Radeon is the most buggy graphic card

[ket_nn]

I made one of the biggest mistakes - I changed old and progressively dying NVidia for Asus ATI Radeon HD 4670. This makes up my life.
I never expected that Radeon is so hardly installed.

I tried that: ATI - openSUSE
and that: No luck with Radeon HD 4870 and fglrx - Page 2 - openSUSE Forums for installation and troubleshouting.
I tried the original ATI driver and Catalyst => the command "sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx" gives black screen and locks up the rig. The driver from one of the SuSE repositories after installation and "sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx" affords funny parti-colored screen,but doesnt freeze the machine.
I tried many times to play around - in one case the driver installed and the X started, but the fglrx module was not loaded.

Now I'm running VESA driver, and the fglrx module is loaded:
------------------------
lsmod | grep fglrx
fglrx 2447968 0
------------------------
hwinfo --gfxcard ¦ card
11: PCI 8100.0: 0300 VGA compatible controller (VGA)
[Created at pci.310]
UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_1002_9490
Unique ID: rESj.MP_+tC9em7D
Parent ID: Exw8.wxFwtL2jas4
SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:80/0000:80:0e.0/0000:81:00.0
SysFS BusID: 0000:81:00.0
Hardware Class: graphics card
Model: "ATI VGA compatible controller"
Vendor: pci 0x1002 "ATI Technologies Inc"
Device: pci 0x9490
SubVendor: pci 0x1043 "ASUSTeK Computer Inc."
SubDevice: pci 0x0294
Driver: "fglrx_pci"
Driver Modules: "fglrx"
Memory Range: 0xd0000000-0xdfffffff (rw,prefetchable)
Memory Range: 0xc0900000-0xc090ffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
I/O Ports: 0x4000-0x4fff (rw)
Memory Range: 0xc0920000-0xc093ffff (ro,prefetchable,disabled)
IRQ: 19 (29587 events)
I/O Ports: 0x3c0-0x3df (rw)
Module Alias: "pci:v00001002d00009490sv00001043sd00000294bc03sc0 0i00"
Driver Info #0:
Driver Status: fglrx is active
Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe fglrx"
Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
Attached to: #12 (PCI bridge)
------------------------

glxinfo
name of display: :0.0
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 143 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 14
Current serial number in output stream: 14
------------------------

Please, can someone tell me what's goning on ???

Thnx

[whych]

I have found that radeons and kvm's don't go well together.
Try booting into single user mode (type 3 on the grub bootup screen) and then log in as root.
Now type: /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial or /usr/X11R6/bin/aticonfig --initial.
Now run sax2 to set up the card.
I have also found that setting the vga= line in the bootup to vga=0x31a gives a 1280x1024 boot up and makes it easier to sync the monitor.

[ket_nn]

Originally Posted by whych

I have found that radeons and kvm's don't go well together.
Try booting into single user mode (type 3 on the grub bootup screen) and then log in as root.
Now type: /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial or /usr/X11R6/bin/aticonfig --initial.
Now run sax2 to set up the card.
I have also found that setting the vga= line in the bootup to vga=0x31a gives a 1280x1024 boot up and makes it easier to sync the monitor.

I tried the both. No success.
I recompiled kernel without KVM. Doesn't help. "sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx" locks up the machine completely in all cases.

Then I uninstalled native ATI driver & Catalyst and reinstalled the Suse Community driver. "aticonfig --initial" and "sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx"It gives a bit better result - it does not lock up the machine (vide supra) but renders a screen where I can see like four quadrants each one containing one and the same blured image, and the loading of the xserver is continuing, cause I get the diagnostic sound.
The content of the xorg.conf is:

# /.../
# SaX generated X11 config file
# Created on: 2009-07-02T20:04:32+0200.
#
# Version: 8.1
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005
# Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>
#
# Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout[all]"
Screen 0 "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
Option "Clone" "off"
Option "Xinerama" "off"
EndSection

Section "Files"
InputDevices "/dev/gpmdata"
InputDevices "/dev/input/mice"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/local"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/URW"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Speedo"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/PEX"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/kwintv"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/xtest"
FontPath "/opt/kde3/share/fonts"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "extmod"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
Option "ZapWarning" "on"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard[0]"
Driver "kbd"
Option "Protocol" "Standard"
Option "XkbLayout" "fr"
Option "XkbModel" "pc102"
Option "XkbOptions" "caps:shiftlock"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse[1]"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Buttons" "9"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Name" "ImExPS/2 Logitech Explorer Mouse"
Option "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
Option "Vendor" "Sysp"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
Identifier "Modes[0]"
ModeLine "1600x1200" 162.0 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 +hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
VendorName "SAM"
ModelName "SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER"
UseModes "Modes[0]"
DisplaySize 408 306
HorizSync 30.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 75.0
Option "CalcAlgorithm" "XServerPool"
Option "DPMS"
Option "PreferredMode" "1280x960"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device[0]"
Driver "fbdev"
VendorName "VESA"
BoardName "Framebuffer Graphics"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
Driver "fglrx"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Device "Device[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "default"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"
Device "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
Monitor "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Group "video"
Mode 0660
EndSection
----------------------------------------------

And the fglrx daemon is not loaded (lsmod | grep fglrx renders nothing).

Unfortunately, I'm not able to turn SaX2 back to using VESA driver. Sax2 doesnt boot, for instance, SaX2 -a and then SaX2 doesnt help.
Only the uninstalling of the driver enables running X with VESA...

I do not understand what's going on. ATI must pay me for my wasted time and all these troubles. More, they have to highlight everywhere that their graphic cards are NOT suitable for Linux (in most cases: see, how many complaints are on the forum).
Merde.

[whych]

Ket_nn
>I do not understand what's going on. ATI must pay me for my >wasted time and all these troubles. More, they have to highlight >everywhere that their graphic cards are NOT suitable for Linux >(in most cases: see, how many complaints are on the forum).
>Merde.

Welcome to linux and the surprises! We all do a lot of unpaid work for the major vendors. In the early days linux was for geeks and you had to know exactly what hardware you had and for it to even install and then for Xwindows, exactly what your moonitor's specs were.
Thankfully most of that has changed.

I would either try:
1. Start in run level 3 and then type the aticonfig --initial and then configure sax2. If you get sax to run, start with a vesa monitor at 60 hz.

or

2. run it all by unplugging the monitor from the kvm and plugging it all into the pc and starting afresh.

Some of the cheaper kvm's don't allow a pass through for the monitor and the same goes for some of the high end ones (my old hp/compaq rackmount one is the same - it was designed for a max screen of 1024x768) and this messes up sax's autodetect routine.

[ket_nn]

Originally Posted by whych

Ket_nn
>I do not understand what's going on. ATI must pay me for my >wasted time and all these troubles. More, they have to highlight >everywhere that their graphic cards are NOT suitable for Linux >(in most cases: see, how many complaints are on the forum).
>Merde.

Welcome to linux and the surprises! We all do a lot of unpaid work for the major vendors. In the early days linux was for geeks and you had to know exactly what hardware you had and for it to even install and then for Xwindows, exactly what your moonitor's specs were.
Thankfully most of that has changed.

I would either try:
1. Start in run level 3 and then type the aticonfig --initial and then configure sax2. If you get sax to run, start with a vesa monitor at 60 hz.

or

2. run it all by unplugging the monitor from the kvm and plugging it all into the pc and starting afresh.

Some of the cheaper kvm's don't allow a pass through for the monitor and the same goes for some of the high end ones (my old hp/compaq rackmount one is the same - it was designed for a max screen of 1024x768) and this messes up sax's autodetect routine.

Sorry, I didn't get what is kvm . Normally, it is "Kernel-based Virtual Machine". Is it in your case keyboard-mouse-video ?
thnx

[whych]

KVM here is for a Keyboard, Video, Monitor switch.

[ket_nn]

In this context what the the following means :

2. run it all by unplugging the monitor from the kvm and plugging it all into the pc and starting afresh.
?

sorry

[whych]

knet_nn
Make sure that your monitor is directly connected to the pc - ie it doesn't have any keyboard, video, mouse switch in the loop.
Boot to run level 3
login as root and run /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial.
Next configure sax by typing: sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx
(The 0 is number zero not a letter)

Once you have monitor configured, exit sax and type startx to get the xServer running.
If everything is fine, reboot and login as usual.

If you are still having problems, use yast in level 3 to remove the ati repo driver and download and install the ati driver from their site.
Do the automated install in run level 3. Make sure you have first downloaded the latest kernel development for your kernel (also from yast.)

[ket_nn]

Originally Posted by whych

knet_nn
Make sure that your monitor is directly connected to the pc - ie it doesn't have any keyboard, video, mouse switch in the loop.
Boot to run level 3
login as root and run /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial.
Next configure sax by typing: sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx
(The 0 is number zero not a letter)

Once you have monitor configured, exit sax and type startx to get the xServer running.
If everything is fine, reboot and login as usual.

If you are still having problems, use yast in level 3 to remove the ati repo driver and download and install the ati driver from their site.
Do the automated install in run level 3. Make sure you have first downloaded the latest kernel development for your kernel (also from yast.)

Thanks much for the tip, but this doesn't work. I tried to reinstall the driver using yast2 (in addition I installed all the packages from the list of the kernel development menu).
The "sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx" gives again a screen composed of 4 quadrants - a sort of blured pink & black picture in each quadrant. No progress. Thus, I had to shut it with ctrl-alt-del. Surprisingly, the yast2-mediated deinstallation of the fglrx drivers removed some configuration files (an authority issue) of the xorg server, thus, I had to reinstall it...
What can I say. These drivers are not compatible with the card I have (Asus HD4670).
If somebody would like to buy my graphic card (it is brand new), I can sell this **** for 40-50 euros (the origonal price 67 euros in France)...

[ket_nn]

We may want to contact ATI, saying that they must publish on the ASUS site that their cards/drivers are not compatible with the Linux 64bit environment.