Difficulties with ATI 4890 installing drivers.

English Install/Boot/Login
1

I have only recently gotten OpenSUSE 11.2 x64 (about 2 weeks ago). It is the first time that I am ever trying Linux by myself. For those most part, my hardware works just fine. OpenSUSE is largely stable, save for a few crashes by an application called Plasma, which I have read is a part of KDE 4.3.5, which I am using, which is not yet 100% mature.

Anyways, one problem for me is getting my ATI Catalyst Driver to install for my HD 4890. I have downloaded the Linux version, logged in as root, and tried to compile a custom driver for my PC. However, the thing won’t compile for whatever reason and give me the desired rpm when I use the “sh” command and go through the installer. I did a search for the log and I found that it just says error and that it won’t install. According to several members on the forum, I am not the only one with this problem and that the Catalyst drivers by ATI are not up to par.

2

Did you install the kernel-source and gcc compiler? In general you need these to install by hand.

3

GCC and Kernel source were installed beforehand, along with the x86 drivers.

I tried reinstalling the 32 bit drivers without success.

4

You can not use 32bit video drivers with a 64bit kernel.

5

I meant that you needed to have built the 32 bit drivers first before using the 64 bit.

6

I don’t think so. But then I use NVIDIA. I have never seen any where that you need to build 32 drivers for a 64bit install of video. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.

7

You need to install the kernel source, headers and symbols. Then you should be able to run the standard driver installation routine.

I have however found that with the driver version 10.1, X fails to start the next reboot. The reason is that the ATI tools (CCC and probably also aticonfig) replace dots in decimal numbers with commas (at least on a German localization of OpenSUSE 11.2 64 bits). So everytime you change settings with CCC, you will have to edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf in super user mode and replace all commas in all modeline statements with dots.

Thanks ATI.

I am seriously considering switching to NVidia the next time I’m gonna purchase gfx hardware. We’ll see how Fermi will perform when it’ll be available.

8

No, certainly not. As a general rule, no 32-bit driver will run on a 64-bit OS due to the different architecture. Any attempt to do so is destined to fail.

For a 64-bit system, you need the 64-bit drivers, and only the 64-bit drivers.

Besides that, if you’re new to Linux, I strongly recommend you install the Ati drivers from the repository:
Connect to the internet (if you aren’t already), open Yast, click on “Software Repositories”, click on “Add”, then “Specify Url” and “Next”. Now, for the name, enter “Ati drivers”, and for the Url, enter:

http://www2.ati.com/suse/11.2/

Click next to confirm, then close the Repositories window. Now click on “Software Management”, enter “fglrx” into the searchbox and click “Search”.
From the results, select “x11-video-fglrxG02” for the 4890 and click on “Accept”. It will automatically select the kernel module that you need, confirm to have it installed as well. Reboot and you’re done.

9

I have quickly realized that ATI drivers aren’t too great, even for Windows.

The problem is that ATI has a much better price to performance ratio than Nvidia nowadays.

The GTS 250 and all of the rebrands are just GTX 9800s. ATI 4850s run circles around them most of the time for $100 and for $150, you have the 4870. So does the 4890 if you’re willing to spend $200.

For $300, you can get either a HD 5850 or a GTX 275. The 5850 runs circles around it.

For $400, you have either the 5870 or 285. No competition there. The 5870 rules.

At $600, you have either the GTX 295 or 5970. Again no chance of winning for Nvidia.

The word is that Fermi is a 512 shader monster. In which case, it is likely to be over $600.

If only ATI would improve their drivers, they’d be awesome!

10

Same as Windows then. Anyways, I’ve uninstalled openSUSE and installed Mint. I’m going to triple boot Windows 7, Mint, and SUSE.

Right now, I am working with Mint. It seems to like my hardware more. And when I install from source, it seems to examine all of the dependencies and install them for me. I suppose that is why everyone recommends that when you start Linux, start with Ubuntu or its derivatives. It’s funny because I have a friend whose laptop utterly rejects all Debian based distros, whether KDE or Gnome or Xfce, x86 or x64, but has no problem with SUSE, Fedora, etc.

11

Did you succese to install ATI driver?
I found an easy way to install the driver.Select the three package-group on while you installing the openSUSE: 32bit run-time envirorment, kernel development and the general development. Then the driver should install or auto-compile itself.
BTW, it may need to reinstall the driver again after updated system kernel.

12

There’s a simple script to rebuild the driver after a kernel update. Simply open a konsole window, enter su to become root, enter init 3 to shutdown X, then enter fglrx-kernel-build.sh to rebuild the driver. Once done, enter init 6 to reboot.