GTL and Linux

[Cookie]

PS

I am more using mint XFCE...

Now I found that cinamon does not install the "wine-desktop-files" by default!
so please install it

[Cookie]

Important
That you don't have the latest NVidia drivers is due to the safe but old kernel 5.4 - the newer (also save!) one is 5.8!

I'll take a few snapshots of how to get the 5.8 kernel

Do
- open the Update Manager

go to View - Linux Kernels
- click on 5.8 - doubleclick on top 5.8.0-53 and install it - needs restart and activating it




After this you can run the Driver Manager and will be able to choose the recent driver

[EvilClive]

 I have updated and installed latest KERNEL, no probs in doing that.
Checked for the Wine Desktop files and it appears that I already have them?? although I have no idea of what they are or what they do?? lol

 things that are currently puzzling me.
When I run a TERMINAL to check for G25 etc. I get this message.

clive@clive-PRIME-Z270-P:~$ wine control
wine: L"C:\\windows\\system32\\joy.cpl" is a dll, not an executable
clive@clive-PRIME


Then I get the TEST screen with access to the G25 wheel and to the Bodnar SHIFTER. Both register a movement in the TEST section, but zero FFB on Wheel No sign of any PEDALS. I am suspecting that the message above relates to the BODNAR pedal cable?  .Just a minute....?!?!?!?!?! As I am typing this FF has suddenly activated??? Rotation is way too much for me ATM, but I am more concerned with getting all CONTROLS operating before I worry about calibration etc.

After updating the KERNEL, I switched the NVIDIA driver to the "recommended" 460 option and installed.
Operating System is confirmed as being 460.73.01

But I suspect that I am missing something? I go to NVIDIA SERVER SETTINGS and select/adjust "X SERVER DISPLAY CONFIGURATION" for resolution etc, to give me a decent DESKTOP size and fit. I make sure to click the APPLY button, to check my adjustments and then SAVE to X CONFIGURATION FILE ( which I created in DOCUMENTS when asked ).
But when I click the QUIT button ( which should save all changes?) I get a message :-

" you have pending changes on following pages:
X Server Display Configuration-Save to X Configuration File
Do you realy want to quit?

with CANCEL or QUIT buttons.

APPLY is greyed out.

Sometimes, when I go back to DESKTOP I have the new Resolution and my DISPLAY fits my screen. But often after a re-boot I have a desktop which appears to be within a separate window on a massive MINT background. It is so big that when I open files etc, I have to scroll LEFT/RIGHT and UP/DOWN to find the folder that I have just opened. Also even then, sometimes the newly opened folder is partially beyond the end of the scrolling range and I am unable to drag it back onto the working DESKTOP area??

EDIT
Just re started MINT and I now have a desktop with what appears to be 640x480 resolution and a black message box in top right corner which says:-

Check your video drivers
Your system is currently running without video hardware acceleration
You may experience poor performance and high CPU usage
LAUNCH DRIVER MANAGER

This is something that I had before and only resolved it when I went to the 390 driver. It would seem that the 460 option is not being recognised or initiated at start up?, and yet I can adjust resolution within the 460 if I RE-INSTALL from Driver Manager, at least until I restart?

When I try and access ADMIN/NVIDIA SERVER SETTINGS, I get a message window with HELP or QUIT, no access to the NVIDIA window. HELP button says " No help available", so QUIT is only option. Looks like MiNT is not seeing the 460 driver?

[Cookie]

In linux there is a soft reset if the screen is frozen or other graphic disorder.

ctrl + alt + back

test it if you have the right resolution after this

my NV settings

[EvilClive]

EDIT
Just re started MINT and I now have a desktop with what appears to be 640x480 resolution and a black message box in top right corner which says:-

Check your video drivers
Your system is currently running without video hardware acceleration
You may experience poor performance and high CPU usage
LAUNCH DRIVER MANAGER

This is something that I had before and only resolved it when I went to the 390 driver. It would seem that the 460 option is not being recognised or initiated at start up?, and yet I can adjust resolution within the 460 if I RE-INSTALL from Driver Manager, at least until I restart?

When I try and access ADMIN/NVIDIA SERVER SETTINGS, I get a message window with HELP or QUIT, no access to the NVIDIA window. HELP button says " No help available", so QUIT is only option. Looks like MiNT is not seeing the 460 driver?

[Cookie]

Yes, seems something killed the NV driver...
_________________________________________________________________

did you install a logitech driver? how comes you get a path to windows ?

wine: L"C:\\windows\\system32\\joy.cpl" is a dll, not an executable  

__________________________________________________________________

Have you tried my range file?

You must edit in it your name where I wrote "mint" !
then run it in terminal

[Cookie]

RUN  timeshift and look for a good point to jump back!

[EvilClive]

Gonna take a break here Axel and think about things with a cup of tea and a cookie.

[Cookie]

Did you install any windoze driver for G25 or Bodnar device?

PS

for me it was clear that not everything runs perfectly the first time, so I suggested a secure independent installation.

If this one is broken, it is easy and without much effort to make a repair installation and to go through the steps you have learned again.

e.g. the NVidia often gets a problem when you switch drivers!
next time you make the 5.8 kernel first - then it will see the 4.60 NV

[EvilClive]

I did not directly install any drivers for the Bodnar cables.
BUT... the way that the cables work is that a small program is downloaded ( in Win10 ) which allows you to calibrate the pedals and the shifter. Once you have run through the calibration, the result is saved directly to a small chip within the plug on the Bodnar cable. So I am wondering if Mint has picked up that file from the USB cable?  It sounds a little unlikely.
Also, within Win10, I had a folder within my SIERRA/GPL directory in which I stored copies of the Bodnar calibration software and the Logitech Profiler Software so that I knew where to find them if needed. This folder was copied across to MINT/WINE along with GPL, so maybe it was read by WINE?

I did fire up MINT again last night and almost immediately shut it down again as it was a total mess. Since installing the new KERNEL things seem to have become very random.
When I selected my boot disk within BIOS it then offered me 4 options for MINT. I chose the option with the latest KERNEL.
When the desktop appeared it was neither the 640x480 or anything like the settings I had made in NVIDIA at the last session. Once again the message about no graphics acceleration hardware installed? ICONS were huge.

The background stretched way beyond the edges of my screen display and I had to scroll across and up/down to find things.  
Previously GEM IGOR was working perfectly, I tried to launch GEM and it did give me the GEM menu screen but refused to launch GPL. IGOR would not activate from the launch button in GEM.
From the wine menu on the desktop bar I could see the NVIDIA SOFTWARE but when I selected it, it was not available with the same HELP and QUIT buttons as before.
I resisted the urge to try and change things and simply shut down the PC.

I am now thinking that I should do a fresh install of MINT as the potential for screwing things even more, if I try to correct all of the issues, is too big.  So maybe later today I will spend some time with it.

P.S. I fully realise that this is on the GTL forum, but the intention is to install GTL just as soon as I have sorted all of the bugs with GPL. I chose to install GPL first, simply because I have ( a little more ) knowledge about the workings of GPL than I do about GTL. So I figured that it might be a slightly easier step 

[Christian Dauger]

it happened to me (and I will do it again for a final installation) several times as well ...
When you start to "force" too much with Linux, it ends like this ... (well for me and when you don't have enough knowledge with Linux !!)
Fortunately, nothing is inaccessible ...
Mixing Linux with Windows programs is not as easy as with Windows alone ...

I did not understand why forcing the Kernel !? I do the same installation as you and there was no such problem, nor video driver. Maybe the components of the PC? (I have a Ryzen 5 and a gtx1080 card) I was able to put the 460 driver without any video problem.

Curious to see if you can recognize the LBodnar wiring, I would like to take one also to have the shifter, because the paddle speeds are really not pleasant, especially with GPL...

[Cookie]

The problem that occured came from the NVidia driver wich is proprietary.

Installing mint does install a very old but stable linux kernel 5.4 wich is not compatible to the last prop NV driver wich needs 5.8  

Now installing another NV driver over the old one leaves some problematic files - that occured...

As newbie to linux it helps to know you cant destroy any HW!

My problem atm is this Bodnar stuff I can't test, I only know Marcos Mirande and Pete Bennett are using those parts with linux.

Clive are all these devices plugged in USB2 ports? (avoid to plug in blue USB3 as GPL is even in wten problematic with USB3)

Last try could be a timeshift to a working restore point back... (50:50 chance as NV is the problem)

[Christian Dauger]

The problem that occured came from the NVidia driver wich is proprietary.

Installing mint does install a very old but stable linux kernel 5.4 wich is not compatible to the last prop NV driver wich needs 5.8  

Now installing another NV driver over the old one leaves some problematic files - that occured...

I nevertheless had the 460.73 functional! (without changing the kernel)
That I changed for the 450 because the 460 is not compatible with RFactor 2!

[phspok]

I tend to just download and install the latest version of the distro when the update repository
gets out of date, and isn't seen anymore.

Do you still have to update your NV driver when you accept kernel updates?

[EvilClive]

Yes Axel the Bodnar cables each plug into a separate USB ports.

So, I have the Logitech wheel and cable into a USB as original,
the pedals have their own Bodnar cable into another USB,
and the shifter has it's own Bodnar cable into yet another USB.

Each Bodnar cable has a large plug/socket on one end which joins to the original cable/plug from the pedals or shifter ( that would originally have connected to the base of the wheel.) and a USB plug to connect direct to PC. I am informed that within the larger plug/socket on the Bodnar cable there is a small circuit board that works the "magic" and stores the calibration details.

Up until yesterday all 3 USB plugs were into USB3 ports ( blue ) and I had full function on steering ( original Logitech) and shifter ( via new Bodnar cable). But the pedals did not register within MINT and were non functioning. All worked 100% within Win10.

Yesterday, I thought about the USB2 or 3 issue with GPL and re-routed all my USB cables so that Wheel/shifter/pedals were using all available USB2 ( black) ports and everything else mouse/keyboard/printer/etc etc all moved to the USB3 ports.  All worked fine in Win10, but still no pedals in MINT/WINE/.

It does seem odd that WINE CONTROL locates the Logitech wheel and also the Bodnar cable for the shifter, but does not see the Bodnar connection for the pedals.  
 I have sent an e-mail to Bodnar asking if they have any LINUX friendly software for their products. But as it is a Public Holiday in the UK I don't expect an answer for a few days. I will keep you posted if I get an answer.

I have been summoned to help in the garden for a few hours, but hope to attack Linux again later. It would be helpful, and probably avoid certain death, if you could give a few pointers on how I should go about removing/overwriting the various problem areas like Kernel/NVIDIA etc. My reputation in these areas does not inspire huge confidence lol  
There is no rush and I am quite comfortable with this project taking a little time as I never expected it to be a quick fix. But I am learning ( I hope) and  it is different to Win10 etc. with the TERMINAL commands to execute various actions. Incidentally, how do you find the correct command syntax for the various terminal inputs? or is that a common language amongst people who are computer literate?? lol. It might be dangerous for me to have access to too much information.