version 0.9.16
Frequently Asked Questions

Saving

• Tux Paint always saves over my old picture!

  The "save over" option is enabled. (This disables the prompt that would appear when you click 'Save.')

  If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're not giving it a "--saveover" option.

  If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the properties of the icon to see if "--saveover" is listed as an argument.

  If "--saveover" isn't on the command-line, check Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading: "saveover=yes".

  Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument: "--saveoverask", which will override the configuration file's setting.

  Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure "Ask Before Overwriting" (under "Saving") is checked.

  Also, see "Tux Paint always saves a new picture!", below.

• Tux Paint always saves a new picture!

  The "never save over" option is enabled. (This disables the prompt that would appear when you click 'Save.')

  If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're not giving it a "--saveovernew" option.

  If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the properties of the icon to see if "--saveovernew" is listed as an argument.

  If "--saveovernew" isn't on the command-line, check Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading: "saveover=new".

  Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument: "--saveoverask", which will override the configuration file's setting.

  Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure "Ask Before Overwriting" (under "Saving") is checked.

  Also, see "Tux Paint always saves over my old picture!", above.

Audio Problems

• There's no sound!
  • First, check the obvious:
    • Are your speakers connected and turned on?
    • Is the volume turned up on your speakers?
    • Is the volume turned up in your Operating System's "mixer?"
    • Are you certain you're using a computer with a sound card?
    • Are any other programs running that use sound? (They may be 'blocking' Tux Paint from accessing your sound device)
    • (Unix/Linux) Are you using a sound system, such as aRts, ESD or GStreamer? If so, try setting the "SDL_AUDIODRIVER" environment variable before running Tux Paint (e.g., "export SDL_AUDIODRIVER=arts"). Or, run Tux Paint through the system's rerouter (e.g., run "artsdsp tuxpaint" or "esddsp tuxpaint", instead of simply "tuxpaint").
  • Is sound disabled in Tux Paint?

    If sound seems to work otherwise (and you're sure no other program is "blocking" the sound device), then Tux Paint may be running with a "no sound" option.

    Make sure you're not running Tux Paint with the "--nosound" option as a command-line argument. (See the OPTIONS documentation for details.)

    If it's not, then check the configuration file ("/etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf" and "~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, and "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading: "nosound=yes".

    Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument: "--sound", which will override the configuration file's setting.

    Alternatively, you can use Tux Paint Config. to change the configuration file. Make sure "Enable Sound Effects" (under "Video & Sound") is checked, then click "Apply".

  • Were sounds temporarily disabled?

    Even if sounds are enabled in Tux Paint, it is possible to disable and re-enable them temporarily using the [Alt] + [S] key sequence. Try pressing those keys to see if sounds begin working again.

  • Was Tux Paint built without sound support?

    Tux Paint may have been compiled with sound support disabled. To test whether sound support was enabled when Tux Paint was compiled, run Tux Paint from a command line, like so:

    tuxpaint --version

    If, amongst the other information, you see "Sound disabled", then the version of Tux Paint you're running has sound disabled. Recompile Tux Paint, and be sure NOT to build the "nosound" target. (i.e., don't run "make nosound") Be sure the SDL_mixer library and its development headers are available!

• Tux Paint makes too much noise! Can I turn them off?

  Yes, there are a number of ways to disable sounds in Tux Paint:

  • Press [Alt] + [S] while in Tux Paint to temporarily disable sounds. (Press that key sequence again to re-enable sounds.)
  • Run Tux Paint with the "no sound" option:
    • Use Tux Paint Config to uncheck the "Enable Sound Effects" option (under "Video & Sound").
    • Edit Tux Paint's configuration file (see OPTIONS for details) and add a line containing "nosound=yes".
    • Run "tuxpaint --nosound" from the command line or shortcut or desktop icon.
    • Recompile Tux Paint with sound support disabled. (See above and INSTALL.txt.)
• The sound effects sound strange

  This could have to do with how SDL and SDL_mixer were initialized. (The buffer size chosen.)

  Please e-mail us with details about your computer system. (Operating system and version, sound card, which version of Tux Paint you're running (run "tuxpaint --version" to verify), and so on.)

Fullscreen Mode Problems

• When I run Tux Paint full-screen and ALT-TAB out, the window turns black!

  This is apparently a bug in the SDL library. Sorry.

• When I run Tux Paint full-screen, it has large borders around it

  Linux users - Your X-Window server is probably not set with the ability to switch to the desired resolution: 800×600. (or whatever resolution you have Tux Paint set to run at.) (This is typically done manually under the X-Window server by pressing [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[KeyPad Plus] and -[KeyPad Minus].)

  For this to work, your monitor must support that resolution, and you need to have it listed in your X server configuration.

  Check the "Display" subsection of the "Screen" section of your XFree86 or X.org configuration file (typically "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4" or "/etc/X11/XF86Config", depending on the version of XFree86 you're using; 3.x or 4.x, respectively, or "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" for X.org).

  Add "800x600" (or whatever resolution(s) you want) to the appropriate "Modes" line. (e.g., in the "Display" subsection that contains 24-bit color depth ("Depth 24"), which is what Tux Paint tries to use.) e.g.:

  Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

  Note that some Linux distributions have tools that can make these changes for you. Debian users can run the command "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86" as root, for example.

• Tux Paint keeps running in Full Screen mode - I want it windowed!

  The "fullscreen" option is set.

  If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're not giving it a "--fullscreen" option.

  If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the properties of the icon to see if "--fullscreen" is listed as an argument.

  If "--fullscreen" isn't on the command-line, check Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading: "fullscreen=yes".

  Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument: "--windowed", which will override the configuration file's setting.

  Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure "Fullscreen" (under "Video & Sound") is not checked.

Other Probelms

• Tux Paint won't run

  If Tux Paint aborts with the message: "You're already running a copy of Tux Paint!", this means it has been launched in the last 30 seconds. (On Unix/Linux, this message would appear in a terminal console if you ran Tux Paint from a command-line. On Windows, this message would appear in a file named "stdout.txt" in the same folder where TuxPaint.exe resides (e.g., C:\Program Files\TuxPaint).

  A lockfile ("~/.tuxpaint/lockfile.dat" on Linux and Unix, "userdata\lockfile.dat" on Windows) is used to make sure Tux Paint isn't run too many times at once (e.g., due to a child impatiently clicking its icon more than once).

  Even if the lockfile exists, it contains the 'time' Tux Paint was last run. If it's been more than 30 seconds, Tux Paint should run fine, and simply update the lockfile with the current time.

  If multiple users are sharing the directory where this file is stored (e.g., on a shared network drive), then you'll need to disable this feature.

  To disable the lockfile, add the "--nolockfile" argument to Tux Paint's command-line.

• I can't quit Tux Paint

  The "noquit" option is set. This disables the "Quit" button in Tux Paint's toolbar (greying it out), and prevents Tux Paint from being quit using the [Escape] key.

  If Tux Paint is not in fullscreen mode, simply click the window close button on Tux Paint's title bar. (i.e., the "(x)" at the upper right.)

  If Tux Paint is in fullscreen mode, you will need to use the [Shift] + [Control] + [Escape] sequence on the keyboard to quit Tux Paint.

  (Note: with or without "noquit" set, you can always use the [Alt] + [F4] combination on your keyboard to quit Tux Paint.)

• I don't want "noquit" mode enabled!

  If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're not giving it a "--noquit" option.

  If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the properties of the icon to see if "--noquit" is listed as an argument.

  If "--noquit" isn't on the command-line, check Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading: "noquit=yes".

  Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument: "--quit", which will override the configuration file's setting.

  Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure "Disable Quit Button and [Escape] Key" (under "Simplification") is not checked.

• Tux Paint keeps writing weird messages to the screen / to a text file

  A few messages are normal, but if Tux Paint is being extremely verbose (like listing the name of every rubber-stamp image it finds while loading them), then it was probably compiled with debugging output turned on.

  Rebuild Tux Paint from source. Be sure to remove or comment out any line that says:

  #define DEBUG

  in the "tuxpaint.c" file in the "src" directory.

• Tux Paint is using options I didn't specify!

  By default, Tux Paint first looks at configuration files for options.

  • Unix and Linux

    Under Unix and Linux, it first examines the system-wide configuration file, located here:

    /etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf

    It then examines the user's personal configuration file:

    ~/.tuxpaintrc

    Finally, any options sent as command-line arguments are used.

  • Windows

    Under Windows, Tux Paint first examines the configuration file:

    tuxpaint.cfg

    Then, any options sent as command-line arguments are used.

  This means that if anything is set in a configuration file that you don't want set, you'll need to either change the config. file (if you can), or override the option on the command-line.

  For example, if "/etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf" includes an option to disable sound:

  nosound=yes

  You can reenable sound by either adding this option to your own ".tuxpainrc" file:

  sound=yes

  Or by using this command-line argument:

  --sound

  Linux and Unix users can also disable the system-wide configuration file by including the following command-line argument:

  --nosysconfig

  Tux Paint will then only look at "~/.tuxpaintrc" and command-line arguments to determine what options should be set.

Help / Contact

Any questions you don't see answered? Let me know!

bill@newbreedsoftware.com

Or post to our 'tuxpaint-users' mailing list:

http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/lists/