SRB2/doc/faq.txt

 SRB2
 Release v1.09, ? 2005.

 Last Updated: June 2005

 Original game & sources by: Id Software.
 Additions: (c)1998 by: Fabrice Denis & Boris Pereira
            (c)1999 by: Fabrice Denis, Boris Pereira & Thierry Van Elsuwe
            (c)2000 by: Boris Pereira & Thierry Van Elsuwe
            (c)2004 By: AJ, Graue, Alam Arias, Logan Arias & Andrew Clunis

 Special thanks to Steven McGranahan,  Lee Killough, Robert B<>uml and Bell Kin for
 their large contribution and to other DooM LEGACY & SRB2 Team members.

 Web site: http://www.SRB2.org/
   e-mail: none@none.com

 OpenGL specific:
 Web site: http://legacy.newdoom.com/gl


 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 F.A.Q.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------


 If you have any trouble with SRB2, you might find a solution
 here.

 If you find a solution to a problem that was not listed here,
 please tell us so that we can update the FAQ and help other people!

 Mail your hardware/software problems to:

 None@none.com subject: FAQ


 --------
 CONTENTS
 --------

 [0] Miscellaneous
 [1] Mouse/Joystick/Keyboard
 [2] Video
 [3] Sound
 [4] Network
 [5] Troubleshooting


 -----------------
 [0] MISCELLANEOUS
 -----------------

 * under win95 or OS/2, I don't have enough memory. How can i handle with ?

   Tell win95 to put more dpmi memory for your dos box.
   Or use the -mb option.



 ---------------------------
 [1] MOUSE/JOYSTICK/KEYBOARD
 ---------------------------

 * My mouse/joystick does not work in SRB2.

   First, check that the mouse/joystick is activated : go at the
   console and type either 'use_mouse' (or use the respective
   menuitem) or 'use_joystick'.

   If it tells '0' or off than the mouse/joystick is not used,
   set the variable to 1. eg: 'use_mouse 1'.

   For the joystick, different values will support different
   types of joystick, check the console documentation for the
   command 'use_joystick' for more.

   Even if the mouse or joystick is activated, you have to
   set up the contols into the Setup Controls menu. That is:
   tell what use you will make of the mouse/joystick buttons.


 ---------
 [2] VIDEO
 ---------


 * Where are the other video modes ? I have only '320x200' in the
   Video Modes menu.

   DOS
   ---

   SRB2 adds new video modes only if a VESA2 (or better) driver
   is present. The VESA2 driver is a standard of 'talking' between a
   program and the huge amount of different graphics cards
   available today.

   If you don't have a VESA2 driver, you can download UNIVBE, or
   SMART DISPLAY DOCTOR from

   http://www.scitechsoft.com/products/ent/free_titles.html

   or if you have an S3 based card, you can download the free
   software called 'S3VBE'.

   ftp://ftp.externet.hu/pub/mirror/sac/graph/s3vbe318.zip
   ftp://ftp.digsys.bg/pub/simtelnet/msdos/graphics/s3vbe318.zip
   http://www.filesearching.com/cgi-bin/s?q=s3vbe318.zip
   http://www.google.com/search?q=s3vbe318.zip

 * The game doesn't restore the video mode I have chosen the last time
   I played SRB2.

   The current video mode has to be made the 'default' so that it is
   saved to the config : press the key 'D' on the Video Options menu
   to set the current video mode the default.

  * I have some problems with OpenGL mode

   Have a look at the FAQ for OpenGL on the glLegacy web site:

   http://www.doomnation.com/gllegacy/faqe.htm

 # Linux: I only have a 1024x768 (or 800x600, 1280x1024, ...) resolution
   in fullscreen mode under X and SRB2 is really really slow. Can I
   have lower resolutions like 320x200 in fullscreen mode as well?

   Probably yes. SRB2 can only use the resolutions offered by the
   X-Server. So if all fullscreen modes have a very high resolution you
   have to modify /etc/XF86Config (or /etc/X11/XF86Config). Use XF86Setup
   (or the appropriate tool coming with your distribution - sax,
   xf86config, ...) to do this.
   If you do not succeed there, you can enter them manually into your
   XF86Config file. ONLY RECOMMENDED FOR USERS WHO KNOW WHAT THEY DO!
   For a short guide on how to do this, have a look at the file
   "Doublescan.txt".
   In case of doubt consult the XFree86-HOWTO (or ask your system
   administrator :).

 # Linux: I cannot have any fullscreen modes at all!

   You have only modes above 1024x768 in your XF86Config. Proceed as
   described above.

 # Linux: After a certain idle time my screensaver jams the display of
   SRB2. I can still operate SRB2, but I do not see what's happening
   and the screensaver won't go away.

   You probably have KDE. The KDE screensaver does not obey the screensaver
   rules (at least mine, version 1.1). The solution is to deactivate the
   KDE screensaver and use another screensaver (like the xscreensaver,
   e.g.). But the hell, when you started SRB2 you should have played it
   as well and not left it alone!!!

 ---------
 [3] SOUND
 ---------

 + DOS:I can't have CD audio music, why ?

   Make sure that the MSCDEX driver version 2.0 or later is loaded.
   If it says 'MSCDEX version xxx' at game startup, and you still
   don't hear the cd music, then probably your card doesn't respond
   when SRB2 tries to set the cd volume. If so, make sure your sound
   card's mixer have the cd volume set up so that you can hear something.

 + When the CD plays, the game is very 'jerky'. It doesn't do that when
   I type 'cd off' in the console.

   You have an old/bad cd driver, that can take up to a second to
   respond to cd driver commands. Either get the latest version of
   your driver, or turn cd update off. Check 'cd_udpate' in the
   console documentation for more.

 * DOS:How can I *ALWAYS* disable the sounds or music of the game ?

   Edit the allegro.cfg file and set digicard/midicard to 0 (none)

 * DOS:My sterero sound is reversed, how can I set it the right way ?

   Change the console variable 'stereoreverse' to either 1 or 0.
   Or, you can edit the allegro.cfg file, and set the 'flip_pan' variable.


 * DOS:The sounds are too 'slow', or 'low-pitched'

   It seems to be a problem of the auto-detection of some 8bit sound
   cards. You will have to set manually the 'sb_freq' value in the
   allegro.cfg file to a lower value : 11906, 16129.

 * DOS:SRB2 doesn't play any sound/music, but I have a sound
   blaster genuine/compatible card.

   If you have a genuine or compatible SoundBlaster card, it is very
   important that you set the BLASTER environment variable.

   If you are playing under DOS, and never installed your sound card
   under DOS, run the setup of your sound card for DOS.

   Check if the BLASTER variable was set: type 'SET' under dos
   (or DOSbox)

   Do you see something like 'BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 ...' ?

   Yes? If you don't hear sounds/music, then tweak the settings in the
   allegro.cfg file until you get something, first try changing the
   type of the sound card, it is not always properly detected.

   No? You have to set this variable in order that your sound card is
   detected. Run the setup that was shipped with your sound card, and
   make sure you run the setup for DOS too, it will usually add a
   line of the type 'SET BLASTER=... ...' in the autoexec.bat file.


 * DOS:How can I have better midi music on my 8bit sound card ?

   Use the DIGMID driver, it is supported in SRB2.

   What the hell is this? Well, the Gravis Ultrasound uses digital
   samples to play midi music. On a simple 8bit card, you can use digital
   samples too, which will sound usually better than what is output
   by the poor fm synthesis chip of 8bit cards.

   You will need to get a Gravis Ultrasound patch set, you can find
   several ones for free on internet, it consists of a bunch of '.pat'
   files which are the digital samples to play the midi instruments
   (eg: piano, conga, guitar, ect.).

   Check the Allegro homepage for some links to GUS patches:
   http://alleg.sourceforge.net/digmid.html
   http://alleg.sourceforge.net/
   http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/digmid.html
   http://www.talula.demon.co.uk/allegro/

   Now to activate the DIGMID driver:

   Set the 'midi_card' value to 8 (DIGMID) in the allegro.cfg file.
   Make sure you leave the 'digi_voices' blank, or set it to a low
   value, because the midi music will use digital voices.
   At the end of the allegro.cfg file, set the 'patches' value
   to the path, where you have installed a Gravis Ultrasound midi
   patch set. eg: patches = d:\music\midipat\

 # Linux: CD music does not work or only works when run as root.

   We do not encourage you to run SRB2 as root (you never know
   what SRB2 can do to your system - it's a mighty piece of code :).
   There is a common problem with ATAPI CD-rom drives, which are
   treated as harddisks. Usually there is a link /dev/cdrom pointing to
   device hd[b,c,d]. As harddisks are not supposed to be read directly
   via this device (especially not by a common user), there are no read
   permissions for "all". For CD-roms you can savely set read permissions
   unless you are very paranoid. Assuming your CD-rom drive is /dev/hdc,
   set permissions with "chmod +r /dev/hdc" (as root). SCSI CD-rom drives
   should not have this problem. But if they do, proceed as described
   with ATAPI drives.

 # Linux: The CD music volume is not set properly.

   Go to the console and type "jigglecdvolume 1".

 -----------
 [4] NETWORK
 -----------

 * Where can I find Internet servers ?

   For the moment there is one public server.
   http://srb2.servegame.org/ Master server web page
   srb2.servegame.org:28910 current Master Server

 * When I start SRB2 with -server or -connect it say :
    "BinToPort: Address already in use (EADDRINUSE)"

   It appears only when SRB2 crashes or when you leave with ctrl-break.
   use -udpport 12345 (or any other free slot) on both sides (client and
   server).

   This can also happens when there is already a SRB2 running on your
   computer if you whant to try two SRB2 running on the same computer
   use -clientport 12345 (or any other free slot). Then the second will
   connect to the first one.

 * Do you use the tcp protocol ?

   No, we use the udp protocol which is faster, but don't worry udp is a
   part of the internet protocol.


 -------------------
 [5] Troubleshooting
 -------------------

 # Linux: SRB2 is hung in fullscreen mode and won<6F>t let me leave.
   What shall I do?

   Some people press the reset button, but hey, we are not in the
   stoneage of operating systems! There are two "proper" ways to
   get out: kill your X-Server. You can usually do this by pressing
   "CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE". But if you have other open applications with
   important data (probably hacked away on your diploma thesis for 3
   weeks without saving once) you can also kill SRB2 directly. Press
   "CTRL-ALT-F2" and you will get to a console. Log in, type
   "killall llxSRB2" and switch back to the X-Server with "CTRL-ALT-F7".
   Some X-Server crash on this procedure - blame the X-Server for the
   loss of 3 weeks work on your diploma thesis :)