Trouble getting VisIt to run in X2Go

[H-D-Williams]

I'm doing a project at Uni where we are required to use X2Go to simulate Linux (I think) and perform some turbomachinery calculations. When I try open VisIt, this error pops up:

Running: gui3.4.1
Qt: Warning: X server does not support XInput 2
Running: viewer3.4.1 -geometry 1546x1009+374+0 -borders 41,11,11,11 -shift 0,18 -preshift 1,13 -defer -host 127.0.0.1 -port 5600
Running: mdserver3.4.1 -host 127.0.0.1 -port 5601
VisIt's viewer exited abnormally! Aborting the Graphical User Interface. VisIt's developers may be reached via our GitHub discussions, https://github.com/visit-dav/visit/discussions

I've never touched linux or X2Go before, so if there's anything I'm doing wrong, or if it's staring me in the face, please let me know! Also let me know if you need more information! Thanks!

[markcmiller86]

@H-D-Williams as you can imagine, running VisIt in X2Go is not something anyone here has experience with...that I know of anyways. So, its likely to be tickling an issue we have never seen and cannot reproduce.

That said, out of curiosity, can you run glxgears there? Does it have a glxgears command? Most Linux distros do.

If you run with -debug 5 on the command-line that starts VisIt, this will produce debug logs. Can you tar -czvf vlogs.tar.gz *.vlog and then attach the vlogs.tar.gz file here...assuming it won't contain any sensitive information.

[H-D-Williams]

Hi! Thanks for the swift reply! Although I don't expect you to reply again today, I understand it's very late! I tried running glxgears, and the following error appeared: ***@***.***:~/Documents/Multall/sandbox$ glxgears X Error of failed request: GLXUnsupportedPrivateRequest Major opcode of failed request: 143 (GLX) Minor opcode of failed request: 17 (X_GLXVendorPrivateWithReply) Serial number of failed request: 29 Current serial number in output stream: 29 and I ran visit -debug 5, and will upload the files you requested. Thanks again for the help! Harvey

…

________________________________ From: Mark C. Miller ***@***.***> Sent: 13 November 2024 21:48 To: visit-dav/visit ***@***.***> Cc: WILLIAMS, HARVEY D. (Student) ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [visit-dav/visit] Trouble getting VisIt to run in X2Go (Discussion #20039) You don't often get email from ***@***.*** Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> [EXTERNAL EMAIL] @H-D-Williams<https://github.com/H-D-Williams> as you can imagine, running VisIt in X2Go is not something anyone here has experience with...that I know of anyways. So, its likely to be tickling an issue we have never seen and cannot reproduce. That said, out of curiosity, can you run glxgears there? Does it have a glxgears command? Most Linux distros do. If you run with -debug 5 on the command-line that starts VisIt, this will produce debug logs<https://visit-sphinx-github-user-manual.readthedocs.io/en/develop/dev_manual/DebuggingTips.html#debug-logs>. Can you tar -czvf vlogs.tar.gz *.vlog and then attach the vlogs.tar.gz file here...assuming it won't contain any sensitive information. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#20039 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BJKSJEMEKXUMTCQVW22N3CT2APCMRAVCNFSM6AAAAABRXKOPBGVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTCMRUGY3DGOA>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.

[markcmiller86]

@H-D-Williams well, the failing glxgears is a big problem. If glxgears won't run...VisIt won't run there either. I would start looking into controls for the XServer for the setup you have. I asked ChatGPT about this...

The error you're encountering when trying to run glxgears with X2Go typically stems from issues related to OpenGL support over X2Go's remote desktop session. X2Go uses a virtualized X server environment which might not fully support direct rendering for OpenGL applications like glxgears.

Here are some suggestions on how to address or work around this issue:

1. Use Software Rendering: Instead of relying on GPU acceleration which may not be fully supported in your X2Go session, you can force glxgears to use software rendering. This can be done by using the LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 environment variable when launching glxgears:

   env LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 glxgears

   This tells the system to bypass the hardware GPU and use software rendering, which should work in an X2Go session.

   If this winds up working, maybe try running VisIt with same env. var setting...

2. Update or Configure X2Go Server: Ensure that your X2Go server and client are both updated to the latest versions. Sometimes, updating can resolve compatibility issues with OpenGL.

3. X2Go Server Configuration: Check the configuration of your X2Go server. Some settings related to X server options and session types might affect the ability to render OpenGL applications. Adjusting these settings or choosing a different session type might help.

4. Alternative Methods for GPU Utilization:

   • If you require GPU acceleration, consider using solutions designed for hardware-accelerated graphics over remote connections, such as VirtualGL or TurboVNC. These tools are designed to redirect 3D rendering commands to the server's GPU while compressing and sending the rendered output over the network.
   • VirtualGL, in particular, can be used in conjunction with X2Go by setting up VirtualGL on the server, and then using a command like vglrun glxgears to execute the application with hardware acceleration.

5. Check for Compatibility Issues: Some GPUs or their drivers might not play well with the X2Go's method of handling OpenGL. Check if there are known issues with your hardware or driver versions and see if other users have similar problems with the same setup.

6. Logs and Further Diagnostics:

   • Review server logs and client logs for any additional information or errors related to X and OpenGL.
   • Test running other OpenGL applications to determine if the issue is isolated to glxgears or is more general to OpenGL applications.

By exploring these solutions, you should be able to find a workaround or solution to running glxgears or other OpenGL-based applications over your X2Go session.

[H-D-Williams]

I fixed the problem! I tried the suggestions you sent from ChatGPT to no avail, but then had a more in-depth conversation with ChatGPT and they suggested not to use X2Go but instead to use MobaXterm. Everything works just fine now and am a bit more comfortable with Linux and command lines after that kerfuffle! Thanks for your help and suggestions! Harvey Sent from Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

…

________________________________ From: Mark C. Miller ***@***.***> Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 10:12:46 PM To: visit-dav/visit ***@***.***> Cc: WILLIAMS, HARVEY D. (Student) ***@***.***>; Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [visit-dav/visit] Trouble getting VisIt to run in X2Go (Discussion #20039) You don't often get email from ***@***.*** Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> [EXTERNAL EMAIL] @H-D-Williams<https://github.com/H-D-Williams> well, the failing glxgears is a big problem. If glxgears won't run...VisIt won't run there either. I would start looking into controls for the XServer for the setup you have. I asked ChatGPT about this... The error you're encountering when trying to run glxgears with X2Go typically stems from issues related to OpenGL support over X2Go's remote desktop session. X2Go uses a virtualized X server environment which might not fully support direct rendering for OpenGL applications like glxgears. Here are some suggestions on how to address or work around this issue: 1. Use Software Rendering: Instead of relying on GPU acceleration which may not be fully supported in your X2Go session, you can force glxgears to use software rendering. This can be done by using the LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 environment variable when launching glxgears: env LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 glxgears This tells the system to bypass the hardware GPU and use software rendering, which should work in an X2Go session. If this winds up working, maybe try running VisIt with same env. var setting... 2. **Update or Configure X2Go Server:** Ensure that your X2Go server and client are both updated to the latest versions. Sometimes, updating can resolve compatibility issues with OpenGL. 3. **X2Go Server Configuration:** Check the configuration of your X2Go server. Some settings related to X server options and session types might affect the ability to render OpenGL applications. Adjusting these settings or choosing a different session type might help. 4. **Alternative Methods for GPU Utilization:** - If you require GPU acceleration, consider using solutions designed for hardware-accelerated graphics over remote connections, such as VirtualGL or TurboVNC. These tools are designed to redirect 3D rendering commands to the server's GPU while compressing and sending the rendered output over the network. - VirtualGL, in particular, can be used in conjunction with X2Go by setting up VirtualGL on the server, and then using a command like `vglrun glxgears` to execute the application with hardware acceleration. 5. **Check for Compatibility Issues:** Some GPUs or their drivers might not play well with the X2Go's method of handling OpenGL. Check if there are known issues with your hardware or driver versions and see if other users have similar problems with the same setup. 6. **Logs and Further Diagnostics:** - Review server logs and client logs for any additional information or errors related to X and OpenGL. - Test running other OpenGL applications to determine if the issue is isolated to `glxgears` or is more general to OpenGL applications. By exploring these solutions, you should be able to find a workaround or solution to running `glxgears` or other OpenGL-based applications over your X2Go session. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#20039 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BJKSJEK6ID4OGALYPOYAIXT2APFF5AVCNFSM6AAAAABRXKOPBGVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTCMRUGY4DCMQ>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>