trouble with my graphics card (linux noob)

[solieb]

hi all, i have just been getting used to opensuse 11.1 (needed it for programming on netbeans for university)

so far i have been quite impressed with the layout and functionality of linux, i have sorted afew issues out myself (drivers for network, sound card etc.), but there is one thing i just cant get my head round and that is the graphics driver.

i have an ati radeon 4870, so i have tried to install catalyst off the amd site (it didnt work), tried getting the radeon tool (from this site) and im still at a dead end. for instance when i install through YAST i can never find the program it installed. and when i do it through the terminal it gives up half way through the installation

one of my main problems is that im not very clued up on the functionality of linux, i have read that there is known problems with ati graphics cards and linux, but i cant seem to sort it out by myself.

has anyone else had similar problems?

apologies in advance for my noobish knowledge of linux

[microchip8]

This may help, yes?. ATI - openSUSE

Sorry, can't offer much help on ATi issues. I always use nvidia which currently is lightyears away from ATi's drivers

[solieb]

thanks for the quick reply, i tried those steps (i should mentioned this in my first post) and the part where i have to enter the code:

init 3
SaX2 -r -m 0=fglrx

terminal returns a message saying they are already system files
('Program 'init' is present in package 'sysvinit', which is installed on your system.')

basically i do not get the result from that guide. am i doing something wrong?

alex

[microchip8]

that's very odd that you get such message so you really must be doing something.
Try this:

- hit CTRL+ALT+F1
- login there as root user (root -> root's passwd)
- type init 3
- execute the SaX command above
- reboot system

[tcubed_bus]

Hi-

When you ran the .run file from ATI's site, and entered

aticonfig --initial

, and rebooted, what was in your /usr/share/ati/fgrlx-install.log file?

Just FYI, ATI's installation notes advise against running sax2.

I have been running fglrx drivers with no problems on my AMD64 box with a radeon 2600 board. I see 4200fps from glxgears.

Hope this helps.

[solieb]

microchip8: i try those commands and terminal just tells me they are already installed on the system.

i type:

init 3

(hit return)

and it just tells me the command and its presence on the system.

tcubed_bus: contents of that file are as follows:

[Message] Kernel Module : Trying to install a precompiled kernel module.
[Message] Kernel Module : Precompiled kernel module version mismatched.
[Error] Kernel Module : Kernel module build environment not found - please consult readme.

im guessing this means there was an error, or the file is empty from the installation?

regards, alex

[microchip8]

this is very odd that it tells you such things when you type init 3. I've never seen such a thing. You can however reboot and at the boot screen, in the options bar, type 3 - yes, just 3 and it'll take you to runlevel 3

as for the build environment, you need to install the kernel sources and gcc/make, etc basically the basic build environment. In yast, when you switch to patterns, you can select it there (kernel development or similar, can't recall atm as I don't use patterns)

[tcubed_bus]

Originally Posted by solieb

....
please consult readme.
I'm guessing this means there was an error, or the file is empty from the installation?

regards, alex

Hi-
ATI actually does a pretty good job of describing the prerequisites for an fglrx installation. The same web site with the drivers has the installation notes.

I have all the required software, so I just get in the .run file, run it, accept all the defaults, do aticonfig --initial, and reboot. No sax2.

It has worked fine for the past 7 versions of fglrx.

HTH