ATI Radeon 5830 still sucks on linux

[Panix]

Hi Panix & Yall,

your on the money with that call. ATI management starve Linux and then bizarrely release a driver, to a cpu/gpu combo that you can not buy yet. How incompetent is that? WTF are 5850/70's not fully supported 1 year after release? Epic Fail by ATI/AMD on this issue....

I'm selling my 5850 & am now running a GTX 470, with *all the eye candy* turned on, in Debian Sid. This thing runs like liquid gold.

2.6.35 works aok, but I've rolled back to 2.6.32, because of issues on Virtual Box.

*BFN*

GreekGeek :-)

You serious?

I thought someone will post saying that I'm wrong.

What distro do you use and which method do you use to install the Nvidia driver?

[GreekGeek]

Hi Kano & Yall,

works with .37 you say? :-)

I'm running vbox Version 3.2.10 r66523, on Sid with 2.6.32-3-686-bigmem.

Lots of nasties happened when I tried this on Sid with 2.6.36-trunk-686-bigmem. The nVida drivers worked AOK.

Any tips, tricks on "sane" howtos you can point this geek of very little brain towards, would be most appreciated.

GreekGeek :-)

[Kano]

I had absolutely no problem, install dkms, then

http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/w/wireless-crda/wireless-crda_1.12_i386.deb

http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.37-rc3-natty/

all+i386 packages, all 4 in a dir, then dpkg -i *.deb

for amd64 you would need

http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/w/wireless-crda/wireless-crda_1.12_amd64.deb

[GreekGeek]

Hi Panix, Kano & Yall,

Firstly, in Debian Sid, make sure your headers/image match.

Download the drivers to some directory & hop into that.

"export CC=gcc-4.3" or (making sure you have that gcc installed too), whatever you get directed to by running the following cmd.

sh *.run

If need be, update your xorg, which the nVida installer will ask you.

Your good to FULLY use your nVida card.

Now watch with empathy, the ernest cries for help, by the guys who have ATI/AMD cards and the heroic efforts, to get the dam things running so everything works. Note, the latter is not possible in Linux.

Dammed if I know why I'm being called a "Troll." http://www.phoronix.com/ is full of disatisfied ATI/AMD & persons asking for help, particularly with video play back.... Apparently, some are offended, when this is pointed out.

Cheers muchly for that Kano, will try latter today or Friday! :-)

Now I'm off to do some things & then watch U2 this evening.

*YAY*

GreekGeek :-)

[GreekGeek]

Hi Yall & Kano,

thanks for the tip Kano and it did indeedy work as advertised, but.... I lost half of my 8 gigs of ram.

So, since I was curios I also tried out the http://www.liquorix.net/, being Greek and having a soft spot for aniseed.... ;-)

Same issue, only half my ram recognized. Interesting dilemma, since I got the ram, to help with virtual machines.

I've yet to hit the forums, to see if there is a "bigmem" version of either. Took me a while, to cycle thru those installs. It was really nice to see Tux on the boot screen again-that took me back!

Gimme a heads up, if you know of a work around?

Mr Q, strikes again with his prognostications (or ProGnoztikationz-spelling just for U ;-) )! "the catalyst 2011.1 fix the vcinc tearing (Xv-video) problem.." Having been burnt by buying a 4870 & 5850 (Thanks for the offer of a refund, on a broken product....), I will pass on the offer of a vapourware drivers. Nvida works now, period.

"Maybe later" and cagey corporate astroturfing circumlocutions, did not make my video play back on ATI/AMD kit work. Indeed, Phoronix is full of people who have paid real money, for vapourware video playback. What a rip off.

The profit motive corrupts. Absolute commitment to the profit motive, corrupts absolutely.

Time to watch Big Buck Bunny again or maybe some Star Trek.. :-)

*BFN*

GreekGeek :-)

[damentz]

Hi Yall & Kano,

thanks for the tip Kano and it did indeedy work as advertised, but.... I lost half of my 8 gigs of ram.

So, since I was curios I also tried out the http://www.liquorix.net/, being Greek and having a soft spot for aniseed.... ;-)

Same issue, only half my ram recognized. Interesting dilemma, since I got the ram, to help with virtual machines.

I've yet to hit the forums, to see if there is a "bigmem" version of either. Took me a while, to cycle thru those installs. It was really nice to see Tux on the boot screen again-that took me back!

Gimme a heads up, if you know of a work around?

GreekGeek :-)

Hi GreekGreek,

I don't offer a PAE version of the 32-bit kernel because, especially for 8 gigs, you should be running 64-bit. PAE also reduces throughput with memory operations and reduces compatibility with a lot of CPUs that are still in use today.

Besides, from what you've posted, I don't see what is stopping you from running a 64-bit distribution. Flash is now (for the second time) a native 64-bit plugin so you don't need to worry about YouTube and other video sites not working. There's nothing to lose here unless you run some archaic proprietary application... which should work anyway if you have the right 32-bit compatibility packages/libraries.

Also keep in mind that if you run a binary distribution, 64-bit builds are often faster than their 32-bit counter parts. Because the packagers know you have a modern CPU, they can assume you have certain features in your CPU to optimize their builds.

The only thing that can make life difficult on a 64-bit installation is the distribution itself. More often than not it's the distribution's lack of 32-bit compatibility packages that make running 32-bit software less than transparent. In a perfect installation, you wouldn't need to know if the software installed in your system is 32-bit or 64-bit.

As Courage Wolf once said, "When there's nothing to lose, THERE'S ONLY GAIN!!"

[GreekGeek]

Hi Quaridarium & Damentz,

thanks for the heads up Q and I will believe, when I hear that it works. Guru Gbeauche, said someplace hereabouts (I spent to much time on there forums, trying to get that POS working....), that he doubts that time frame you suggest. Five years ago, we said it would be all together by now on the FGLRX.... Still a basket case driver, for video. To quote the Ghostbusters, "Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown!" I love my EVGA GTX 470. :-)

Thanks for the great work on the Liquorix kernels, Damentz. I did not post a question on your forums, cause upon searching, I saw it answered. Thanks for posting here! :-)

I had come around to the decision of trying again, an AMD64 install. My xmouse break starts in a couple of weeks, so will give that a try then.

Have you heard muchly, about the Debian AMD64 compatibility packages actual compatibility performance, perchance?

GreekGeek :-)

[GreekGeek]

Hi Damentz & Yall,

thanks muchly for the tip to try AMD64 again. It is working a treat with your http://www.liquorix.net kernels.

The system is responsive and VirtualBox purrs along.

The only issue I had along the way, which slowed down the show, was my onboard NIC failing at the time of the OS install. When I finally got to the point of figuring that is why the network was a notwork, then the install flew along as Debian installs normally do.

Now if only the ATI/AMD drivers fully worked, then many Tuxian geeks would have a Merry xmouse indeed! My yearly wish again....

"Dear Santa, please let the AMD BOD smell the coffee and put more devs into the Tuxian driver team!" ;-)

Now, wouldn't it bee funny if suddenly all these bags of coffee (Just Coffee!), started arriving @ AMD's Head Office???? ;-)

*BFN*

GreekGeek :-)