ATI Drivers

English Hardware
#1

I know this is an issue, as I’ve seen a lot of posts on it, but I just wanted to check something. I’ve been fideling around with Linux for a couple weeks now. Just trying to figure it out. I started with Fedora and found it pretty difficult and came to OpenSUSE last night. Wow, this is great. Installation of packages and just the overall OS is very usable and easy to figure out. At least for the most part. I think fiddling around with Fedora helped as well as it taught me a bit of the terminology and get used to linux as a whole. I just wanted to say good job though to all who contribute to this because I have used windows forever and I actually found the installation of OpenSUSE to be much easier then XP and in comparison to my other linux experience much easier then Fedora as well which was a very pleasant surprise.

So, my issue is, and I had a similar problem with Fedora, I can’t seem to install the ATI drivers. I tried the one click option from the website but I got the following error.

nothing provides libstdc ++.so.5

I thought about just searching for that package and installing it but I see a few posts online that indicate that this has crashed peoples systems and since every time I installed the ATI Drivers on Fedora it crashed it. OpenSUSE is really running pretty well, other then video playback being choppy, I canceled the install. Should I try to get the ATI drivers installed and any packages that are needed for that or just leave well enough alone? I am installing them for an ATI Radeon HD2400pro on an old Compaq Presario S5000NX 2.5ghz Celeron w/ 1gb of RAM.

#2

I would give it a go like this: Use the RPMs, not the one-click, not the down-loadable sources that you compile. The advantage of the RPMs is that you can so easily uninstall them and revert to the non-installed situation. So that way, if it doesn’t work, nothing is lost.

#3

So, by use the rpms you mean just to download each individual rpm, find the directory it’s in and do an rpm -i in the terminal then? Or just look for them on YaST? How do I know which RPMs exactly to install? I tried looking for some of the software listed on the “hard way” instructions but wasn’t able to find all of them.

#4

First find your kernel descriptor with this console command:

uname -r

For example I get this dialogue:

john@hpnote111:~> uname -r
2.6.27.29-0.1-default

So my kernel descriptor is “default”. Other variants exist like “pae”. Write yours down.
You add the community repository for ATI into your list of active repositories. Go To Yast → Software → Software Repositories. Click +Add → Community Repositories → Next → ATI.

Then use Yast → Software → Software Management and search on fglrx. Install “x11-video-fglrxG01” and “ati-fglrxG01-kmp-xyzabc” where xyzabc is your kernel descriptor.

That’s what I meant.

The advantage of this formal method is that you can easily remove the ATI drivers with a few clicks in Yast.

#5

Ok, I think I understand a little better. Just a couple more questions. Sorry for being so dense on this. I don’t see anything in YaST that reads “software” or “software management” I am in YaST2 would it have a different option or are they two different applications?

#6

If you are in yast(2) where you get all the options to set up or change things, you are in the right place.
If you start yast from a command line in a console login as root, you would type yast and then enter.
If you start yast form a command line as root in an x-session, you would type yast2.
Yast is the non gui version and yast2 is the gui version.
Once in yast, click/choose software–>Software Repositories. Click +Add → Community Repositories → Next → ATI.

#7

I thought that I had already added that repository and I aw there was an ATI repository on YaST2. The RPMs you referred to. I installed them and rebooted which is what was recommended when I finished but when I reboot it gets through the splash screen and then I get nothing but a blank screen. This is kind of the same thing that was happening when I added these to Fedora as well. Is there a way to repair the install with out doing a complete reinstall, I’ve got some things saved on there that I’d rather not lose, or should I just format the hard drive and start over.

#8

OK, you have hopefully installed the drivers.
Reboot and at the grub boot, type 3 to start in runlevel 3.
At the console login, login as root and enter:
/usr/bin/aticonfig --initial
Then enter:
sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx
to configure the display.
If you do a search, there are many how-to threads on ati configuration.

#9

OK, again, sorry for the added post. I did do a search and see that there were threads on this the biggest issue with that is jut deciphering what applies to me and understanding the terminology well enough to use things. I did what you suggested and ran the aticonfig --initial but got an error stating that no X-Server is running. After that it tried starting another one and looked like it started the devices but then stated

xc: sorry could not start configuration server
xc: for details refer to the log file

I was going to post the log but I can’t seem to find it

Well all that being said I just rebooted and it started up so I really have no clue what is going on now. How do I check to see if the drivers were installed properly?

#10

Open a terminal and post result of

cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
#11

Sorry it’s kind of long. I wasn’t sure what was important and what wasn’t so I just copied the whole thing.

EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 16
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 24
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 8
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
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

#12

Do it again, that is only a small part of the file

#13

Is this more what it should look like?

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 “glx”
Load “dbe”
Load “extmod”
Load “dri”
Load “freetype”
EndSection

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “ZapWarning” “on”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Keyboard[0]”
Driver “kbd”
Option “Protocol” “Standard”
Option “XkbLayout” “us”
Option “XkbModel” “microsoftpro”
Option “XkbRules” “xfree86”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Mouse[1]”
Driver “mouse”
Option “Buttons” “5”
Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
Option “Name” “ImPS/2 Logitech Wheel Mouse”
Option “Protocol” “explorerps/2”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5”
EndSection

Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Monitor[0]”
VendorName “RDS”
ModelName “MONITOR”
UseModes “Modes[0]”
DisplaySize 305 230
HorizSync 30.0 - 62.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 75.0
Option “DPMS”
Option “PreferredMode” “1280x720”
EndSection

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

Section “Device”

#BusID “2:0:0”
Identifier “Device[0]”
Driver “radeonhd”
VendorName “ATI”
BoardName “ATI Radeon HD 2400”
Option “monitor-VGA_1” “Monitor[0]”
EndSection

Section “Device”

#BusID “PCI:2:0:0”
Identifier “aticonfig-Device[0]-0”
Driver “fglrx”
BusID “PCI:2:0:0”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen[0]”
Device “Device[0]”
Monitor “Monitor[0]”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 15
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 16
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 24
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
EndSubSection
SubSection “Display”
Virtual 3840 1200
Depth 8
Modes “1280x720” “1280x600” “1024x600” “800x600” “768x576” “640x480”
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

#14

Please Open Yast - Hardware - Graphics and Monitor

In there is a check box for 3D
Is it checked? If not try checking it, if it will let you. Report back on this.

also

Try this in a terminal and tell me what happens: glxgears

#15

When I hit graphics and monitors in YaST it opened SaX2 and it looks like the activate 3D acceleration button is checked already but it is greyed out I can’t really check it or uncheck it. When I ran the glxgears it ran a graphic of some gears for a bit and when I closed that it gave me this.

3778 frames in 5.0 seconds = 755.425 FPS
3762 frames in 5.0 seconds = 752.260 FPS
XIO: fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server “:0.0”
after 40 requests (40 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

#16

Ignore the error.
It looks OK. How does it seem to you?

#17

The only thing I notice is the end of your xorg file, should normally have this after the last bit you posted

Section "Extensions"
  Option       "Composite" "on"
EndSection
#18

It seems ok. Video is still kind of choppy but it’s an old card and PCI for that matter too so it’s probably not ever going to be perfect. I mean I’d like it to be as good as it can be which is why I’m going through this but I recognize that I’m running things on an older system as well. I did notice that in SaX2 if I tried to change anything and test it I get an error that reads,

"x configuration data incomplete in file/var/lib/sax/xorg.conf undefined screen “aticonfig-screen[0]0” reference by server layout “layout all”

I don’t really know what that is in reference to.

#19

Being able to play a DVD would probably be a good measure of how it’s doing but I can’t seem to get VLC to see my DVD drive.

#20

Please Open Yast - Hardware - Graphics and Monitor

And post a screen shot of it