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ATI drivers fubar, always

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  • ATI drivers fubar, always

    A typical recent experience on a standard FC6 x86_64 laptop:

    - download latest drivers from ATI website
    - build FC6 rpms
    - sudo cp xorg.conf xorg.confwhichworks
    - sudo rpm -Uvh *rpm
    - logout, login
    - fglrxinfo

    and some info appears about Mesa indirect driver being used.

    Yawn.

    - waste time researching on Internet
    - add additional lines to xorg.conf
    - logout, login
    - fglrxinfo

    and ATI drivers appear to be loaded.

    Progress.

    - googleearth

    and GE freezes at start up screen, consuming all CPU resources.

    F**k.

    - sudo rpm -e
    - sudo cp xorg.confwhichworks xorg.conf
    - logout, login

    A few notes on this pointless exercise:

    * Why does one have to edit xorg.conf manually? If *any* additional lines are needed, these should be added automatically to xorg.conf by the rpm installation script. That?s one of the purposes of an installation script. If any user tweaking may be required, comments should also be added to xorg.conf by the installation script and a warning message should appear at the end of rpm installation about reading those comments.

    * I have been having bad experiences with ATI?s proprietary drivers not for days, not for weeks, not for months, but for years. They seem to undergo constant development and yet never work.

    * The only reason I need proprietary drivers is for Google Earth. Many others are in the same boat. But Google Earth doesn?t work with ATI?s drivers (it does work with nvidia?s).

    * And compiz doesn?t work with ATI.

    * And, historically, other applications have not worked with ATI.

    * One of my other boxes has an nvidia card which just works and has always just worked. Add livna to repos. Use yum to install nvidia drivers. Bob?s your uncle.

    I suppose the lesson to be learned from this is never to use ATI hardware if you are a linux user. Pity I can?t upgrade my notebook?s graphics card.
    Last edited by relent; 15 April 2007, 03:12 AM.
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