[Chimera-users] new version available

[Greg Couch]

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005, Mingfeng Yang wrote:

> I have a trivial question. I see that a python package is wrapped into
> chimera release. However, nowadays, usually python is a default on
> almost each linux distribution. Is there any way that I can let chimera
> use my won python which I built and optimized for my platform, instead
> of the wrapped python?

The current chimera, 1.2180, is distributed with a slightly modified 
version of Python 2.4.2.  Most but not all of the .py files are the same 
(we have incorporated some bug fixes that chimera needs), and the python 
binary is different.  If your system python is version 2.4-2.4.2, then it 
is safe to replace it with chimera's, but not the other way around.

In general, it is a support nightmare for us to use the system versions of 
the packages we distribute.  All of our stuff is tested together and we 
can find bugs fairly easily because we have the exact source code for 
everything that chimera is using.  All of our stuff is compiled with the 
same compiler, which may be different than the system one, the 
configuration options are all compatible, and we incorporate bug fixes 
that affect chimera.

> Another question, according to your experience. Which graphics cards can
> afford good performance for chimera, in another word, best compatiable
> with chimera under linux platform? Our group always use graphics card
> from ATI, but AFAIK, ATI cards just suck.

I assume you're asking about ATI's gaming graphics cards and not the 
workstation ones?  The workstation graphics cards, ATI FireGL, NVidia 
Quadro, and 3dLabs Wildcat, are all good and have good OpenGL drivers (and 
if you want true stereo you have to buy a workstation graphics card, even 
Apple will now sell you a Quadro if you want stereo).  It used be true 
that the OpenGL graphics drivers for ATI gaming cards (Radeons) were not 
as good as the NVidia ones, but I believe that there is no longer much 
difference in quality between the two (as far as chimera is concerned). 
Just make sure you're running the lastest graphics driver -- currently 
version 8.18.6 for ATI on Linux.  If you have an older laptop with ATI 
graphics (pre- Mobility Radeon 9600), then you're out of luck, unless the 
laptop vendor provides newer drivers.

With both ATI and NVidia, installing a new graphics driver may make 
chimera stop working.  So be preprared to downgrade to an earlier version 
if necessary and please send us email telling which version of the driver 
caused the failure.  Often, there will be yet another driver available 
from ATI/NVidia within in a week or two that fixes the problem.

 	Greg Couch
 	UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
 	gregc at cgl.ucsf.edu