• Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Topic: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

I have been using CrunchBang on 2 desktops for a long time. Very happy with it.

I want to install CrunchBang on a 3rd system that is currently running 64-bit Ubuntu 10.04 with an "ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver".
This driver was identified as a Proprietary driver (after the basic Ubuntu installation was done) by the Hardware Drivers application.

Before I go ahead and wipe out Ubuntu on this 3rd system, I was wondering ...
Does CrunchBang support this particular graphics driver?
If yes, how will it be identified and installed?

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

You can either install the driver from the main repos:

http://wiki.debian.org/ATIProprietary

Or you can download the Catalyst driver from the AMD website and install manually:

http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic … s-for-x64/

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Let's see your card. Post the output of 

lspci | grep VGA
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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

lspci | grep VGA

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Device 68d8

  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

A little more detail...



01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Device 68d8
        Subsystem: Dell Device 68e0
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 28
        Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        Memory at fe9e0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
        I/O ports at e000 [size=256]
        Expansion ROM at fe9c0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [a0] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
        Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information <?>
        Capabilities: [150] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
        Kernel driver in use: fglrx_pci
        Kernel modules: fglrx

  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

anonymous wrote:

You can either install the driver from the main repos:

http://wiki.debian.org/ATIProprietary

I am reading it.

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

So lspci can't determine your exact device. What does 

fglrxinfo

say?

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

sudo   fglrxinfo

display: :0.0  screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon HD 5600 Series
OpenGL version string: 3.2.9756 Compatibility Profile Context

  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

On the Ubuntu desktop, according to the Catalyst Control Center -> Display Manager -> DTV (1) -> Information:

Display Name: Dell ST2410
Graphics Adapter: ATI Radeon HD 5600 Series
Maximum Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Maximum Refresh Rate 75 Hz
Connector: HDMI

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Pf, you're good to go with that one for a long time. I suggest you don't try to install it the Debian way, it can get messy. Either use smxi, or go the safest route, installing the .run file from ATI. I find that to be the easiest and cleanest way of doing things. First you pick yourself a kernel you wanna use. Then you download the file, open a terminal, cd to the folder, and do a sudo sh ati.driver.isntaller.blabla.run

You get a GUI to complete the process, choose the default setup. If there's a kernel update or you wanna use a different kernel, you first gotta uninstall. The uninstall script will be located in /usr/share/ati, called amd-uninstall-script or something. That's it. Smxi does all that stuff for you, but even they point out that a manual install is the cleanest.

Last edited by el_koraco (2011-08-16 23:32:30)

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

el_koraco wrote:

First you pick yourself a kernel you wanna use.

I was going to use CRUNCHBANG 10 “STATLER” Openbox 64-bit.
(As opposed to the 32-bit kernel.)
Is that what you are referring to?

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

You'll get a choice of whether to use kernel 2.6.32 from Debian, or Liquorix 2.6.36. You can enable the backports repository and use 2.6.38 or 23.6.39. The thing is, when you build the driver with the ATI .run file, it will build the kernel modules for the kernel you are using at that moment, unlike Ubuntu's "Additional driver" utility, which builds kernel modules for all Ubuntu kernels.

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

On one of the existing CrunchBang systems "uname -a" shows:
Linux crunchbang1 2.6.32-5-amd64 #1 SMP Tue Jun 14 09:42:28 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux
I don't remember the reasons behind this kernel choice.

Which kernel should I choose now...
Can you point me to something that does some kind of comparisons between these kernels?

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Well, as long as you have the open-source driver, you can try any kernel you want. When you install #!, you get a script which offers to install kernel 2.6.36 Liqourix - that's a kernel fine tuned for desktop use. You can also enable the backports repository, and install kernels 2.6.38 and 2.6.39. On my system, the original Debian 2.6.32 kernel, which you have as well, wasn't playing nice with the driver, and i've had problems with higher kernels, so I'm sticking with 2.6.36 Liquorix. I wouldn't suggest enabling the backports repository, because there seems to be some problems with amd64 at the moment. So install #!, choose to isntall 2.6.36 Liquorix, see if you like that one better than 2.6.32 amd64, and if you do, stick with that one. Test whether you can suspend and resume normally, whether power management works, whether your computer is heating up and stuff like that.

But it's no problem really, uninstalling and reinstalling the driver from AMD is easy and doesn't take more than three minutes with reboots and all.

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Thanks, that is good to know.

The target Ubuntu system that I want to replace with CrunchBang is...
uname -a
Linux ubuntu14 2.6.32-33-generic #72-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 29 21:07:13 UTC 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux

It will work fine for months and then reboot or hang randomly.  Just driving me nuts.
It has no memory problems.  In fact, no visible hardware problems.
Every live CD works fine. Every memory test works fine.
I have disabled everything - screen saver, power save, etc.
There are a few threads on the Ubuntu forums about people having similar problems with this Dell system.
I have tried all recommendations from there with no success.

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

A more recent kernel might help solve some of the issues. If you do run into them, maybe we can help you here. There is a difference with regards to kernels in Ubuntu and Debian - Ubuntu tries to optimize and patch them much more, which solves some bugs on one hand, but introduces other as well.

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  • pvsage
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  • From: Section Six
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 6,003

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Um, just to let you guys know, now isn't the best time to use backports, although you can grab just the kernel (plus a few dependent upgrades) then disable backports again.
http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/post/138473/#p138473
Just don't try to dist-upgrade with backports enabled until it stops trying to break Xorg.

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

el_koraco wrote:

...The thing is, when you build the driver with the ATI .run file, it will build the kernel modules for the kernel you are using at that moment, ...

I want to also install the wine  http://www.winehq.org package.
Assuming that there are some graphics related issues here.
At what point should I install wine:

  • Immediately after CrunchBang is up and running, before the ATI run file?

  • After the ATI run file is installed and the system has been rebooted ?

  • Does it matter? If yes, how?

  • Unia
  • #! Die-hard
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  • From: The Netherlands
  • Registered: 2010-07-17
  • Posts: 2,307

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

I don't know if it matters, but I like to install the driver first and then set up the rest.

Let's do it and don't screw it.
      Github || Deviantart
  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

I also don't see why it would matter. I'd go about it in the following order. Install Crunchbang, update it, install the Liquorix kernel. Boot into the Liquorix kernel, see if everything (suspend, resume, no overheating, etc) works. Compare it with the default Debian kernel. See which one you like. Install the ATI driver with that kernel. Reboot. If everything is working, start installing stuff. If not, come back for troubleshooting big_smile

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

I installed CrunchBang several hours ago. I was playing around with it for a few hours.

Now I am using the "Linux 2.6.36-2.dmz.5-liquorix-amd64 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT Tue Dec 14 20:40:25 CST 2010" kernel.
I downloaded the ATI run file and installed it.
Rebooted the system.

sudo aticonfig   --initial=check
Check: Found fglrx section.

sudo lspci -v
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Redwood [Radeon HD 5670] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
    Subsystem: Dell Device 68e0
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 42
    Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
    Memory at fe9e0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
    I/O ports at e000 [size=256]
    Expansion ROM at fe9c0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
    Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
    Capabilities: [58] Express Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
    Capabilities: [a0] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
    Capabilities: [100] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=010 <?>
    Capabilities: [150] Advanced Error Reporting
    Kernel driver in use: fglrx_pci

So far there have been no show stopper issues.

The monitor is a Dell ST2410 and it is connected with an HDMI cable.

According to grandr, the Settings Modes is 1920x1080  60.0Hz

According to details at Dell http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod … u=320-1070
"1920x1080 maximum widescreen resolution delivers more screen real estate for efficient productivity"

So I assume that I am running at the highest possible resolution settings.
I can see the whole CrunchBang desktop clearly.
But the CrunchBang desktop is a subset of the physical screen. It does not consume the whole screen.
In other words, there is a black border on all 4 sides of the CrunchBang desktop.
The black border on the top and bottom is about half an inch thick.
The black border on the left and right is about an inch thick.

When I maximize an app like gedit, it is easy to see the black borders because the gedit has a white area.

The physical menu button on this Dell ST2410 does not provide any way to stretch the desktop to the maximum Horizontal and Vertical area of the physical screen.

I noticed this issue even before I installed the ATI run file.
I assumed that after the ATI run was installed, there would be some way to take care of this.
But I don't know how.

What should I do?

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Sorry, can't help you there really, cuz I have no experience with monitors as such. What you might try is adjust the resolution in Catalyst Control Center (ALT + F2 - gksudo amdcccle). Failing that and if you don't get any more responses here by the end of today, I suggest you open up a new thread with a more descriptive title, so as to draw the attention of more knowledgeable forums users than me.

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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Thanks el_koraco !
Once again you pointed me in the right direction.
gksudo amdcccle -> Display Manager -> DTV(1) -> Adjustments -> Scaling Options
Just hovering the mouse over the slider, I realized this would be the solution from the tool tip.
I kept adjusting the slider till the CrunchBang desktop expanded to fill up the display.
Basically I had to keep increasing the Overscan.

  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,865

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Nice. Now all you need to do is install the package 

cpufrequtils

to keep your machine nice and cool, and you should be good to go. Ubuntu has that installed by default, so you're likely to see somewhat higher temperatures in #! if you don't install it. Also, don't enable backports for the time being, and go to /usr/share/ati. You'll see the uninstall script. If you ever need to uninstall the driver (like for getting a new kernel), you need to go to that directory and run 

sudo sh amd_uninstallwhatever
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  • Registered: 2011-01-20
  • Posts: 54

Re: ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver

Just installed cpufrequtils.
Will it automatically optimize the power usage based on the activities of the CPUs? (I hope.)
Or do I need tweak it?
I am reading the details on the package.
I have no idea what to do with the cpufreq-set options.