Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Support for running, installing or compiling OpenMW

Before you submit a bug report for the first time, please read: Bug reporting guidelines
User avatar
Greywander
Posts: 119
Joined: 04 Dec 2014, 07:01

Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by Greywander »

OpenMW was working fine yesterday, and today it throws this error when I try to run it. My first thought is that this was caused by an update to my graphics drivers, but I'm not sure how to roll back. Anyone know what might be causing this and how to fix it?

OS: Linux Mint (Cinnamon)
GPU: GTX 970
User avatar
Greywander
Posts: 119
Joined: 04 Dec 2014, 07:01

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by Greywander »

Okay, I "fixed" it. I had updated from nvidia-384.111 to nvidia-384.130, and upon forcing the old version to reinstall OpenMW now works again.
User avatar
raevol
Posts: 3093
Joined: 07 Aug 2011, 01:12
Location: Caldera

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by raevol »

Are you running Linux?
User avatar
Greywander
Posts: 119
Joined: 04 Dec 2014, 07:01

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by Greywander »

raevol wrote: 30 Mar 2018, 03:57Are you running Linux?
Greywander wrote: 29 Mar 2018, 23:51OS: Linux Mint (Cinnamon)
GPU: GTX 970
Since I reverted the update, I can play just fine. Not sure what the issue is, but it's not pressing to me.
User avatar
raevol
Posts: 3093
Joined: 07 Aug 2011, 01:12
Location: Caldera

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by raevol »

If you have the spare money, I really recommend getting an AMD card. I have an RX480, and not having to deal with nVidia drivers any more is amazing. I know "get a new video card" isn't a trivial thing though, especially with the prices these days...
User avatar
psi29a
Posts: 5355
Joined: 29 Sep 2011, 10:13
Location: Belgium
Gitlab profile: https://gitlab.com/psi29a/
Contact:

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by psi29a »

I never thought I would say this, but I agree with raevol. The latest AMD offerings are really great when it comes to Linux. AMDGPU is FOSS, it just flippen works. I have a Dell Precision M4800 hybrid job... If I want to run steam or openmw, I set the environment variable DRI_PRIME=1 and it runs on the discrete AMD GPU, otherwise default to Intel. I've not had a single issue with things breaking or not rending correctly.

This is a far cry from ATI years ago when you had to do battle with the Catalyst drivers.

From a FOSS perspective, AMD does it right.

Note: On Linux, with the Nvidia binary blob... you are locked to your screen resolution. You have to do shitty xrander tricks to 'scale' your screen, but if a game polls SDL or your GPU for resolution, you ONLY get your native screen resolution... 1, no customization can fix it either. No, sorry, I don't want to game at 4K because the Nvidia card itself is to flippen weak to render at 4K. (Some idiot at Dell thought it would be great to attach a 4K display on a laptop and marry it to a Nvidia GPU that wasn't powerful enough to drive it. I hope they were fired.)
User avatar
Greywander
Posts: 119
Joined: 04 Dec 2014, 07:01

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by Greywander »

So funny story, when I originally built this PC it was originally a Windows box, and so I wasn't really considering how the hardware would interact with Linux. Here's the thing: I HAD an AMD GPU, because they were a bit cheaper than nVidia cards. When I did install Linux, I found out that AMD cards were basically crap on Linux at the time and that nVidia was the way to go.

Then, a year or two ago, after the GTX 10xx series came out, I decided to upgrade and pick up a cheaper GTX 970. And then I found out that the situation had changed, and that nVidia cards were a pain to get working on Linux while AMD cards actually worked now and thanks to FOSS drivers were much easier to get up and running.

I've been wanting to build a completely new PC for a while, I just don't have the coin for it right now. But it will be a straight AMD box, CPU and GPU.
User avatar
AnyOldName3
Posts: 2666
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 03:25

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by AnyOldName3 »

People have said for years that NVidia have better drivers and support, and used the frequent updates (at least on Windows) as evidence of this. However, this number is hugely inflated by the number of driver updates which are hotfixes for regressions introduced in the previous driver update. AMD's drivers have always been updated less frequently, have worse launch-day support for new games, and in general haven't been as fast, but despite having spent similar amounts of time using AMD and NVidia GPUs, IIRC I've never had an issue that could only be fixed by an AMD driver upgrade or downgrade, but I've had to do both with NVidia drivers.
User avatar
raevol
Posts: 3093
Joined: 07 Aug 2011, 01:12
Location: Caldera

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by raevol »

psi29a wrote: 30 Mar 2018, 08:34 I never thought I would say this, but I agree with raevol.
Heeeeeeey!! ;) :lol:
User avatar
psi29a
Posts: 5355
Joined: 29 Sep 2011, 10:13
Location: Belgium
Gitlab profile: https://gitlab.com/psi29a/
Contact:

Re: Fatal error: "Failed to create GaphicsContext"

Post by psi29a »

raevol wrote: 30 Mar 2018, 17:07
psi29a wrote: 30 Mar 2018, 08:34 I never thought I would say this, but I agree with raevol.
Heeeeeeey!! ;) :lol:
Woops... came out wrong, I meant about AMD... I wasn't ever a fan until recently. ;)
Post Reply