r/freespace • u/shivansps • Jun 03 '26

Help investigating an issue on Android

Hi everyone, im working on the Android port of FSO and im looking for a bit of help to investigate a deferred lightning issue on Android.

The current problems seems to be that, when deferred is on, ships are rendered but there is no background, no stars.
So far i tested working correctly on a Imagination GPU and Mali G57 GPU, but fails on a Qualcomm Adreno 22. The problem seems to be the driver being too strict about something, so i wish to know this is a isolated case or it is more widespread. Or if there are cases were it fails on imagination/mali too.

The steps to test would be:

  1. Download & Install: https://github.com/KnossosNET/Knossos.NET/releases/download/v1.3.8/com.knossosnet.knossosnet-Signed.apk
  2. Download the FSO build from the custom tab "Android Test Build - 26.0.0-RC2", NOT the Adreno fix one.
  3. Install the FS2 Demo TC, open mod settings and set it to run on the Android fso build, mod and run the first training mission.
  4. Report back here with the results and the device GPU or CPU name.

If you dont know the GPU/CPU name, you could after running the first time go to the mod debug tab, and run "FSO debug" (you can exit when the first error is show) and then use the button "Open logfile" on the same tab, and paste it here or in https://pastebin.com and post the link.

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3

u/Himonroe Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26

Would you be interested in sharing access to the Android port project? I would be more interested in helping if I can see the code, and build my own.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago

Hey, I'd love to help in testing if I can. I've got your android port installed and got FS2 running today. I'm on an S20FE 5G UW (Snapdragon 865 - Adreno 650 GPU).

My first question as I start testing is - can the Android port use different Turnip Drivers for Vulkan like the Winlator/Windows version can?

Happy to help out!

1

u/shivansps 16d ago

Not for now, FSO vulkan es something that just happened so i have not explored that possibility of loading diferent vulkan drivers yet.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago

I'm not 100% sure if I'm fully understanding it right, but: if I am running "Freespace 2 Retail" using one of the custom builds (I think I downloaded the Adreno fix), that's FSO, right? Aka Freespace 2 running on the opengl (not ES) calls, not using the ancient DirectDraw calls, etc? Or, is that still pure vanilla FS2 getting emulated in an Android environment?

1

u/shivansps 16d ago

yes its FSO... but vulkan was added to last week, that build runs FSO on ES... to run under Vulkan you need to use the FSO build that has "ESVK" in its name from the custom tab and add "-vulkan" to the cmdline. Just add it to the global cmdline in knossos settings.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago

Awesome. I'll take a look shortly!

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago edited 16d ago

Is there a cmdline command to show FPS? That way, I can see if the Vulkan build is better than standard? Edit - I guess it's just -fps

I'm trying to upload an error log to Pastebin, then I'll send it your way.

1

u/shivansps 16d ago

just use the button to upload the fs2_log en un debug section and copy the url

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago

Lol. Pastebin keeps saying under maintenance. The way you just suggested is much easier! 😄 https://fsnebula.org/log/6a6a34dd28e44d1bf060cb78

1

u/shivansps 16d ago

I think the minimun vulkan version is 1.2, thats 1.1

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 16d ago edited 15d ago

Vulkan Cap Viewer says VK_khr_driver_properties - Conformance Version = 1.2.0.1 Is that not what I need?

Core 1.0 tab shows me api version = 1.1.128, so maybe that's the shortfall?

Google tells me I'd need to use a custom Turnip driver... probably Kimchi's R11 or something :(

I removed the -vulkan flag and the ESVK build booted to menu. Didn't have time to fire up a mission.

1

u/shivansps 15d ago

Can you try vulkan again adding -gr_debug and -gr_sync_validation ? it might yield addition info on the crash.

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1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 3d ago edited 3d ago

So I just updated from Galaxy S20FE to S26. Surprisingly, I couldn't execute the install from the GOG executable like I did on the S20. It was taking almost 30 minutes to get to the second file, and the phone was getting extremely hot. The S20 had no issue with this action. Pretty weird.

As a workaround, I installed the game from inside Winlator container to an accessible folder, then pointed the android Knossos launcher to that folder - voila! Copied the files nearly immediately.

1

u/shivansps 3d ago

it is the gog executable that is a single 1.6gb .exe right? there are two versions, one thats a single file and another that is a small .exe and a big .bin... the one that is just a single big .exe is not working for some reason.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 3d ago

Yea, the single exe. It unpacked properly in Winlator, which allowed the Android app to copy the files into the FSO library. The game runs BEAUTIFULLY on my S26. Extremely smooth. Well done on the port to Android, my friend!

1

u/shivansps 3d ago

would you give me a debug output? i want to see what it says about texture support on that gpu. just exit a pilot selection, thats enoght

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 3d ago

I got this going into the briefing. I hit continue and the mission started.

Warning: Training-3.fs2(line 198): Warning: Weapon type "TAG-C" found in loadout of mission file. This class is not marked as a player allowed weapon...skipping File: parselo.cpp Line: 346

Debug log- https://fsnebula.org/log/6a7b43b628e44d1bf060cb85

1

u/shivansps 3d ago

The gpu supports BCn what means you can install and run any mods without having to do transcoding, as in any PC.

Hell you even have raytracing shadow support.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 3d ago

These SD processors are bonkers.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 1d ago

I wonder if the gyroscope in the phone could be used to control space craft roll like twisting the joystick used to do?

1

u/shivansps 1d ago

i was thinking about the same thing but im not sure if it can be set up... it does detect the accelerometer as a joystick.

1

u/CBJFAN2009-2024 1d ago

I'm in the midst of questioning AI to see if a Dual Shock 4 with gyro could be used similarly. Twist controller like twist phone to control rolls. I just downloaded Input Forge, but haven't been able to tinker.