PTB 1.0.40 simple commands have errors ... when will it be ready for prime time?

1
Hi,

I downloaded PTB 1.0.40 to see whether it is useful yet.

Unfortunately, even the simplest functions contain errors.

BUG #1 -- "DescribeComputer" reports a negative amount of RAM.
My computer actually has 4 GB of RAM.

*********************** David Jones on Cascade ***********************
Dual-CPU Power Mac G5 at 2.00 GHz, Mac OS 10.3.7
Model Type "PowerMac7,2" with -2147483648.00 B RAM, bus clock 1.00 GHz
Psychtoolbox 1.0.40, 20 December 2004
MATLAB 7.0.1.24704 (R14) Service Pack 1
QuickTime 6.5.2

... under the OS9 version of PTB, I would have typed "DescribeScreen",
but it doesn't seem to exist (yet) under OSX.

Here is my graphics card: "ATY,Rocket_B"

I mention that because many of the simple tests I try to run fail:


BUG #2
PsychTestsOSX/
TestFlip.m

> TestFlip
> Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> Window Index
> ??? Usage:
>
> [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
>
> Error in ==> TestFlip at 6
> w=Screen('OpenWindow', screenNumber, [], [], [], 2);


Okay, so it works if I change line 6 to:
screenNumber=0;

Also, for this test to work properly, I added a new new line 8.
(otherwise you get a random time for the first frame duration)

Screen('Flip',w); <--- add this line to synchronize with frame refresh
GetSecs;
for i=1:numFlips
Screen('Flip',w);
t(i)=GetSecs;
end


- - - - -

BUG #3
PsychTestsOSX/
TestDrawingStuffOSX.m

> TestDrawingStuffOSX
> Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> Window Index
> ??? Usage:
>
> [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
>
> Error in ==> TestDrawingStuffOSX at 8
> w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);

Okay, a similar error here. Actually it is worse because in line 7 is
checks properly for the screenNumber "s",
but then uses the constant "2" instead.

s=max(Screen('Screens'));
w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);

After I change line 8, I can run the function, but then it never
completes.
... or more correctly, I cannot tell if it ever completes.
I guess this is GetChar at the end of the funciton failing to read
anything.


I'm looking forward to PTB becoming usable.

-- David Jones
2
I have a similar system and can reproduce these errors faithfully.

Chris

On 6-Jan-05, at 7:30 PM, David Jones wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I downloaded PTB 1.0.40 to see whether it is useful yet.
>
> Unfortunately, even the simplest functions contain errors.
>
> BUG #1 -- "DescribeComputer" reports a negative amount of RAM.
> My computer actually has 4 GB of RAM.
>
> *********************** David Jones on Cascade ***********************
> Dual-CPU Power Mac G5 at 2.00 GHz, Mac OS 10.3.7
> Model Type "PowerMac7,2" with -2147483648.00 B RAM, bus clock 1.00 GHz
> Psychtoolbox 1.0.40, 20 December 2004
> MATLAB 7.0.1.24704 (R14) Service Pack 1
> QuickTime 6.5.2
>
> ... under the OS9 version of PTB, I would have typed "DescribeScreen",
> but it doesn't seem to exist (yet) under OSX.
>
> Here is my graphics card: "ATY,Rocket_B"
>
> I mention that because many of the simple tests I try to run fail:
>
>
> BUG #2
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestFlip.m
>
> > TestFlip
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen
> Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber
> [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestFlip at 6
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', screenNumber, [], [], [], 2);
>
>
> Okay, so it works if I change line 6 to:
> screenNumber=0;
>
> Also, for this test to work properly, I added a new new line 8.
> (otherwise you get a random time for the first frame duration)
>
> Screen('Flip',w); <--- add this line to synchronize with
> frame refresh
> GetSecs;
> for i=1:numFlips
> Screen('Flip',w);
> t(i)=GetSecs;
> end
>
>
> - - - - -
>
> BUG #3
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestDrawingStuffOSX.m
>
> > TestDrawingStuffOSX
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen
> Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber
> [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestDrawingStuffOSX at 8
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> Okay, a similar error here. Actually it is worse because in line 7 is
> checks properly for the screenNumber "s",
> but then uses the constant "2" instead.
>
> s=max(Screen('Screens'));
> w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> After I change line 8, I can run the function, but then it never
> completes.
> ... or more correctly, I cannot tell if it ever completes.
> I guess this is GetChar at the end of the funciton failing to read
> anything.
>
>
> I'm looking forward to PTB becoming usable.
>
> -- David Jones
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Post your message to: psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com
> Please indicate OS9, OSX, or WIN version, and include your full name.
> Denis Pelli, David Brainard, and Allen Ingling.
> http://psychtoolbox.org
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> • To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/psychtoolbox/
>
> • To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> psychtoolbox-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> • Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
> Service.
>
>
3
David,

I think you should stick with the demos from the psychdemos folder. As far as I know
these all work fine. The tests are only really there to test our debugging qualities ;-)

BTW: Describecomputer faithfully reports my meager 640 mb of RAM:

Single-CPU PowerBook G4 12Model Type "PowerBook6,1" with 640.00 MB RAM, bus clock
133.12 MHz
Psychtoolbox 1.0.40, 20 December 2004
MATLAB 7.0.1.24704 (R14) Service Pack 1
QuickTime 6.5.2

Maybe you should remove some of your RAM dimms and send them to Alan. Not many of
us have even the ability to even test functions with 4Gb of memory!

Gr.
Frans

PS: I'll send you some additional functioning simple demos in a direct mail.

--- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, David Jones <djones@m...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I downloaded PTB 1.0.40 to see whether it is useful yet.
>
> Unfortunately, even the simplest functions contain errors.
>
> BUG #1 -- "DescribeComputer" reports a negative amount of RAM.
> My computer actually has 4 GB of RAM.
>
> *********************** David Jones on Cascade ***********************
> Dual-CPU Power Mac G5 at 2.00 GHz, Mac OS 10.3.7
> Model Type "PowerMac7,2" with -2147483648.00 B RAM, bus clock 1.00 GHz
> Psychtoolbox 1.0.40, 20 December 2004
> MATLAB 7.0.1.24704 (R14) Service Pack 1
> QuickTime 6.5.2
>
> ... under the OS9 version of PTB, I would have typed "DescribeScreen",
> but it doesn't seem to exist (yet) under OSX.
>
> Here is my graphics card: "ATY,Rocket_B"
>
> I mention that because many of the simple tests I try to run fail:
>
>
> BUG #2
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestFlip.m
>
> > TestFlip
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestFlip at 6
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', screenNumber, [], [], [], 2);
>
>
> Okay, so it works if I change line 6 to:
> screenNumber=0;
>
> Also, for this test to work properly, I added a new new line 8.
> (otherwise you get a random time for the first frame duration)
>
> Screen('Flip',w); <--- add this line to synchronize with frame refresh
> GetSecs;
> for i=1:numFlips
> Screen('Flip',w);
> t(i)=GetSecs;
> end
>
>
> - - - - -
>
> BUG #3
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestDrawingStuffOSX.m
>
> > TestDrawingStuffOSX
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestDrawingStuffOSX at 8
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> Okay, a similar error here. Actually it is worse because in line 7 is
> checks properly for the screenNumber "s",
> but then uses the constant "2" instead.
>
> s=max(Screen('Screens'));
> w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> After I change line 8, I can run the function, but then it never
> completes.
> ... or more correctly, I cannot tell if it ever completes.
> I guess this is GetChar at the end of the funciton failing to read
> anything.
>
>
> I'm looking forward to PTB becoming usable.
>
> -- David Jones
4
Hello,

Regarding Bug#1 - Wrong report of RAM:

This is due to a wrong type of variable ( int instead of unsigned int ) in the C-Sourcecode
of SCREENComputer.c which leads to an integer-overflow. I've sent a bug-fixed version to
Allen for inclusion in the next PTB-Release. This bug will only show up with machines that
have more than 2 GB of RAM, so you were probably the first one to trigger this bug with
such a high-end machine :)

Regarding Bug#3 - Demo hangs: This is a known problem of GetChar which appeared
when switching to Matlab-7 -- It can be worked around by using kbCheck and is well
documented on the Psychtoolbox-Website.

Regarding Bug#2 - Great that you were able to fix the problem yourself, i assume you sent
your bug-fixed version to Allen for inclusion in the next release?

Have a nice day,
-mario


--- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, David Jones <djones@m...> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I downloaded PTB 1.0.40 to see whether it is useful yet.
>
> Unfortunately, even the simplest functions contain errors.
>
> BUG #1 -- "DescribeComputer" reports a negative amount of RAM.
> My computer actually has 4 GB of RAM.
>
> *********************** David Jones on Cascade ***********************
> Dual-CPU Power Mac G5 at 2.00 GHz, Mac OS 10.3.7
> Model Type "PowerMac7,2" with -2147483648.00 B RAM, bus clock 1.00 GHz
> Psychtoolbox 1.0.40, 20 December 2004
> MATLAB 7.0.1.24704 (R14) Service Pack 1
> QuickTime 6.5.2
>
> ... under the OS9 version of PTB, I would have typed "DescribeScreen",
> but it doesn't seem to exist (yet) under OSX.
>
> Here is my graphics card: "ATY,Rocket_B"
>
> I mention that because many of the simple tests I try to run fail:
>
>
> BUG #2
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestFlip.m
>
> > TestFlip
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestFlip at 6
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', screenNumber, [], [], [], 2);
>
>
> Okay, so it works if I change line 6 to:
> screenNumber=0;
>
> Also, for this test to work properly, I added a new new line 8.
> (otherwise you get a random time for the first frame duration)
>
> Screen('Flip',w); <--- add this line to synchronize with frame refresh
> GetSecs;
> for i=1:numFlips
> Screen('Flip',w);
> t(i)=GetSecs;
> end
>
>
> - - - - -
>
> BUG #3
> PsychTestsOSX/
> TestDrawingStuffOSX.m
>
> > TestDrawingStuffOSX
> > Error in function OpenWindow: Invalid or missing Screen Number or
> > Window Index
> > ??? Usage:
> >
> > [windowPtr,rect]=Screen('OpenWindow',windowPtrOrScreenNumber [,color]
> > [,rect][,pixelSize][,numberOfBuffers]);
> >
> > Error in ==> TestDrawingStuffOSX at 8
> > w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> Okay, a similar error here. Actually it is worse because in line 7 is
> checks properly for the screenNumber "s",
> but then uses the constant "2" instead.
>
> s=max(Screen('Screens'));
> w=Screen('OpenWindow', 2,[],[],32,2);
>
> After I change line 8, I can run the function, but then it never
> completes.
> ... or more correctly, I cannot tell if it ever completes.
> I guess this is GetChar at the end of the funciton failing to read
> anything.
>
>
> I'm looking forward to PTB becoming usable.
>
> -- David Jones