Ubuntu/Debian package with additional tools

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on UNIX and Linux.

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sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
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Ubuntu/Debian package with additional tools

Post by sgalland »

Hello,

I packaged the 1.3.0 3DxWare driver for Ubuntu/Debian Linux distributions.

I also add several additional tools that enhance the usability of the driver:
  • - the 3DxWae daemon is not automatically launch at startup but when the user decide to use it
    - a set of desktop commands are provided to start/stop the daemon
    - a Gnome2 notification applet permits to show the running state of the 3DxWare daemon and to start/stop it with a single click
This package is available as '3dxware' on my package repository: http://www.arakhne.org/spip.php?article51

Of course you are welcome to give me feedback :)

Stephane
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

This sounds great and i installed it with apt. But how to use this? Is there any documentation available? Or could you tell me on hoe to use it?
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Ok i figured out how this works, with 3dxmanager start etc.
But the gnome-applet doesn't work, due this error:

Code: Select all

Can't locate Gtk2/TrayIcon.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.8 /usr/local/share/perl/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.8 /usr/share/perl/5.8 /usr/local/lib/site_perl .) at /usr/bin/g3dxapplet line 29.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/bin/g3dxapplet line 29.
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

First be sure that you have installed the version 1.3.0-0arakhne5 which is much more robust.

With this package, you have three way to launch the 3DxWare driver:
1) use one of the command lines:

3dxmanager start (to start the driver)
3dxmanager stop (to stop the driver)
3dxmanager quit (to stop the deamon, need administrator to start again)

2) Launch Gnome2 applet: g3dxapplet

3) Use one of the programs in the Application menus (section 'System Tools')


Of course, before using the 3Dx driver, you must launch the "3dxactivator" as an administrator (it should be done during the package installation) with the command line:
sudo /etc/init.d/3dxware start

Regards,
Stéphane
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

Sorry, I forget one package dependency.

Now I released the version 1.3.0-0arakhne5.1 which force to forgotten package.

Stéphane
colezero wrote:Ok i figured out how this works, with 3dxmanager start etc.
But the gnome-applet doesn't work, due this error:

Code: Select all

Can't locate Gtk2/TrayIcon.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/perl/5.8.8 /usr/local/share/perl/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/perl/5.8 /usr/share/perl/5.8 /usr/local/lib/site_perl .) at /usr/bin/g3dxapplet line 29.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/bin/g3dxapplet line 29.
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Ah now it works flawlessly, thank you for this package and for you work.
The only thing i am now facing is this annoying configuration window of the driver.
It would be great if this could also be minimized to the gnome panel or at least to be closed.
greetings
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

colezero wrote:Ah now it works flawlessly, thank you for this package and for you work.
The only thing i am now facing is this annoying configuration window of the driver.
It would be great if this could also be minimized to the gnome panel or at least to be closed.
greetings
This is also annoying for me. I'm thinking that closing this configuration window is not possible. According to several other topics, we could only minimize it. I'm planning to write an other command that permits to view/hide the configuration windows...but it is a more complex job than packaging the driver.

Stéphane.
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Are the linux sources for the driver available? I mean is the driver open source?
If not 3dconnexion should think about it, so that the community may be able to improve some things.
Anyway it would definitely cool, if you could do something to hide/iconify it.
I wish you good luck for this.
Greetings
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

colezero wrote:Are the linux sources for the driver available? I mean is the driver open source?
If not 3dconnexion should think about it, so that the community may be able to improve some things.
Anyway it would definitely cool, if you could do something to hide/iconify it.
I wish you good luck for this.
Greetings
No, the source code is not open. So I'm needing to find some hook to avoid the window displaying. I'm not sure it is easy to be done but I will try.

Stéphane.
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Well i guess this is the 'easiest' way, but also a little 'dirty'.
Please 3DConnexion Developers, put the Unix/Linux Driver into 'Open Source' - state.
This would definitely worth it.
So many users could contribute new versions and refinements and, what i think is the most importend, learn from it.
We could make a better Linux integration, especially for the desktop environments like kde or gnome. I mean, i will not say that the driver gui looks a bit oldskool, but i will.
Please think about it. There are many reasons for releasing the source of the driver, especially for linux.
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

Hi,

I'm also providing a development API for C++ and Java.
See this forum for discussion.

Stéphane
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
jgeling
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:43 pm

high load for g3dxapplet

Post by jgeling »

Hello,

Nice work. Thanks,

I have installed your package on kubuntu hardy. The driver starts with the manager and de applet. But the gnome applet g3dxapplet runs with an average of 50% cpu on the dell inspiron 6400 (a dual core system)

This is under KDE3, haven't tried it on gnome desktop.

Johnny
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Jeeez!! Same here on single core, but with an usage of 95%!!!
Holy i didn't noticed it.
colezero
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:58 am

Post by colezero »

Does you thread uses a while-loop?

Something like:

Code: Select all

while(!terminate) {

...
DoSomething();
...
}
If so, you need to add a little Sleep in the beginning of the loop, about 250ms for example.
This would reduce the cpu-usage!
sgalland
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:39 pm
Location: Belfort, France
Contact:

Post by sgalland »

Hi,

I published new release of the gnome applet.
It include a call to yield into the main loop.
Please notify me if the processos consumption is still too high. It should consume processor has much as possible but leave enough resources to the other processes.

If not, I will put a sleep() call in place of yield().

Stéphane
colezero wrote:Does you thread uses a while-loop?

Something like:

Code: Select all

while(!terminate) {

...
DoSomething();
...
}
If so, you need to add a little Sleep in the beginning of the loop, about 250ms for example.
This would reduce the cpu-usage!
Dr. Stephane GALLAND

Systems and Transport Lab.
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