Kivy 1.9.1 OpenGL version detection -- broken for Windows ( 7, 8, 8.1 and 10) ??

[Berlodo]

I decided to start a new thread here to save new users (and maybe some existing users ..) a lot of grief and in getting up and running with Kivy 1.9.1 on Windows running on slightly 'older' hardware graphics chipsets ..

If you get the following error :

OpenGL version detected: 1.1

 

Version: 1.1.0

Vendor: Microsoft Corporation

Renderer: GDI Generic

 

Try upgrading your graphics drivers and/or your graphics hardware in case of problems.

... then be suspicious, very suspicious       unless you have really really old graphics chipset and/or windows driver ..

A quick check to perform is to try a 3rd party OpenGL Version detector, such as   Geeks 3D Caps Viewer   from here  (damn, I tried posting the link   .... but ??)     http://www.geeks3d.com/dl/show/524   ( and, careful, watch out for all the other Big Green Dummy 'Download Now' buttons !!)

If this util shows OpenGL 2 or 2.1 compatibility then I would believe it more than I believe  Kivy 1.9.1

You could then try checking out this older 'portable' Kivy (version 1.8.0) which, after copying down to PC and unzipping, will work as a standalone 'portable' version -- you just gotta read the readme and run it from a batch file ..   You might want to take other steps to stop it interfering with an existing Windows Python 2.7 install ??

 https://kivy.org/downloads/1.8.0/         (damn it, why won't it let me post these links properly from Chrome !)

If that 1.8.0 version work OK please drop a note back to this thread ...

Ok, there could be lots of other issues stopping Kivy 1.9.1 working properly ... but the steps above worked for me ....

Berlodo.

[Berlodo]

Right, If you are experiencing the issue I've outlined with OpenGL version then I've found that there is also a 'Portable' version of Kivy at version 1.9.0   here    https://kivy.org/downloads/1.9.0/     and I've just successfully tested this on a machine with older Graphics chip ( a Dell Optiplex 780 with onboard Intel GMA 4500, see screenshots ...) which was failing with Kivy 1.9.1 installed as per instructions here   https://kivy.org/docs/installation/installation-windows.html 

There doesn't seem to be a 'portable' version for 1.9.1 ?? 

So, in conclusion, version 1.9.1, installed as per instructions failing to properly detect OpenGL 2 / 2.1 graphics hardware -- thinks it's only OpenGL 1.0, but 'Portable'  1.9.0 working on the same hardware ( tested today on Win 7 64 bit) 

Berlodo.

note: I've also seen 1.9.0 Portable work and 1.9.1 'non-Portable' fail on other Optiplex 780 with GMA 4500 driver version 8.15.10.2302, but, just to be clear this, of course, is not a windows driver issue

[Dominique Burnand]

I guess this is related to this issue: https://github.com/kivy/kivy/issues/3576
Sadly there is no solution yet.

[Berlodo]

Aha, Dominique ..... that sure looks like it alright ...... but, yes, from reading that thread I guess the Devs have worked on it and, as you say, sadly, no solution yet

Berlodo.

[mister render]

It's worth noting that this temporary fix worked on my Intel Atom integrated gfx:

from kivy import Config
Config.set('graphics', 'multisamples', '0')

[Berlodo]

Great !  Well done mister render  .... adding those 2 lines at top of  the test python script fixes the startup issue on my Dell Optiplex 780 ...... the startup message now says OpenGL 2.1.0  and Kivy basic test script opens a windows with 'Hello World' button ....... great, good workaround !!

( not to be a nitpicker, but I'm going to check that workaround on one of the other Dells here as soon as I get a chance .... I just want to be sure to be sure since I've done so much other chopping and changing away from my original setup because of all the installing/reinstalling etc. that I performed  ...... but, again, well done and your fix looks great right now ..)

[mister render]

My pleasure!

Here's another one:

If you import Window from kivy.core.window, even setting the multisamples value to 0 won't help. 

So, currently you will not be able to import Window if you need it.

[Oliver Spencer]

Sadly the same also for kivy.uix.dropdown...