Problem with Lighting Quality on Linux - circle-stencil is rectangular

[Helli]

Hello survivors.

I am playing on Garuda Linux for a while now.
Garuda had some big update recently, introducing wayland and (I guess) a lot of other stuff.
I am new to linux and I have no knowledge about OPENGL and game development.

This week i wanted to play PZ again, but it was a terrible experience.
More terrible than intended... -.-

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Issue:
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I have a square box around my character, where trees fade out and other textures are changed, but it should be a circle.
After some reading and trial & error, I figured out, that it was the Lighting Quality setting.

On the lowest setting, the box is gone and nothing fades out.
But that is not really helpful in staying alive...
On the other settings i have the box.

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Operating system:
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Garuda Linux Dragonized
 Kernel: 6.8.1-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc
    avail: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=65838ef9-8262-4588-ab0b-6bae49cc7603 rw rootflags=subvol=@ quiet quiet
    rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0 loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.0.2 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.0.0 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda base: Arch Linux

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Version of Project Zomboid:
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Current Steam Release
Game shows: Version 41.78.16 (Steam)
I am using no mods.

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What I have tried:
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I cannot remember everything. I am trying to fix this issue for a few days now.

I changed every setting in the PZ-GUI concerning the graphic.
The only setting changing the box around the character was Lighting Quality.
-> Lowest -> the feature is completly off
-> the others -> ugly square box around the character

I tried running PZ with some proton versions from steam, until the game didn't start anymore most of time,
because it couldn't connect to the steamapi anymore. (SteamAPI_init () failed)
If it could start, with the first or second start option, i still had the rectangular box around my charcter.
While that i uninstalled and intalled the game a few times.

After this I tried a lot of stuff, where I honestly didn't really know what I was doing... -.-

I uninstalled the game and deleted every folder and file I could tie to PZ and I regarded save to delete.
And there were a lot of them after using some of the compatibility mods...
I installed the game again -> still the same issue (square box - no circle).

I tried starting PZ with the .exe, .bat and .sh files from PZ.
If the game started, I still had the issue with the rectangular Lighting-Quality "circle".

I uninstalled the game and deleted every folder and file I could tie to PZ or the PZ-steam-appID.
I even deleted proton-folders containing data tied to PZ because i didn't find a way to delete them via steam.
I installed the game again (native) -> still the same issue (square box - no circle).
Steam-Installation was broken now, because steam couldn't find the compatibility-tools anymore and didn't offer to reinstall them again.

I uninstalled steam (and steam-runtime, steam-native etc) and deleted every file and folder i could tie to steam.
This included all games.

I installed steam again and installed PZ again.
Everything worked fine, but I still had the issue with the rectangular Lighting-Quality "circle".

I switched from wayland to X11 (because i had read, that PZ has problems with wayland).
-> I still had the issue with the rectangular Lighting-Quality "circle".

I did a lot of restarts and system updates between the steps above (most of the time garuda was up-to-date).
I reinstalled some packages like mesa, lib32-mesa, xf86-video-amdgpu and vulkan-radeon.
-> I still had the issue with the rectangular Lighting-Quality "circle".

I have read all logs provided by PZ in hope to see some "cannot load OPENGL-stuff"-error,
but I couldn't find anything that I could recognize as source for the problem.

I uninstalled / deactivated wine, winetricks, proton-ge-custom and protontricks through the "Garuda Gamer" assistant,
but I think these actions didn't really uninstall the software.

I probably did a lot of other stuff. As I said, I am trying to fix this problem for days now.

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What I have not tried (yet):
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The next step for me would be a complete system wipe and installing Garuda again.
For this I have to do some time consuming stuff first, which will take me a while...

Trying to install older drivers for amd.
As I said, I am new to Linux and I don't even know how to install older versions of packages or the packages involved.
This would be a step after a fresh Garuda Installation and still having this problem.

Trying to install the proprietary drivers by AMD.
I have read too many "They are bad"s the last days...
And the game didn't need them before.

And I haven't asked for help.
So... Here I am.
I am in way over my head with this.
If someone could help me or point me in a new direction to look for answers,
I would appreciate that very much.

GL & HF,
Helli

 

 

console.txt

[Beard]

I have done some testing, and I have to conclude that it seems to be an issue with the latest drivers as you said yourself.
Therefore I can only suggest to wait for the next driver version to see if it will be fixed then.

In the meantime, I have found a workaround, by switching the Mesa driver to use Zink instead of the default OpenGL rendered, it seems to have fixed it for me.

To do that, go to your Steam Library > Right click Project Zomboid > Properties > Set Launch Options > Type MESA_LOADER_DRIVER_OVERRIDE=zink %command% > Start the game

[Beard]

I could not replicate this on Garuda Linux on a Nvidia card, therefore it does seem AMD specific. I will get an AMD card to test and see if a fix can be found, it may be distro specific as well possibly (or KDE / Wayland specific). I will reply here if I find anything further about the issue.

[Helli]

Thank you very much.

I am still preparing for a new Garuda installation...

[Helli]

OK. Now I really would love to get some help... -.-

I downloaded the latest Garuda KDE Dr460nized Gaming Edition and created a bootable USB drive.

I wiped out my system and did a fresh Garuda installation.

After that I did a system update with "garuda-update".

I installed steam.

I installed PZ.

I STILL have that ugly rectangular box around my character! ;O

 

I was so confident, that the problem would be solved now and that I or the big update broke my system...

But even with a clean installation I have this annoying bug.

 

@Beard

In some other post you wrote:

>> If you have an AMD graphics card, then the recent driver for it is causing issues in OpenGL games such as Project Zomboid.

 

It was from March 18.

But there was no hint what the users OS was.

What would be your next step? Trying to install older drivers or packages?

Or should I try to use the proprietary drivers by AMD?

 

I don't want to do any of this.................... But now I really want to fix this problem.

It is not about playing PZ anymore... It is about being able to run this game on this distro! :)

King regards,

Helli

[Beard]

What I wrote about the AMD card was for Windows, it has nothing to do with this issue.

The next step is what I said in my previous message:
 

Quote

I will get an AMD card to test and see if a fix can be found, it may be distro specific as well possibly (or KDE / Wayland specific). I will reply here if I find anything further about the issue.

 

[Helli]

I am sorry Beard,

I didn't want to tell you to hurry up at all.

 

I just thought you could drop an idea on which I could "work" for some hours.

 

I am really happy this game has someone like you, who tries to figure out problems of people like me...

 

I will wait and try some things on my own. IF I can fix the problem myself, i will let you know.

But I will stop molesting you with unnecessary information and questions.

 

Thank you for your work and GL HF,

Helli

 

[Beard]

What you can test is checking if if it happens on a different distro, it is what I would do when I get the card, either just going with standard Ubuntu or more vanilla Arch distros such as Endeavour OS. After that I would check if it is specific to using a specific DE, since you used KDE in both your tests, lastly I would also check if it happens on Wayland or X11 or on both.

My guess right now is it might be KDE specific, since they switched to Plasma 6.0 recently I believe, there may still be some bugs with it? Though I still cannot replicate it on Nvidia even with KDE.

[Helli]

Bääähhh!

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.

 

It´s not comfortable, because I cannot use this pc the whole time,

but hey, I just wiped the system anyway...

 

Like I said, I am at "stupid beginner level" with Linux.

I will spend some time with getting Ubuntu installed (and steam and pz).

Or switching to "not plasma 6"...^^

I'll have to read some stuff on those topics first...

 

>> lastly I would also check if it happens on Wayland or X11 or on both.

That was easy and done a few hours ago and I have the problem with both of them.

 

Have a nice day and "non-stressful-customers",

Helli

[Helli]

On Ubuntu i do not have the problem.

The Lighting Quality is applied in the desired circle-stencil.

 

I am going to try EndeavourOS next.

[Helli]

EndeavourOS
- with KDE Plasma
- with amdvlk und lib32-amdvlk

 

inxi -S
System:
  Host: *** Kernel: 6.8.1-arch1-1 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.0.2 Distro: EndeavourOS

 

I have this issue again.

Perhaps it is really a problem with KDE Plasma.

 

I will try another desktop environment next. Endeavour offers you a lot when installing.

I think I like this distro...

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Helli]

EndeavourOS
- with Xfce4
- with amdvlk und lib32-amdvlk

 

inxi -S
System:
  Host: *** Kernel: 6.8.1-arch1-1 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 Distro: EndeavourOS

 

I have the issue here too.

So perhaps it is not the desktop environment, but the drivers.

[Helli]

Damn it Beard!

You are a HERO!

This world definitely would be a better place with more people like you.

 

Thank you so very much...

And thank you twice for telling me exactly how to do the workaround...

I would have spend hours on how to do it I fear.

First time I had to add launch options...^^

 

Your workaround works like a charm.

 

I have read some stuff about mesa and even zink the last few days, but I haven´t understood a lot of it.

And I couldn't "just test it", because I am missing so much knowledge in that field. -.-

 

I guess I'll try to kill some zombies now. *BigSmile*

Or i continue configuring my shiny new Garuda installation... *sigh*

The thread can be closed.

 

GL & HF and take care!

Helli