1. Try older version of SDL.DLL. 1.2.5.0 (225 280 Bytes from 7. October 2002, available in SDL-1.2.5a-win32.zip) seemed to work in my case (I had this problem before changing my NVidia drivers).
2. You can also try different NVidia drivers.
3. QBIX did some repairs in CVS recently (I think it was in SDLMAIN.CPP), from the look in sources I guess it may be now possible to start CVS version compiled with OpenGL support with non OpenGL graphic even when OpenGL does not work. This is just guess I did not try it, so I hope I am not talking nonsense...

Mirek

Unfortunally SDL-1.2.5a also doesn't work for me, I still get the same error message.

Gunter

@Mirek
3. Correct. It's possible to run. I initially made this "change" for the debian package (you can change the source of releases quite easy by providing a diff)
It should resolve all problems with openGL crashes. (as long as you don't specify it in the configfile. even if you enable it it's behaviour should be improved)

@gunter
2. Please don't get drivers that certified by Microsoft. If they are certified they probably don't work (Opengl is a oposing standard to MS it's DIRECTX. So it seems like they disable opengl support in drivers they certify)

I don't think this is a valid solution. Most of the people run the official release drivers from Nvidia and also these are the drivers the games are tested against. I have no problems whatsoever with the 53.03 drivers except the DOSBox crash.

BTW, I finished Knights of the old Republic just recently. This is a pure OpenGL game which even needs OpenGL 1.4. No sign of Microsoft "disabling" OpenGL support.

Probably this is a DOSBox specific problem. For example a SDL-OpenGL demo like http://olofson.net/download/smoothscroll-1.1-win32-bin.zip runs without a hitch.

Are there no other guys/girls with OpenGL problems with Nvidia drivers? Please report your configuration!

Gunter

i also have nvidia opengl probs. it was detailed in the main dosbox thread, but to recap: sound cuts in and out every second or so in ogl mode. im running a gf4 4400 on win2k with the 52.16 drivers. id upgrade to the latest, but it looks like that could make even bigger problems!

quite funny...
as harekiet and I both have nvidia drivers as well. So we actually made the opengl support using nvidia drivers.

@QBIx: Thats why I suggested to collect info about the problematic configurations. Which driver version are you running under XP?

Update:
I compiled DOSBox myself now with VS .NET 2003 (w/o screenshots, SDL.net, debugger support). I used the official 1.2.6 SDL development libraries for VC++6 and left out the other libraries for now. This EXE has no problems with OpenGL anymore, so its surely not a NVIdia driver problem. The official DOSBox release is compiled with MingW, I suppose?

Gunter

I know you have probably checked it but just in case: have you used the same dosbox.conf with the official and your own dosbox?

@robertmo: Yep

Gunter

I have just solved my problems with opengl.

I often used to have in fullscreen mode the following problem:
on the top and bottom part of the screen (when it is not covered by the game, for example when i use a strange resolution or aspect=false) i could see blinking windows desktop.

I solved this problem by setting in nVidia drivers in OpenGL tab:
buffor switching mode ----> i switched it from "auto" to "use block mode"

I have a similar problem. With the default installation (nothing changed), DOSBox refuses to run. Two windows came up. One with the message "CONFIG: Loading setting from the config file dosbox.conf" and other window named SDL_app. I have a GF4 MX440 with 53.03 drivers. It works on a TNT2-M64 with older drivers. Hope this helps.

@Guest:

Can you also see an error message flashing by about SDL "parachuting"? If you want, you can try out my VS-NET.2003-compiled DOSBox executable to see if it solves the problem.

Gunter

I have ATI XPERT 98 RAGE XL video and have the same problem. Driver version 5.10.2600.6009 from ATI. Not signed.
dosbox.exe -conf boxer.conf -noconsole

stderr.txt:
Fatal signal: Segmentation Fault (SDL Parachute Deployed)

I made minimal config for it with all sounds off.

Where can I get VC 7.1 compiled binary?

I can mail it to you if you want.

Someone else interested?

Gunter

Please mail it to tech01@nm.ru
I built it by myself but it doesn't work anyway.

Please, mail it to agaver@pisem.net. Thanks!!!

Can you email to jaybee_elsdon@yahoo.co.uk as well please. Thanks

could you email it to
marcelocamanho(AT)yahoo.com ? thanks

I'm suffering from this too, and i would really like to play megalomania again!

Gunter, could you please email your build to poddster (at) blueyonder.co.uk. Please. Thankyou very much!