Linux mouse problem (freeze) [RESOLVED]

[Nootilus]

Hello there,

I just downloaded the game and experience an odd issue that does block me to play with.
The game (when 3D is displayed, this means the issue doesn’t occur on menus) freeze a few second after a new display. It starts at the Loading screen and keep occuring in-game.
I can move on in the game only by switching to another app by alt-tabbing to and fro.
When back to The Novelist, the game allows me a few seconds of controls then stop acting.

I’m running it on a Vaio laptop with Ubuntu 13.10 up-to-date. If you need more technical datas from my configuration, please ask.

Regards,
.Vince

[Nootilus]

I’m not sure but I suspect a mouse issue. While trying again, switching back to the game allowed me to play for a while, but the mouse wasn’t catch again by the game (I mean, the cursor was the desktop’s and I had no mouse control in the game). That was the first time I could move freely in the game.
Then, when I switched to and fro again, the mouse was catch again and the game froze as usual. I also noted that each time I switch back to the game, the mouse works for a second, then the view move back to center and the game stops responding.

Maybe mouse is a common issue in Linux? To be able to play Kerbal Space Program in Linux you have to trash settings right after a fresh install to get rid of a hyper-sensitive mouse issue…

[Kent]

I'm very sorry to hear that. When you say the game stops, do you mean that it completely pauses? As in, the music stops playing as well?

The game is set up so that if it loses focus (i.e. you alt-tab to another program) it will pause until you focus back on the game. But if some other program takes focus, it will pause until it regains focus. This is how it works on all 3 platforms.

Is it possible that some app on your computer is stealing focus in some way? That's the only way I can think of that it would be triggering this behavior, especially since it sounds like the game resumes normal function once you focus back on it (at least for a few moments)

FYI, no other Linux testers reported this issue before the launch, and I know that two of the pre-release testers used Ubuntu 13.10 without problems (as well as another tester with 12.04).

One thing to try as a test: exit every other program you know of that's running, then see if it keeps happening. If it clears it up, it means that some other program is stealing application focus in some way.

Let me know if that helps. If it's still busted, we'll try to figure out something else.

[Nootilus]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Yes, the game stands still completely, music and sounds as well.

Of course, many apps were running aside (Chromium, Conky, Guake… and Steam :)
I will try to run it killing everything else before and give you the result in a few.

By the way, I browsed the forum and saw all the kind replies. You’re amazing! :)

[Nootilus]

I am terribly sorry to be the bothering one :(

I tried to kill any «useless» process before launching the game, but the issue still occurs. Actually, the game runs flawlessly until it gives me control (Right after the tutorial focuses on the letter on the table).
What puzzles me the most is that when it happens, nothing else than ALT + Tab is responding, neither CTRL + Tab to switch to Steam interface, nor ALT + F4 to kill the app works at that moment.

Furthermore, I now have several Steam games (KSP, Fez, Gemini Rue, Waking Mars) and I never experienced such issue with any of them (or any of the apps I have on this computer).

Once again, I’m sorry about this. I was so happy to play this game since I’ve heard while you were still developping it. :)

[Mengine]

Im experiencing a similar issue. The game starts fine, I choose the tutorial mode, then about 3 seconds into the game everything freezes. I am not able to alt+tab back to my wm. Only way to get my control back is to open a tty and kill the Novelist process.

[Mengine]

It freezes as soon I am told to emerge. After Ive touched the mouse it freezes.

[Nootilus]

Mengine, I experience the same, with the chance to be able to switch back to my VM. By curiosity, what is your nux release and your VM?

[Mengine]

ubuntu 13.10 and unity

[Kent]

Hi guys, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Super, super sorry to hear about the issue you're experiencing, and especially baffled since I personally tested the game with an Ubuntu VM and had no issues (and a friend of mine ran the game in Ubuntu 13.10 with no issues as well).

I'd like to try and track down what's happening. To that end, could you both please send an email to [e-mail]? I'll most likely need to send you guys custom builds with debug info so we can try to track down what's happening, and that'll be easier via email communication.

Oh, one last thing: when you email, please include your forum names so I know who's who. :-)

[Mengine]

sent :)

[Nootilus]

Sent too. Thanks!
@ Mengine: we use the very same, actually…

[Mengine]

That is somehow good news :)

[Mengine]

I havent received the debug binary yet

[Kent]

I just woke up, lemme send it over to you now. :-)

[Kent]

After digging around in the Unity support forums, it appears that this is a Unity-specific bug that I have no way to address. :-(

There are a handful of threads on the Unity forums describing the same issue, and the developers at Unity have reproduced the issue and are working on a fix (although apparently they've been saying that for months). Here's the official Unity bug thread: http://issuetracker.unity3d.com/issues/screen-dot-lockcursor-under-linux-breaks-input-dot-getaxis

I've pinged various support threads and logged my experience through the official Unity bug tracker, but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about it at this time.

I will of course monitor the situation and publish any fixes or workarounds ASAP.