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Common Problems for the current version

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Georg Zotti edited this page Sep 30, 2020 · 24 revisions

If you are new to Stellarium: we were hosted at Launchpad until December of 2017 (https://launchpad.net/stellarium). There you can find notes about common problems found with slightly earlier versions of Stellarium. These include graphical problems with not-so-new computers or when you did not install current graphics card drivers.

Problems with older versions are described here: https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/wiki/FAQ/_edit#common-problems-with-older-versions

Table of Contents

Recent issues

OpenGL problems with Intel Graphics

Some users report severe problems running OpenGL mode with with Intel graphics, starting in May 2020.

ANGLE mode works well.

Solution: https://sourceforge.net/p/stellarium/discussion/278769/thread/910ce2ec54

The latest Intel(R) Graphics Driver: 27.20.100.8425 solves the problem. The only warnings: it is beta driver.

Further notes:

  • Win10 1909 and 2004, Intel HD 4600 with Driver 20.19.15.5126 (2020-01-21) OK
  • Win10 2004, Intel HD 4600 with Driver announced in the installer as 15.40.46.64.5144 (2020-05-15), which suddenly identifies as 20.19.15.5144 during installation: OK
Do any of these Intel driver version numbers make sense?

ANGLE mode broken in version 0.20.0 (Windows)

Some change in the underlying Qt framework seems to have broken our ANGLE mode in this version. For a fallback of the fallback, you can still run 0.20.0 in MESA mode. UPDATE: Fixed in later versions.

Pink sky in some Linux distributions

On some Linux systems with some NVidia GPUs the daylight sky appears pink. Using the proprietary binary driver from NVidia seems to solve this issue.

Crash of Stellarium on Linux Mint when opening or saving files

Linux Mint has weird behavior regarding visual style settings for Qt applications. To resolve font issues and avoid crashes of Stellarium when you want to save of open files please open a terminal and run: 

echo "export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk3" >> ~/.profile

If you want to see Mint's GTK3+ style for file dialogs then you need to install an additional package (run in terminal): 

apt install qt5-gtk-platformtheme
Please do logout/login operation after these changes or reboot the operating system to apply them.

OpenSSL problems in the Logfile, missing HiPS Surveys, cannot download additional star catalogs (Windows)

Solved after #260; repeated #269, #270, #533

0.18 series: If you want to configure HiPS surveys and the solar system objects list is empty, the logfile may show errors around 

qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve TLSv1_1_client_method
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve TLSv1_2_client_method
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve TLSv1_1_server_method
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve TLSv1_2_server_method
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_CTX_new
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_CTX_free
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_CTX_set_ssl_ctx
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_CTX_finish
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CONF_cmd
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_select_next_proto
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CTX_set_next_proto_select_cb
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_get0_next_proto_negotiated
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_set_alpn_protos
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_CTX_set_alpn_select_cb
qt.network.ssl: QSslSocket: cannot resolve SSL_get0_alpn_selected

Also, downloading more stars is not possible. After some timeout, nothing happens.

2 solutions:

  • You need to install OpenSSL libraries e.g. from https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html or elsewhere. (This site is not related to Stellarium.) Install at least the 32bit Lite package of OpenSSL version 1.0.2, NOT 1.1.0. Then compile Stellarium yourself.
  • Install a Beta package. Builds from 2018-08-26 and later have solved this by including the OpenSSL 1.0.2 library in the package.

Common Questions

Seasons' Beginnings are wrong by a few minutes

We have received a hint (many thanks!) that we had implemented a sign error from one of our source papers. Until version 0.20.2 this causes a slight error in positions which is usually negligible, except when it comes to the exact times of seasons' beginnings. The fix brought us to within seconds of "official" sources.

Constellation Lines do not match those in my atlas

Constellation lines and artwork are not internationally standardized. Stellarium has its own default version of the line art which is close, but not necessarily identical to that found in other popular sources. This is not an error. Some particular versions are available in the sky cultures settings.

My local language isn't complete, or some terms are incorrect

Translations in Stellarium are a community effort, so it is possible that a local translator started the project, but never finished it, or didn't find some specific words. You can help us here: https://www.transifex.com/stellarium/stellarium/dashboard/ Translation tips are on this page: Translation of Stellarium

Unsigned installer: Dangerous to Download? Malware?

Some operating systems, web browsers or malware protection systems claim that downloading or installing Stellarium may be dangerous because the publisher is unknown, or the installer has not been signed with some security certificate.

Apart from addictively stealing your time observing Stellarium's sky rendition, Stellarium is not dangerous and should not harm anything or anybody (but please read the GPL disclaimer about no guarantee or non-fitness for particular purposes etc.). The browser or install warning panel should offer some way to accept this warning and continue the download or installation if you are comfortable.

Since February 15, 2020, the Windows beta installer, and since version 0.20.0, the Windows installers are signed by a certificate from 'SignPath Foundation'. We hope this will soon be accepted by the SmartScreen security check. Currently, you need to allow them to run once to add Stellarium (with publisher: SignPath Foundation) into the system's white list.

Likewise, the Mac version has been signed.

However, make sure to download Stellarium from stellarium.org, github.com, launchpad.net or sourceforge.net, and not some repackaged installation from freeware sites which may pack extra software or adware into their own installers or wrap our ready-made package into "safe downloader apps" (which usually add adware) or may change browser settings (change default browser, modify default search engine, ...) or other things you don't want and we cannot control.

And DO NOT PURCHASE STELLARIUM OR ITS USER GUIDE FROM EBAY OR AMAZON. Whoever sells the desktop version or a printed copy of the User Guide is taking your money without contributing a single line of code to this project.

Graphics issues on Windows

99% of graphics issues on Windows involve bad graphics drivers or outdated hardware. The Qt5 toolkit on which Stellarium has been created requires complete native OpenGL 2.1 or an equivalent workaround.

Stellarium running very slowly

On Windows this indicates your system may be running in "Mesa Mode". This may happen when hardware rendering is disabled because of missing drivers, or if you don't have compatible hardware-accelerated graphics at all. Your PC may be too old (from 2008 or older, or some netbook with Atom CPU from 2010?) If you have a 3D video card or at least a modern processor (CPU) with built-in GPU capabilities, make sure that your OpenGL drivers are installed and up to date.

You can download up-to-date drivers for:

Mouse cursor invisible

This is a known long-time defect for the default OpenGL mode on Windows when you have Mouse Trails enabled or another reason to use a "software cursor", like f.lux screen color temperature modifier. There are 2 workarounds:

1) Use ANGLE mode when you need mouse trails or f.lux. 2) Make sure to switch off mouse trails to avoid this problem.

Menu invisible (Windows)

Update OpenGL drivers or run ANGLE mode with DirectX v9. To run Stellarium in ANGLE mode, press START, go into the Stellarium program folder, and start "Stellarium (ANGLE mode)"

Some system dialogs (Colors, Screenshot Dir) hidden

On Windows and with some older models of NVidia GeForce (reported for 580M, 770), the color settings dialog in the gridline panel and ArchaeoLines plugin, and the file dialog for changing screenshot directory may hide behind the full-screen window when Stellarium is running in Fullscreen and OpenGL mode. The color dialog works in ANGLE mode. On a GeForce GTX 960M we see no problem.

A similar issue has been reported for an Intel HD4600 system with driver Build 10.18.10.3412. On another Intel HD4600 system with driver Build 20.19.15.4835, we cannot reproduce this issue.

We interpret this as NVidia (or Intel, resp.) driver issue. If you are affected, run Stellarium in ANGLE mode or leave fullscreen mode before changing colors or directory. Pressing ESC should close the hidden system dialog, or press Alt-Tab to switch windows.

Forcing graphics mode (Windows)

Usually, Qt will decide what the best graphics mode is for you. If that fails, you may see one of the problems listed below. You can force particular modes by calling the respective links from the Start menu, or permanently by setting environment variables (choose one of the options between the | marks).

  • QT_OPENGL=desktop|angle|software
  • QT_ANGLE_PLATFORM=d3d9|d3d11
You may have to reboot to activate these settings.

More:

Screen Issues

High DPI screens

If you are lucky enough to have a High DPI screen (4k or similar), you may find the GUI fonts are too small. We received an anonymous hint with a solution (untested by us) that may work at least on Windows: 

 >here is the solution to the problem....
 >
 >http://www.danantonielli.com/adobe-app-scaling-on-high-dpi-displays-fix/
 >
 >I tried this on my Hi DPI machine and it works great with Stellarium 14!

Mixing screens or projectors with high and normal resolutions

https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/issues/991

Details on tricky HiDPI setups can be found at https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/highdpi.html

Depending on your login shell or system, set environment variables. On Mac: 

   echo 'export QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS="1.0;2.0"' >> ~/.zshenv

On Linux, you more likely are using bash: 

   echo 'export QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS="1.5;1.0"' >> ~/.bashrc

The numbers depend on actual screen resolutions and the OS's screen order. 






Netbook with only 1024x600 screen





https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/issues/127



You can reduce text label size requirements a bit by reducing [gui]/base_font_size in config.ini. But a 600 pixel screen is really very narrow, we need some space for the many options. More people complained about the tiny GUI on their 4k screens...



Some other software titles reject to start with less than 768 lines of screen space.
There may be a screen driver setting that allows setting 768 lines which are then squeezed back to the 600 physical display lines. This enables you to use those programs, but of course this distorts the view vertically. To compensate the distortion in Stellarium, you can use a startup.ssc script in your scripts folder:




 // Startup.ssc for netbook screen setup.
 // Author: Georg Zotti
 // This is usable on a netbook with physical 1024x600 screen with a display driver set to
 // 1024x768 resolution. GUI panels may be better accessible with such setting.
 // The distortion caused by this setting will be compensated by this script.
 core.setViewportStretch(600/768);





Note that this only (un-)distorts the projected sky, not any GUI panels. These will still require their pixel sizes, which is often a bit more than 600 lines, but the program thinks it is running in 768 lines and the panels should now fit. Legibility of some labels may suffer a bit, though.





Windows GUI scaling





https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/issues/1301



Users's preferences vary widely in the zoo of screen sizes and operating systems out there. 



Since version 0.20.3 Stellarium's start menu group contains a link to start the program 200% scaled. This is OK for 4k screens if your screen scaling settings are otherwise at 100%. If you use screen scaling from the Windows system settings, Stellarium should adhere to these settings, and may appear too large if used on a 1920x1080 screen. 



If you really need global scaling and get into trouble, you may try the following:



In your start menu, you find a program group "Stellarium". Inside, there is a link "Stellarium (scale 200%)". Right-click this link, say "More-->Open location" (or similar).



Make a copy of this link, name it e.g. "Stellarium (75%)". Then right-click: "Properties". See the command line:



    "C:\Program Files\Stellarium\stellarium.exe" --scale-gui 2.0 -platform windows:altgr




Edit this to read:



    "C:\Program Files\Stellarium\stellarium.exe" --scale-gui 0.75 -platform windows:altgr





Then launch this new link and see if scaling appears OK now.

              


              

                
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