Headless JOGL

Hi,

I have written a server which creates images using JOGL, off-screen. It works fine on my home machine, but I am thinking of buying some hosting elsewhere. My questions:

1. Will it continue to work in a linux server with no graphics card?

2. Does it automatically use software emulation (Mesa??)?

3. Would I need the ability to install Mesa on the server, or is it built-in to the JOGL distribution?

4. Will I need root privileges to put it in the right place, or can it simply be put alongside my server in normal user land?

5. What performance can I expect from JOGL with Mesa alone, compared to an "average" graphics card? I know that is a tricky question, but are we talking an order of magnitude? Two orders? Three??

Any advice appreciated!

Mi5ke

On 11/14/2012 08:17 PM, Mi5ke [via jogamp] wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have written a server which creates images using JOGL, off-screen. It works
> fine on my home machine, but I am thinking of buying some hosting elsewhere.
> My questions:
>
> 1. Will it continue to work in a linux server with no graphics card?
Mesa3d and an offscreen framebuffer X server - yup

>
> 2. Does it automatically use software emulation (Mesa??)?
It tries to use whats available.

>
> 3. Would I need the ability to install Mesa on the server, or is it built-in
> to the JOGL distribution?
Yes you would need such ability (read: root server).

>
> 4. Will I need root privileges to put it in the right place, or can it simply
> be put alongside my server in normal user land?
That is possible as well, if the framebuffer X11 server allows such
installation path.

>
> 5. What performance can I expect from JOGL with Mesa alone, compared to an
> "average" graphics card? I know that is a tricky question, but are we talking
> an order of magnitude? Two orders? Three??

Wow - well, that now depends on your CPU.
I have seen a performance test comparing an i-core something
w/ NV for OpenCL / GPGPU tests - it was like 5-20 times faster.
For OpenGL .. well, it could be even much higher ofc.
This depends on your application of course.

BTW - it is possible to rent root server _WITH_ a GPU.

@ Hetzner: Our server has a NV GeForce 9300 GS (which we don't use,
           since we do run headless for security reasons).
           A root server there costs only around 500 EUR per anno.

>
> Any advice appreciated!
>
> Mi5ke

~Sven

Thanks Sven - I know I can rent servers with GPUs, but I am trying to cost different options, including a headless, GPU-less environment (the cheapest servers!). Good to know it works with Mesa!