Here you'll find solutions with many of the common problems with Cthugha, links to on-line Cthugha documentation, and answers to frequently asked questions about the Cthugha applications.

Please Note! If you send mail to cthugha@afn.org asking for help with a problem that is documented on this page, you will not get a response. In fact, you really shouldn't send questions or requests for help at all to the cthugha@afn.org address. You'll be better off asking for help in the Cthugha newsgroup.

Common Problems

Here are some of the most common problems folks have with Cthugha. These are presented in no particular order. Some problems are specific to certain platforms/versions.

Cthugha97 Problems

Check Zaph's "Troubleshooting" page for details on various problems with Cthugha97 and possible solutions.

Missing DLL File (Windows95 version)

If you attempt to run Cthugha97 you may get an error about a missing DLL file (either a DINPUT.DLL file or GLIDEx.DLL file). If you do, then you didn't read all of the instructions. Cthugha97 requires that you have DirectX 3.0 installed and will not work until you do. Also, if you downloaded the 3D version of Cthugha97, it will not work on anything but a 3DFX video card and you must have the proper GlideFX 3D drivers installed.

Links for all of these items can be found on the Cthugha97 development downloads page.

Split or Distorted Screen (DOS version)

The most common problem currently experienced is by users who are running Windows95 and initially try and run Cthugha 5.3 for DOS. Instead of being a full 320x200 pixel display, the screen gets split up into smaller, distorted pieces:

Bad, distorted image.

Good, normal image.

This is because the VESA support put into Cthugha 5.3 doesn't really work that well, especially with Windows95. The solution is to turn off the VESA support. Don't worry if you don't know what VESA means, this is a trivial task.

1. Go into the directory where you have installed Cthugha 5.3 on your hard drive.
2. Edit the file called CTHUGHA.INI in that directory. Use a plain text editor such as Notepad or the DOS EDIT command.
3. Find the line that says:
   VESA=on
   and change it to read:
   VESA=off
4. Save your changes and exit the editor.

When you next run Cthugha 5.3, the display should be a normal, un-broken image.
Note: There is no way to make the image larger in the DOS version of Cthugha.

CD Plays But Cthugha Doesn't Hear It (Windows95 and DOS versions)

When you play a CD in Cthugha, it should pick up the sound and use it to generate waveforms in real-time. If the CD plays but this doesn't happen, chances are you're soundcard is not properly hooked up to the CD-ROM drive's audio output. You'll need to check to make sure you have the correct cables attached, and that the connections are snug.

If you are running Windows95, you should also make sure that recording volumes for your CD are enabled. To do that:

1. Double-click on the sound mixer icon in your system tray (the right part of the Start bar). The icon is a small yellow speaker.
2. In the Mixer control panel that pops up, select the Options menu, and then select the Properties item.
3. In the Properties dialog box you should see a radio button labeled "Recording". Click on it.
4. At the bottom half of the Properties dialog box is a list of sound sources with checkboxes beside them. Make sure the "CD Audio" entry has its box checked!
5. Click on the "OK" button to exit the Properties dialog box and have the settings take effect.

Frequently Asked Questions (And Their Answers!)

Q: I can't get Cthugha to work on my system!! What's wrong?
A: There's all sorts of reasons why you may not be able to get Cthugha to work, depending on your hardware and what version you are running of the program.
First and foremost, read all of the documentation! I can not stress how important this is. Often, the answer to your problem will be listed in the documentation the author places with the package. If you don't have the documentation, you can download the complete Cthugha package of your choice from the archives, which should include the documentation.
If you can't find the solution to your problem there, make sure your hardware is capable of running the program. For example, the DOS version of Cthugha may technically run on a 386-based system, but it will be slow and inefficient. You can get the detailed system requirements for each version of Cthugha from the About Cthugha page.
And finally, please note that certain hardware is simply not supported by the Cthugha programs. The DOS version of Cthugha has only been written and tested with SoundBlaster and Gravis Ultra-Sound sound cards. If you have some other sound card, chances are it won't work because the support was never written in. Likewise, a non-standard Macintosh video card may cause MaCthugha to have problems.

Q: How do I make the Cthugha screen bigger/full-screen?
A: There is no re-sizing option available in the DOS version of Cthugha. The Macintosh version allows you to specify the image size in pixels upon startup, and you can enable the option to double pixels to have this fill in your screen. The Windows95 version of Cthugha allows you to choose from several resolutions from the Display Modes menu. You can resize the window in the Linux version.

Q: Whoah!! Some weird images just flashed by on my screen! Including a pot leaf! Am I being brain-washed?!!
A: No, those are just some sample .PCX image files included with the Cthugha distribution. They are displayed while the program runs at certain times in sync to music changes. The images are chosen randomly, there is no purpose behind them except to look cool. You can alter any of the .PCX image files if you feel like it, add your own or even remove any. It's up to you.

Q: Can I use Cthugha at my party/concert/rave?
A: Sure!! As long as you it isn't used in a commercial production (I.E. making a movie or music video to sell, or selling tickets for profit to the event). If you wish to use Cthugha in some manner to assist in making a profit, you will need to contact the appropriate author to get permission to do so. In the future a special registered version of Cthugha97 will be made available for those wishing to use it in professional productions.
If you have any photos or video clips of an event Cthugha has been used at, please submit it/them to us!! We'd love to add any to the Cthugha Art Gallery.

Q: Hey, I sent email to "cthugha@afn.org" and never got a response? What gives?
A: The Cthugha account on Alachua Freenet is solely for the purpose of maintaining this webpage. Email to the account should really only be about problems with the page (broken links, missing files, spelling errors, etc.) or with the Cthugha FTP archives (inaccessible files, bad archives, missing files, FTP server down, etc.). I've said it many times before but it's worth repeating:

I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF ANY CTHUGHA PROGRAM!!

As much as I wish I could have that claim to fame. Please don't send me email praising my programming ability, asking me for permission to use the programs, etc. You should direct such questions to the authors, who are more than happy to get email about Cthugha, :)
I also really don't have the time to answer e-mail with questions about how to get the programs to work.   Everything I do for the Cthugha Archives and webpage is purely voluntary, and I must place limits on what I do or I'll burn myself out. I've put as much as I could about the programs and common problems on the webpage. Remember: It's free software, and you get what you pay for. If you want lots of tech-support, you'll need to go pay someone for it.