CAVE / Linux info

This page is a general collection of information related to developing and running CAVE software under Linux. It will expand as time allows.

Software

The following CAVE-related software is available for Linux:

• VR libraries:
  • CAVE library and trackd
  • VR Juggler
  • DIVERSE Toolkit
  • FreeVR
  • Syzygy
• Performer
• Audio libraries:
  • VSS
  • Bergen
• CAVERNsoft

Hardware

Here are the results of some performance tests on a few different nVidia graphics cards, plus other notes on their features (e.g. multi-head, antialiasing).

Here are the results of some earlier performance tests.

Here are some working notes on multi-headed 3D graphics for Linux.

Here are notes on installing a GeForce2 card under Linux, based on my first experiences. Note - I have been through the installation process a few more times recently, and it has definitely improved. See also the nVidia OpenGL mini-HOWTO for more up-to-date info.

Stereo

Much of the work in using Linux systems for CAVE-type VR is based on passive stereo; this requires multiple video outputs, which is touched on in my summaries of different graphics cards above.

Some people are also working on providing active stereo support under Linux (currently no card's official drivers support it). For information, see:

• http://www.lysator.liu.se/~ehliar/3d/ - Experimental stereo support for DRI
• http://carol.wins.uva.nl/~robbel/publications/asci2001.pdf - "Immersive VR on commodity hardware" paper
• http://www.univ-orleans.fr/SCIENCES/LIFO/Members/raffin/SHPVR/SoftGenLock.php - SoftGenlock