I am very VERY puzzled now. I have put back my xorg.conf file as before (automatic AGP), to reproduce the bug (and reboot). And guess what, it does not crash anymore. Even after a cold reboot (shutdown, then unplugging then boot).
I even restarted in ArchLinux and it DOES work!!!

I don't know what to think of it. Have some registers on my graphics card been changed ? (I had a sound card which could not restart when soft boot). I really don't understand what is going on.

EDIT: I had a crash under Arch. But this did not occur as soon as I entered the arena, a little later. However, I am unable to get the crash in Mandriva anynmore, with the previous xorg.conf file, even after reboot! I will see tomorrow if I can do it again. But I really do not understand the problem...

I'm sorry but after you posted that "NvAGP 0" solves your problem I have very strong basis to assume that it's indeed hardware problem.
And it might not be faulty hardware, agp just doesn't old well. Older computer get noisier and agp might react in many unpleasant ways.

Can you try lowering agp mode in bios? Turning off some "fast" option there? Or even enable some noise correction option?

Your computer might be too noisy for agpx4.

[zeb_]

I am very VERY puzzled now. I have put back my xorg.conf file as before (automatic AGP), to reproduce the bug (and reboot). And guess what, it does not crash anymore. Even after a cold reboot (shutdown, then unplugging then boot).
I even restarted in ArchLinux and it DOES work!!!

I don't know what to think of it. Have some registers on my graphics card been changed ? (I had a sound card which could not restart when soft boot). I really don't understand what is going on.

EDIT: I had a crash under Arch. But this did not occur as soon as I entered the arena, a little later. However, I am unable to get the crash in Mandriva anynmore, with the previous xorg.conf file, even after reboot! I will see tomorrow if I can do it again. But I really do not understand the problem...

[zeb_]

OK, that was it! Option "NvAGP" "0" leads to the game not crashing! That's great news, because I will be able to report this to LGP for, hopefully, a patch. Because the 3D is however quite slow (but playable).