installed houdini-9.0.794-linux_i686-gcc4.1.7z
installation seemed to work fine.

here is part of my install:

INSTALLATION VERIFICATION

The chosen installation directory
/opt/hfs9.0.794
does not exist.

Create this directory for installation of software?
(Choosing ‘n’ will allow you to go back to the previous menu)

Create Directory (y or n) ==> y













Creating installation directory
Creation successful.
Performing final check























Here are the choices you have made so far:

Modules chosen to install:
houdini license-tools

Location for installation:
/opt/hfs9.0.794

Disk Space Required for installation:
421 Mbytes

Choose yes to proceed with the installation.
Otherwise you may return to the choice menu to change your selections.

Would you like to start the installation? (y or n) ==> y








420620K is the space required to install selections…
109162060K is available on /opt/hfs9.0.794

Commencing installation of selected modules.
This may take a few minutes…

Installing: Houdini in /opt/hfs9.0.794
Houdini install successful

Ready to install Houdini License Manager (sesinetd).

Do you want to proceed? (y or n) ==> y

Installing: Side Effects License Management Tools
Creating /usr/lib/sesi
chmod 775 /usr/lib/sesi

Checking for running server… It has to be stopped before
we can install the new version

Unpacking files…
* Stopping Houdini License server sesinetd

* Starting Houdini License server sesinetd

Please install licenses using the Houdini License Administrator
(hkey). Start hkey by first changing to the directory where
houdini is installed and then running:

source houdini_setup
hkey

License tools have now been installed.


Houdini 9.0 Installation completed.


Please read /opt/hfs9.0.794/Readme.txt
for instructions on how to run Houdini.


We hope you enjoy using Houdini 9.0
Thank you.

*************
then I go to the install directory do the environ setup and run the program
like this:
lhcj@brownie:~$ cd /opt
lhcj@brownieopt$ ls
hfs9.0.794 jdk1.6.0_02 netbeans-5.5.1
lhcj@brownieopt$ cd hfs9.0.794
lhcj@brownieopt/hfs9.0.794$ source houdini_setup_bash
The Houdini 9.0.794 environment has been initialized.
lhcj@brownieopt/hfs9.0.794$ houdini
lhcj@brownieopt/hfs9.0.794$ X11 Error (3): BadWindow (invalid Window parameter)
x11_ErrorHandler(_XDisplay*, XErrorEvent*) (X11_GeneratorThread.C:0)
_XError (??:0)
_XReply (??:0)
XGetWindowProperty (??:0)
RE_XServer::getProperty(unsigned long, unsigned long, unsigned long, unsigned long*) (??:0)
RE_XServer::getWorkArea() (??:0)
UI_Window::determineWindowSizeBounds() (??:0)
UI_Window::doSize() (??:0)
UI_Feel::setSizeP(int, int) (??:0)
UI_LayoutManager::layoutFeel(UI_Feel*, int, int) (??:0)
UI_Feel::layoutP(int, int, bool) (??:0)
X11_Window::doOpen() (??:0)
UI_Queue::processNextEvent() (??:0)
UI_Queue::drain() (??:0)
UI_Queue::eventLoop() (??:0)
main (??:0)
(sent by pid 12)r: Segmentation Fault
Crash log saved to /tmp/crashlog_lhcj
X11 Error (3): BadWindow (invalid Window parameter)
x11_ErrorHandler(_XDisplay*, XErrorEvent*) (X11_GeneratorThread.C:0)
_XError (??:0)
_XReply (??:0)
XGetWindowProperty (??:0)
RE_XServer::getProperty(unsigned long, unsigned long, unsigned long, unsigned long*) (??:0)
RE_XServer::getWorkArea() (??:0)
UI_Window::determineWindowSizeBounds() (??:0)
UI_Window::doSize() (??:0)
UI_Feel::setSizeP(int, int) (??:0)
UI_LayoutManager::layoutFeel(UI_Feel*, int, int) (??:0)
UI_Feel::layoutP(int, int, bool) (??:0)
X11_Window::doOpen() (??:0)
UI_Queue::processNextEvent() (??:0)
UI_Queue::drain() (??:0)
UI_Queue::eventLoop() (??:0)
main (??:0)
(sent by pid 12)r: Segmentation Fault
Crash log saved to /tmp/crashlog_lhcj

**************

here is my crash log

Crash report from lhcj; Unknown App Version 9.0.794
Traceback from Sat Dec 8 19:58:30 2007
Caught signal 11
AP_Interface::coredumpHandler(UTsignalHandlerArg) (??:0)
UT_Signal::processSignal(int, siginfo*, void*) (??:0)
RE_XServer::getWorkArea() (??:0)
RE_XServer::getWorkArea() (??:0)
UI_Window::doSize() (??:0)
UI_Feel::setSizeP(int, int) (??:0)
UI_LayoutManager::layoutFeel(UI_Feel*, int, int) (??:0)
UI_Feel::layoutP(int, int, bool) (??:0)
X11_Window::doOpen() (??:0)
UI_Queue::processNextEvent() (??:0)
UI_Queue::drain() (??:0)
UI_Queue::eventLoop() (??:0)
main (??:0)

any help ????
unfortunately, I am not very good at linux.
But I am so pleased this is available.

thanks

The first thing to do when reporting such troubles is describing your environment/hardware: what graphic card (it looks like an X/OGL problem so it might be related to that), what chipset/memory, what window manager (is it Gnome, KDE or something else?). Do you have Compiz/Beryl on (because it should be disabled for Houdini to work)?

Dragos

Yes, turn off the Compiz window manager, that should help but not necessarily resolve all the problems. 7.10 automatically setups Compiz and Houdini doesn't work with it.
Go to Preferences/Desktop Effects and turn off Compiz