ATI 8.38.6 and Ubuntu

[cddot]

Has anyone tried installing this on Ubuntu? According to the instructions from the download, all you need to do is run the script: sh ./ati-driver-installer-8.38.6-x86.x86_64.run, and a window should pop-up for you to select a few options. But I don't get any windows? It does run and display some info about uncompressing etc and that's it. And no windows.

[d2kx]

Open /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common and add "fglrx" to DISABLED_MODULES="". Then install
sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential debconf dh-make fakeroot gcc-3.4 libstdc++5 module-assistant
Then
chmod +x ati-driver-installer-8.38.6-x86.x86_64.run
./ati-driver-installer-8.38.6-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg Ubuntu/feisty (or edgy, whatever)
dpkg -i xorg-driver-fglrx* fglrx-kernel-source* fglrx-amdcccle*
m-a prepare
m-a update
m-a a-i fglrx
depmod -a
Then change /etc/X11/xorg.conf from using "vesa" to "fglrx" and add
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AIGLX" "off"
EndSection
at the bottom.

[AdamG]

d2kx's instructions are correct. It wasn't suggested to use aticonfig --initial, which you may find on other boards and how-to's but as a warning, don't do it with this driver!!! I just installed this driver last week on a friends machine and used the --initial option (somehow editing xorg was too much to ask at the moment) and there's a bug. It kills your xorg.conf file entirely, I had to rewrite my own. The new driver should be released today (8.38.7) with a patch to fix this.
Changing the 'vesa' to 'fglrx' is all that aticonfig--initial really does anyway. btw, you might see 'ati' instead of 'vesa'. Long story short, get to know your xorg.conf file. when you get it working, back it up.
thanks to d2kx, though. I was previously unaware abbreviating modulae assistant to m-a. Now I can save those extra keystrokes to write nasty messages to ATI about AIGLX support!!

[cddot]

The instructions worked - thank you. I had to do a bit of head scratching but that was due to my card (X1550) having two DVI outputs, which resulted in "No matching Device section for instance (BusID PCI:2:0:1) found" in the error log, and the refusal to startup. I didn't notice the 1 in 2:0:1 initially, until I saw 2:0:0 and clicked that I needed to add another Device section for the 2nd DVI, and off it goes. Right, which of the many problems should I get on to next? Like why the AVI's are playing with peoples face showing as blue? Or should I just ditch Ubuntu?

[AdamG]

This site has lots of extra info on ATI cards in Linux:

http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubu...allation_Guide
You may find what you need there if you dig around enough.

I also looked around and saw this bug reported: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s....20/+bug/73102
There is mention here of using alternate video players to fix that issue.

I don't believe this is an Ubuntu issue, but a driver issue, so I don't know if 'ditching Ubuntu' would change things much. AMD is supposedly working more diligently on the Linux end, so these things might eventually go away (I stress the word "might" here.) The official Ubuntu forums are a pretty good resource, also. I would suggest searching the boards there for any issues you might come up against.