How to install ATI Driver 8.40.4
From Freespire
Website to get the ATI Driver http://ati.de/support/driver.html
=== Disable Composite Extension ===
In Ubuntu Feisty the Composite extension is enabled by default, however, fglrx does not yet support Composite with DRI. In order to disable Composite you have to edit the xorg.conf file:
gksu gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and add these lines at the end of the file: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AIGLX" "off"
EndSection
- Note: Xubuntu does not have gedit. The default text editor in Xubuntu is called mousepad.
gksu mousepad /etc/X11/xorg.conf
- Note: Kubuntu does not have gedit. The default text editor in Kubuntu is called Kate.
kdesu kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf
- Note: Freespire uses KDE instead of Gnome so the default text editor is called Kate.
kdesu kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Another option is to use nano directly from the terminal.
sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Contents |
Installation
- Note: This is just an alternative installation method for the section above. It might help if you still get 'DRI missing' errors.
Download the ATI driver installer: ati-driver-installer-8.40.4-x86.x86_64.run (this installer is for 32bit and 64bit systems)
Install necessary tools:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install module-assistant build-essential fakeroot dh-make debhelper \ debconf libstdc++5 linux-headers-generic
Create .deb packages:
What ever the directory you downloaded your ATI Driver file to type that after cd in the terminal For Example if you downloaded the file to your desktop type cd Desktop Next type sudo bash ati-driver-installer-8.40.4-x86.x86_64.run --buildpkg Ubuntu/feisty
Install .deb packages:
sudo dpkg -i xorg-driver-fglrx_8.40.4-1*.deb \ fglrx-kernel-source_8.40.4-1*.deb \ fglrx-amdcccle_8.40.4-1*.deb
Remove any old fglrx debs from /usr/src/:
sudo rm /usr/src/fglrx-kernel*.deb
Fix broken dependencies
- Note: You only need to do this if you have installed previous versions of these drivers using this method before.
sudo apt-get -f install
Compile the kernel module:
sudo module-assistant prepare sudo module-assistant update sudo module-assistant build fglrx sudo module-assistant install fglrx sudo depmod -a
It's necessary, because sometimes this file is written by other packages, and so there's no acceleration 3D
Create the following folder
sudo mkdir /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/volatile
Create a symbolic link
sudo ln -s /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/misc/fglrx.ko /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/volatile/fglrx.ko
IMPORTANT: You have to recompile the kernel module after each kernel update!
Configure the Driver
- Note: I've found that using Method 2 can sometime cause problems when you reach this step. If you've used method 2 to install the Drivers. Please reboot before carrying out this step, or else you may experience problems.
- Note: An alternative to the aticonfig --initial command is to edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf and replace the string "ati" with "fglrx" in the "Device" section. This way you won't lose your old "Screen" and "Monitor" settings. Afterwards you can use aticonfig for setting overlay etc. Another alternative is aticonfig --initial --force if you encounter issues with the first command.
sudo aticonfig --initial
Then:
sudo aticonfig --overlay-type=Xv
- Note: Is there an alternative to the previous step?
Finish the Installation
Now save any open document and reboot your system:
sudo shutdown -r now
- Note: An alternative to rebooting is to restart the X Server by pressing your CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE keys. You must remove any old kernel modules such as "drm" "radeon" or "fglrx" using the "rmmod" command. Example:
sudo rmmod fglrx
Post-Installation Checks
Verifying
Run the following command to check its output to ensure the fglrx driver is installed properly:
$ fglrxinfo display: :0.0 screen: 0 OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc. OpenGL renderer string: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 Series OpenGL version string: 2.0.6650 (8.40.4)
The OpenGL vendor string should read ATI and not Mesa.
Additional configure with aticonfig tool
You can even more configure the driver with the aticonfig tool, more information can be found at Configuring.
For example:
- use powerplay option to switch power state for battery friendly or performance mode
- use dual head or one big desktop mode
- turn second monitor on/off on the fly
Ubuntu-specific Issues
To reconfigure resolution
If (for any reason) the fglrx doesn't give you the correct resolution turn of your computer then at the grub menu select with the arrow keys redetect then press enter and that should redetect the the correct resolution settings from your hardware.
Revert to Xorg driver
If (for any reason) the fglrx install fails, you can revert to the Xorg driver by executing
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
and selecting the "ati" driver, or simply restoring the previous /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, if you made a backup.
You also need to remove the xorg-driver-fglrx or your manually installed drivers to get the 3D acceleration back, since it is provided by file /usr/lib/libGL.so.1.2 which belongs to libgl1-mesa package and which is moved to backup and replaced at the installation of xorg-driver-fglrx (or the manually built) package. In case the removal of the fglrx drivers fails to restore the file from libgl1-mesa, you have to reinstall the package by running:
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libgl1-mesa
If suspend is not working
If after fglrx installation suspend stops working, meaning it suspends not start and just gives black screen. Then changing a few options is reported to work for some hardware (Bug 84991 ).
For ATI X700:/etc/default/acpi-support
SAVE_VBE_STATE=false POST_VIDEO=true USE_DPMS=false
For ATI X1300 and the ATI X1400 on a Dell Inspiron 9400, also for ATI X1600 on Asus Z96J (using install method 2):/etc/default/acpi-support|
POST_VIDEO=false
See Also
This is taken from http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Feisty_Installation_Guide
