HowTo test newest radeon/radeonhd/mesa from a live CD

[tormod]

Why don't you use dkms?

I think we now have discussed this on IRC Because I use the Debian packaging as closely as possible, and it has module-assistant support. If you provide dkms support in the Debian drm-snapshot package, I will sure use it...

[Kano]

Why don't you use dkms?

[tormod]

r6xx-r7xx-support for Jaunty

The Jaunty drm-modules-source now includes the r6xx-r7xx-support branch of upstream drm, and will enable EXA and DRI on a bunch of new cards. Success has been reported for RS600 cards.

[tormod]

The current drm-modules-source does not build against the new 2.6.28-2-generic kernel in Jaunty, due to some incompatibilities in the nv50 kernel-mode-setting code. If you're only interested in radeon anyway, you can specify only radeon modules to be compiled, and save compile time also:

sudo env DRM_MODULES="radeon" module-assistant -t auto-install drm-modules

[tormod]

now using module-assistant for kernel modules

We now use the drm-snapshot source package for libdrm and drm kernel modules. This means no more the hacky easy-drm-installer script but rather the standard module-assistant infrastructure to rebuild and install kernel modules.

The xorg-edgers-live-test script has been updated, and should work on both Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 live CDs.

You cracks should all be running Intrepid or Jaunty by now, but if you want to upgrade in Hardy, you need to install the drm-modules-source package from the PPA, and run "sudo module-assistant auto-install drm-modules" (rerun after every kernel update).

[tormod]

I gave the whole stack an update: There's now xserver from the 1.5 branch (with all updates including 1.5.1 and the EXA speed fixes), mesa from the 7.2 branch (a bit beyond 7.1), libdrm from git master (2.4 pre), and finally radeon and radeonhd drivers from git master.

I tried it out on my X1300 and wow this is running visibly smoother compared to some weeks ago! Don't forget to use EXA and "AllowEmptyInput false", and to recompile your kernel modules if you install it permanently.

[DoDoENT]

Thank you! I'll definitely install it to my installation then and I'm looking forward to it!

[tormod]

keyboard was set to US layout and I haven't been able to change it to Croatian layout, although I applied the new settings in keyboard preferences. New layout appeared after I suspended my laptop and resumed. Strange, but I don't consider this being a major problem.

This could be due to the input hotplugging changes. It should be possible to get it work properly, either by configuring hal with fdi files, or xorg.conf.

But I've encountered a bigger problem as well: my synaptics touchpad doesn't behave as it should,

You just have to install the xserver-xorg-input-synaptics package. I can add that to the script by the way.

if I apply the new radeon driver with this script and if it for some reason doesn't want to work, would I be able to use fglrx again as I use it now, or it wouldn't work with dri2? Would I be able to revert the installation if it for some reason fails?

As long as you keep track of which packages you upgrade and which configuration changes you make, it should be no problem to revert. You would have to disable the repo in your Software Sources, uninstall all the packages, and then install them again from the official repos. That's the beauty of deb packages.

[DoDoENT]

I just have one word for that: PERFECT!!!

I downloaded "big bucks bunny" cartoon in HD resolution, and on fglrx it works slow even if I only watch the cartoon, but don't play with the desktop cube simultaneously. Here, even played on one side of the cube, the cartoon works perfectly - with no flickering, no tearing and no slow playback. Even the opengl applications work without flickering in windowed mode while compiz is on, although they don't follow the window which they belong to while I wobble it - but this is expected: opengl applications use direct rendering, don't they - and I only expect no flickering while playing some 3D game. And while compiz is on, scrolling in firefox work flawlessly, as in fglrx when compiz is disabled.

Even though this driver doesn't support PowerPlay, I unplugged the power cable from my laptop just to examine battery life while using the new radeon driver. ACPI told me that I have 2 hours and 30 minutes remaining (my laptop battery was full). While using the fglrx and setting the powerstate to minimum, I have 3 hours battery life. (On Vista I had more than 4 hours on the same laptop ).

Dual head support is only a bit better than on fglrx. The screen resolution manager gives me ability to set different resolutions for each monitor but the monitor which is set to lower resolution doesn't show the whole picture. So what? It SHOWS the picture. Fglrx didn't allow me to have different resolutions on each monitor at all.

And now some troubles I've encountered: after script finished setting up my live session with new driver's, my keyboard was set to US layout and I haven't been able to change it to Croatian layout, although I applied the new settings in keyboard preferences. New layout appeared after I suspended my laptop and resumed. Strange, but I don't consider this being a major problem.

But I've encountered a bigger problem as well: my synaptics touchpad doesn't behave as it should, i.e. if I want to scroll with it, it just moves the pointer. Moreover, it doesn't detect right and middle click if I touch the required areas. I've looked at the Xorg.0.log and I've found the following:

(II) LoadModule: "synaptics"
(WW) Warning, couldn't open module synaptics
(II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"
(EE) Failed to load module "synaptics" (module does not exist, 0)

I'm a bit concerned about that, especially because the very same module worked in the live session before the script was executed.

Now, I'm considering to install this driver on my real ubuntu hardy installation, but I'm in doubt. I use this installation for school, work and play and I can't afford to mess up the X. Therefore I'm curious: if I apply the new radeon driver with this script and if it for some reason doesn't want to work, would I be able to use fglrx again as I use it now, or it wouldn't work with dri2? Would I be able to revert the installation if it for some reason fails? Would it be a better idea to resize my current home partition to make space for another installation of ubuntu which will be only dedicated to usage of this new radeon driver and leave the old installation in peace?

Thank you very much for creating this script which showed me what actually my Mobility Radeon X1600 is able to. I have never dreamed before that my ubuntu is able to work so flawlessly.

[r4mios]

Hello.
I've tried to install this stuff on regular ubuntu installation and it works preety well. I had to add "Option "AllowEmptyInput" "false" too, though not in ServerFlags section but in ServerLayout section.

Anyway Xv works and I'm glad to be able to watch videos with 10% cpu usage
Sry 4 my english ;]