ALIEN FLUX for MacOS X alpha!

[princec]

We've got a preliminary alpha of Alien Flux out for you unlucky MacOS X users! It is not at all user friendly yet, so this is only for the brave:

Here it is

You need to unzip this file somewhere. It creates a directory called xap-full-1.4 where it sticks everything.

You then need to open Terminal to run the game. Change directory to xap-full-1.4 and type:

1	java -Djava.library.path=. -cp alienflux-full-code.jar:alienflux-full-game.jar:alienflux-full-resources.jar:spgl.jar:lwjgl.jar xap.Game

and let me know how you get on.


Cas

[swpalmer]

Only one major problem,  it only worked with the trackpad on my powerbook.  I have an external mouse plugged in for a reason
The game seemed to run fine otherwise.

Do you realize how impossible it is to control with a Trackpad?

Oh and when I exited by pressing 'maybe later' (didn't register this copy) it exited but I saw this in the Terminal:
Starting Alien Flux 1.4i
Failed to reserve Nvidia ram.
No bindings found, so creating default bindings.
kCGErrorIllegalArgument : CGSSetWindowDepth: Invalid window type
kCGErrorIllegalArgument : CGSSetWindowDepth: Invalid window type
Segmentation fault

Its an ATI Radeon 9000 chipset so the Nvidia ram thing doesn't surprize me.

java.crash.log contains:
**********

Date/Time:  2003-10-23 19:21:16 -0400
OS Version: 10.2.8 (Build 6R73)
Host:       Scott-Palmers-Computer.local.

Command:    java
PID:        5783

Exception:  EXC_BAD_ACCESS (0x0001)
Codes:      KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS (0x0001) at 0x07891c00

Thread 0:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x901489f0 in __CFRunLoopRun
#3   0x90180f58 in CFRunLoopRunSpecific
#4   0x000048d8 in 0x48d8
#5   0x00002380 in 0x2380
#6   0x00002200 in 0x2200

Thread 1:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x937229d0 in _CGSGetPortStreamInline
#3   0x936fe7c0 in snarfEvents
#4   0x938a168c in CGSPeekNextEventRecord
#5   0x9389a890 in CGSCompleteDisplayConfigurationWithOption
#6   0x938aedbc in CGDisplaySwitchToMode
#7   0x056d9174 in _Z9resetModeP7JNIEnv_
#8   0x056db230 in Java_org_lwjgl_input_Cursor_nDestroyCursor
#9   0x01313580 in 0x1313580
#10  0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#11  0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#12  0x0148149c in 0x148149c
#13  0x01381680 in 0x1381680
#14  0x0130a16c in 0x130a16c
#15  0x966a8db8 in JVM_Read
#16  0x966cee94 in JVM_FillInStackTrace
#17  0x966c2df4 in JVM_GetCPFieldClassNameUTF
#18  0x966c45d0 in JVM_GetMethodIxLocalsCount
#19  0x00002ca0 in 0x2ca0
#20  0x000047bc in 0x47bc
#21  0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 2:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x9676d9dc in JNI_CreateJavaVM_Impl
#3   0x9676db60 in JNI_CreateJavaVM_Impl
#4   0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#5   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 3:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698730 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966d172c in JVM_FillInStackTrace
#4   0x966e2e8c in JVM_RawMonitorEnter
#5   0x968630ac in JVM_UnloadLibrary
#6   0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#7   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 4:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698694 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966da344 in JVM_GetCPFieldSignatureUTF
#4   0x966fdfac in JVM_GetMethodIxModifiers
#5   0x966fb248 in JVM_MonitorWait
#6   0x01313580 in 0x1313580
#7   0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#8   0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#9   0x0130a16c in 0x130a16c
#10  0x966a8db8 in JVM_Read
#11  0x96753234 in JVM_StartThread
#12  0x96758340 in JVM_GC
#13  0x967582d4 in JVM_GC
#14  0x96746774 in JVM_GetClassInterfaces
#15  0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#16  0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 5:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698694 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966da344 in JVM_GetCPFieldSignatureUTF
#4   0x966fdfac in JVM_GetMethodIxModifiers
#5   0x966fb248 in JVM_MonitorWait
#6   0x01313580 in 0x1313580
#7   0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#8   0x0130cec0 in 0x130cec0
#9   0x0130cec0 in 0x130cec0
#10  0x0130a16c in 0x130a16c
#11  0x966a8db8 in JVM_Read
#12  0x96753234 in JVM_StartThread
#13  0x96758340 in JVM_GC
#14  0x967582d4 in JVM_GC
#15  0x96746774 in JVM_GetClassInterfaces
#16  0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#17  0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 6:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698730 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966a3314 in JVM_CurrentTimeMillis
#4   0x966a33b0 in JVM_CurrentTimeMillis
#5   0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#6   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 7:
#0   0x90034728 in semaphore_wait_trap
#1   0x9676767c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#2   0x96767464 in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#3   0x96746774 in JVM_GetClassInterfaces
#4   0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#5   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 8:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698694 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966d178c in JVM_FillInStackTrace
#4   0x9670d08c in JVM_IsConstructorIx
#5   0x966edee0 in JVM_RawMonitorEnter
#6   0x96746774 in JVM_GetClassInterfaces
#7   0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#8   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 9:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x96698730 in __cmpdi2
#3   0x966da344 in JVM_GetCPFieldSignatureUTF
#4   0x966fdfac in JVM_GetMethodIxModifiers
#5   0x966fb248 in JVM_MonitorWait
#6   0x01313580 in 0x1313580
#7   0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#8   0x0130cfb0 in 0x130cfb0
#9   0x0130a16c in 0x130a16c
#10  0x966a8db8 in JVM_Read
#11  0x96753234 in JVM_StartThread
#12  0x96758340 in JVM_GC
#13  0x967582d4 in JVM_GC
#14  0x96746774 in JVM_GetClassInterfaces
#15  0x96766c7c in JVM_IsSupportedJNIVersion
#16  0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 10:
#0   0x90073ba8 in mach_msg_trap
#1   0x90005ed0 in mach_msg
#2   0x901489f0 in __CFRunLoopRun
#3   0x90180f58 in CFRunLoopRunSpecific
#4   0x9465315c in _ZN10HALRunLoop9OwnThreadEPv
#5   0x946593ac in _ZN9CAPThread5EntryEPS_
#6   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

Thread 11 Crashed:
#0   0x0582660c in mix_with_same_sample_rates
#1   0x05828514 in deviceFillingProc
#2   0x94643874 in _ZN9IOADevice11CallIOProcsERK14AudioTimeStampS2_S2_
#3   0x94643cc8 in _ZN10HPIOThread9PerformIOERK14AudioTimeStamp
#4   0x94642e7c in _ZN10HPIOThread8WorkLoopEv
#5   0x94659368 in _ZN10HPIOThread11ThreadEntryEPS_
#6   0x946593ac in _ZN9CAPThread5EntryEPS_
#7   0x90020c28 in _pthread_body

PPC Thread State:
 srr0: 0x0582660c srr1: 0x0000f030                vrsave: 0x00000000
  xer: 0x20000000   lr: 0x058264f0  ctr: 0x00000000   mq: 0x00000000
   r0: 0x000f7c00   r1: 0xf058a980   r2: 0x00000001   r3: 0x0049d400
   r4: 0x00000000   r5: 0x07891c02   r6: 0x00000010   r7: 0x00000000
   r8: 0x00000400   r9: 0x00000000  r10: 0x05830638  r11: 0x058264f0
  r12: 0x00000000  r13: 0x05836a10  r14: 0x05836a14  r15: 0x05836a18
  r16: 0x00001000  r17: 0x07891c00  r18: 0x05836a24  r19: 0x43300000
  r20: 0x00000000  r21: 0x05f29000  r22: 0x00000002  r23: 0x058264f0
  r24: 0x058264f0  r25: 0x00000000  r26: 0x00000000  r27: 0x00000000
  r28: 0x05830638  r29: 0x05836a0c  r30: 0x00000800  r31: 0x058264f0

[swpalmer]

I should add that it ran very well for the first go at a Mac port.   If it weren't for the bad choice of controller I would likely still be playing...

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[elias]

Never experienced that crash before, however, the Java_org_lwjgl_input_Cursor_nDestroyCursor in the stack trace looks suspicious. Are you using that function cas?

- elias

[princec]

Not directly.

Cas

[elias]

I uploaded a new liblwjgl.jnilib to http://odense.kollegienet.dk/~naur/liblwjgl.jnilib. It should use all your mice. I'm still not sure about that crash though.

Cas: that new lib might also work for patrox that use a tablet only.

- elias

[swpalmer]

Great, I will give it a try.
As for packaging the app so it is more user friendly, Sun has a new instalment to it's OS X porting guide:

http://developer.java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/JavaLP/JavaToMac3/

It covers everything you need to know to make Alien Flux into a first class Mac application.

[swpalmer]

Not good - I'm now on Panther 10.3 with the new lib and soon as the game finished loading (AFTER the Puppygames banner screen) the display goes hosed and the process exits.  I can tell from the colours of the garbage that is shown for a split second that it was trying to display the game UI.

[elias]

I uploaded a new lib at the same place yesterday night, could you try that? It seems that under 10.3 keyboard translation is broken, but the rest should work.

- elias

[swpalmer]

Works!  USB mouse is working now.. excellent!

Now Cas, why default the graphics to non-32 bit?  it looks really ugly..  is it 16-bit?  It almost looks like it is 8-bit colour palette stuff.  I guess the dithering is much more noticable on an LCD screen.  Never mind, I bet I know what you are going to say...  compatibility.  Too bad though as it gives a first impression of a very old game written for less capable machines.

Overall though it is sweet to have LWJGL working well on the Mac now.

You should consider hosting a Web Start extension installer for LWJGL so that anyone making Web Start games for it can just link to the installer and it will download the appropriate version for their platform.  If stuff was done this way anyone that had created links before the Mac version was available would not have to do anything at all and their game would suddenly have Mac support too.  Something to consider for 1.0 I guess, since the API is still in flux... (get it - "in flux".. ah nevermind )

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[swpalmer]

Ok.. I lied, it doesn't work.. I finally actually tried to type in my registration info, and my name for high scores..  That doesn't work.  You have press a lot of keys and eventually some of them might type out.  Backspace seemed to always work though.  Anyway it was far too impossible to deal with in order for me to type in my registration number.  Yet the keyboard control in the game  seemed to work fine.

[elias]

:-)

Yeah, that's basicly what I meant by "broken keyboard translation" - the mapping from keyboard presses to java chars.

- elias

[swpalmer]

Strange that I could press 'c' in the game to activate shields, but I could not type it in the dialogs without considerable thrashing on the keyboard.

[princec]

Keyboard polling is working fine, but the keyboard buffering appears to be broken.

Cas

[Jeff]

Now we need to JNLP it.

Speaking of which Im starting a push here in Sun to get the details figured out of what you need to create a JNLP that will work on LINUX, OSX and Win32 that uses JOGL/JOAL/JInput.

Hopefully we'll be able to post an example that people can grab and modify.  We're also talking about creating a "JNLP Arcade" page at java.com for all desktop JNLP enabled games people want to share...

JK

[swpalmer]

We're also talking about creating a "JNLP Arcade" page at java.com for all desktop JNLP enabled games people want to share...

JK

That would be sweet.. sort of a "Swing Sightings" for Java games maybe?  Only targeted more directly at the consumer.

I think a lot of the JNLP questions can be answered with just a template JNLP file.
The one big question is how should the core technologies be installed?  E.g. should each game bundle it's own version of JOGL?  Or should it get installed like a "standard extension" (even though they aren't -yet?) so that everyone doesn't have to download all that duplicate code for each game.
Obviously there will be reasons for doing each.

I think it can be done easily if there is a common host with the 'latest' version.  For specific versions just host it on your site.
That works right?  You can install JOGL as a JNLP 'extension' in both cases and different versions can co-exist so long as they have unique URLs to the JNLP (and JARs?)  ??  Right?  The Web Start app launcher can manage the classpath appropriately, I think.

[princec]

Whoa! Hold your horses there, that's exactly what I've been trying to do with Puppygames. As Chris knows, I would like Puppygames to become the premier web portal for JNLP gaming. There are 4 things stopping me from achieving this currently:

1. I can't get hold of Chris, and he ain't got hold of me, and I need to talk to him about a certain license, urgently

2. I'm still broke and have to spend too much time working for a living instead of concentrating on a business. Mention "game" to anyone with capital and they run a mile. Mention "Java" and "game" and they laugh, then run. Still.

3. The MacOS port of LWJGL is still in alpha. Only when it's 100% perfect can I start plugging it properly, and this is likely to be for at least another month depending on how much time Elias can spare to help me out

4. There's still a stunning lack of interest from anyone to have their JNLP games on Puppygames. I've even filled it up with a couple of space filler C games from a friend.

It would be nice if we got a little help from Sun on this for our efforts

Cas

[Jeff]

On the license, I'll help chase Chris for you.

Part of the point of having it on java.com is that its a site that Sun is putting a lot of effort into promoting.  No offense but I think we might have more luck attracting content because we already pull a fair number of eyes.  We also want to be pulling people to java.com to see Sun's other consumer oriented Java-content so it works both ways.

Having said that I'd imagine something might be worked out to cross-link puppy games or something like that.  Chris would be your man to hit on those things.

I'll keep at him to get in touch with you.  he's pulled about 6 ways right now but he and I both really value what you've done to date in the Java games space so I'm sure he'll want to be as helpful as he can be.

[princec]

Ta very muchly guv'nor

Cas

[swpalmer]

Hopefully we will see Alien Flux listed here soon:
http://www.apple.com/games/gettingstarted/shareware/index3.html

It would easily be among the top games listed.  (And not just because the name starts with 'A' )

[princec]

Oh yes
Interestingly, AF keeps getting monikered as "shareware" when... it just isn't! It's commercial software, through and through. You get an unlockable demo that eventually times out on you and you can't play it any more. Hardly shareware!

Cas

[Mojomonkey]

Oh yes
Interestingly, AF keeps getting monikered as "shareware" when... it just isn't! It's commercial software, through and through. You get an unlockable demo that eventually times out on you and you can't play it any more. Hardly shareware!

Cas

what's your definition of shareware? I thought of it as non-shelf software that gives you a taste (a couple levels) and requires you purchase a key to unlock the rest.

where traditional commercial software you have a demo that has a few levels. Usually released before the game. You decide you like it. You get in your car, drive to the local store and pick up the box.

[princec]

I've always had only one definition of shareware, which is software you are free to use and give away to people and which you are obliged to pay for if you use it. It comes in various flavours like "crippleware" and "nagware".

AF treads a fine line between shareware and commercial software, but it shares more in common with normal shrinkwraps than traditional old-school "pay-if-you-like-it" shareware. There's some argument amongst shareware professionals as to what constitutes shareware, and myself, I'm with the old-school crowd. TextPad is shareware. AF is commercial.

Cas

[Jeff]

Hopefully we will see Alien Flux listed here soon:
http://www.apple.com/games/gettingstarted/shareware/index3.html

It would easily be among the top games listed.  (And not just because the name starts with 'A' )

Actually we've talked in the GTG aout trying to get a list of good Java games that run on Mac to go push our friends at Apple about helping to promote.  Ofcourse AF is at the top of the list.

If anyoen else has a completed Java game that runs on Mac, drop me a pointer please?  (jeffrey.kesselman@sun.com)

Oh and I agree with Cas, the time-out makes it "demo-ware" not "shareware". Generally shareware you can keep using forever but you may get extra features by registering.  (eg Wolfenstien3D and DOOM wer shareware.  For your regstration fee they sent you a bunch of new levels.)

[swpalmer]

Well that "shareware" link lists pretty much anything that you can download and try out.
I've bought a few of the games listed.
I found Enigmo to be quite cool for puzzle games.  Along the lines of "The Incredible Machine",  my Niece and Nephew loved to watch/play Bugdom II, etc.  There are some nice polished titles listed - it certainly isn't just a list of wannabe breakout and tetris clones.

The only thing lacking are some really nice Java titles that I can play on the Mac or PC. Well, except for PopCap games which has a few decent games listed...

I like that I can play Alien Flux on my Mac, and PC.. and I don't have to reboot the PC if I'm in Linux instead of WinXP.  I'm never going to give up my Mac, but I sure wish there were more readily available games.  Even better if I'm not stuck to playing them on my laptop, since I must use a desktop PC for my 'real' work.

[Jeff]

AF on Mac: Bug Report.

I dunno if you can do anything about this BUT...

If I leave AF up on my tiBook G4 long enough the screen saver kicks in.  That in itself is fine BUT it seems AF is blocking the screen saver from seeing input as i cannot get it OUT of screen saver short of a drastic reboot.

JK

[princec]

Cheers Jeff, I'll let Elias know about that.

Cas

[swpalmer]

i cannot get it OUT of screen saver short of a drastic reboot.

JK

Did you try the three finger salute - Holding Command-Option-Esc ?

[Jeff]

Nope, but I'm not going to lock it up again just to check it out

JK