ThinkWiki - User contributions [en]

Fglrx

2006-03-12T22:10:14Z

Danial: Arch Linux packages have been renamed

== ATI fglrx driver ==
This is a binary-only driver which supports 3D acceleration.

Home page: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=356

== Status ==
Current version: 8.23.7 (9th March 2006)

Major changes:
* 8.23.7: support for X850 and X800, OpenGL 2.0 Enhancement, FSAA for some chips
* 8.22.5: added kernel 2.6.15 support -- patch no longer required
* 8.21.7: initial OpenGL 2.0 support
* 8.20.8: fixed resume issues, fixed compile problems with kernels 2.6.13 and 2.6.14
* 8.19.10: has added suspend / resume and dynamic GPU power management support. Using vbetool is no longer required (tested and successful with T43p).

== Known problems and solutions ==
See [[Problems with fglrx]].

== Packages ==
The ATI drivers have explicit permission for repackaging and redistribution of the Linux drivers. Many distributions are supported within the installer, and many more repackaged by external developers. Please visit the [http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Category:Distributions Distribution Page at the Unofficial ATI driver Wiki]

*{{Debian}} packages: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/flavio.stanchina/debian/fglrx-installer.html
** These packages have been added to Debian unstable as "fglrx-driver", so you can now apt-get them and use module-assistant to install (currently v8.20.8-1).
** If you are on stable sarge with backport's kernel 2.6.15, download ATI's installer, currently v8.22.5, let it build Debian packages and proceed as usual. There's a [http://jroller.com/page/erAck?entry=lot_day_6_2_fglrx detailed description] available.
*{{SUSE}} packages: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/ATI/
*{{Gentoo}} {{cmdroot|emerge x11-drivers/ati-drivers}}
*{{Fedora}} packages: http://rpm.livna.org
** For stock Fedora kernels: {{cmdroot|yum install kernel-module-fglrx-$(uname -r) ati-fglrx }}
** Creating and installing a custom RPM for a custom-compiled kernel on {{Fedora}}:
# yum install ati-fglrx
# VER=8.20.8.1-0.lvn.1.4 # copy version string from output of above command
# wget http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/4/i386/SRPMS.lvn/ati-fglrx-$VER.src.rpm
# rpmbuild --rebuild --target $(uname -m) --define "ksrc /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build" --without userland ati-fglrx-$VER.src.rpm
# rpm -Uvh --replacepkgs /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/$(uname -m)/kernel-module-fglrx-$(uname -r)-$VER.$(uname -m).rpm
*{{Arch Linux}}
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-fglrx}} (kernel module for 2.6.15-ARCH)
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-fglrx-archck}} (kernel module for 2.6.15-archck)
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-fglrx-utils}} (xorg7 stuff and tools)
== User experience ==
=== Speed ===
How much is the speed gain versus the opensource drivers?

- On the old drivers, I've noticed appx 40% speed gain with ATI fglrx vs open source drivers. However, there are issues with freezing/garbage after suspend, garbage when resizing desktop (ctrl-alt-plus, ctrl-alt-minus), and garbage while using VMware. The current 8.14.13 has shown 400% improvement over using "radeon" or "ati" in xorg.conf. 1200FPS glxgears! (''note that glxgears isnt a benchmark tool, its so simple that its value is without any meaning... you can only compare glxgears using the same drivers/machine, if you change any of then you can have higher/lower values and in real life programs/games happend the opposite. Think in the car engine rpm, higher rpm in the same car usually its a faster car, change anything and its meaningless. ie: gears, truck, wheel size, etc make it useless'')

NOTE: 2D acceleration may be disabled when 3D acceleration is enabled. This comes from the Xorg.conf file the fglrx driver provides
# === OpenGL Overlay ===
# Note: When OpenGL Overlay is enabled, Video Overlay
# will be disabled automatically
Option "OpenGLOverlay" "1"

Just a note to the above. The 2D acceleration for that option refers to video overlay. You can use either regular Xv video overlay or make the video an opengl texture and let the OpenGL engine scale your video. It has nothing to do with 2D drawing primitives. Further, your mileage on performance may vary depending on what card you have. The open-source drivers don't support newer cards, while the ATI drivers don't support older cards.

=== Power saving ===
Power saving is much better than with the <tt>radeon</tt> driver, but doesn't work in dual-screen configuration (see [[How to make use of Graphics Chips Power Management features]]).

== Useful links ==
* [http://www.ati.com/products/catalyst/linux.html ATI Linux Driver FAQ]
* [http://www.rage3d.com/content/articles/atilinuxhowto/ ATI Radeon Linux How-To]
* [http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=61&daysprune=30&order=asc&sort=title Rage3D Linux Discussion Forum]
* [http://www.driverheaven.net/forumdisplay.php?f=103 Radeon Driver Forum at Driverheaven]
* [http://odin.prohosting.com/wedge01/gentoo-radeon-faq.html Gentoo ATI Radeon FAQ]
* [http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-374745-highlight-t42+ati+dri.html Gentoo T42 ATI. DRI + xorg driver]
* [http://ati.cchtml.com/ Unofficial community ATI bugzilla] - tracks bugs in the driver. Might be monitored by ATI ([http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1333438751&postcount=386], [http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1333439009&postcount=390]).

== ThinkPads that may be supported ==
Supported chips, as found in select IBM ThinkPads:
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL 9000]]
** {{T40p}}
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL T2]]
** {{R50p}}
** {{T41p}}, {{T42p}}
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL V3200]]
** {{T43p}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon 9000]]
** {{R50}}, {{R51}}
** {{T40}}, {{T41}}, {{T42}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon 9600]]
** {{T42}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon X300]]
** {{R52}}
** {{T43}}
** {{Z60m}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon Xpress 200M]]
** {{R51e}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon X600]]
** {{Z60m}}

[[Category:Drivers]]

Template:Arch Linux

2006-03-08T08:37:45Z

Danial:

[[:Category:Arch Linux|Arch Linux]] [[Category:Arch Linux]]

Template:Arch Linux

2006-03-08T08:36:19Z

Danial:

Template:Arch Linux

2006-03-08T08:35:31Z

Danial:

=== OS Homepage ===
* [http://www.archlinux.org www.archlinux.org]

Fglrx

2006-03-08T08:32:54Z

Danial:

== ATI fglrx driver ==
This is a binary-only driver which supports 3D acceleration.

Home page: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=356

== Status ==
Current version: 8.22.5 (9th February 2006)

Major changes:
* 8.22.5: added kernel 2.6.15 support -- patch no longer required
* 8.21.7: initial OpenGL 2.0 support
* 8.20.8: fixed resume issues, fixed compile problems with kernels 2.6.13 and 2.6.14
* 8.19.10: has added suspend / resume and dynamic GPU power management support. Using vbetool is no longer required (tested and successful with T43p).

== Known problems and solutions ==
See [[Problems with fglrx]].

== Packages ==
The ATI drivers have explicit permission for repackaging and redistribution of the Linux drivers. Many distributions are supported within the installer, and many more repackaged by external developers. Please visit the [http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Category:Distributions Distribution Page at the Unofficial ATI driver Wiki]

*{{Debian}} packages: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/flavio.stanchina/debian/fglrx-installer.html
** These packages have been added to Debian unstable as "fglrx-driver", so you can now apt-get them and use module-assistant to install (currently v8.20.8-1).
** If you are on stable sarge with backport's kernel 2.6.15, download ATI's installer, currently v8.22.5, let it build Debian packages and proceed as usual. There's a [http://jroller.com/page/erAck?entry=lot_day_6_2_fglrx detailed description] available.
*{{SUSE}} packages: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/i386/supplementary/X/ATI/
*{{Gentoo}} {{cmdroot|emerge x11-drivers/ati-drivers}}
*{{Fedora}} packages: http://rpm.livna.org
** For stock Fedora kernels: {{cmdroot|yum install kernel-module-fglrx-$(uname -r) ati-fglrx }}
** Creating and installing a custom RPM for a custom-compiled kernel on {{Fedora}}:
# yum install ati-fglrx
# VER=8.20.8.1-0.lvn.1.4 # copy version string from output of above command
# wget http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/4/i386/SRPMS.lvn/ati-fglrx-$VER.src.rpm
# rpmbuild --rebuild --target $(uname -m) --define "ksrc /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build" --without userland ati-fglrx-$VER.src.rpm
# rpm -Uvh --replacepkgs /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/$(uname -m)/kernel-module-fglrx-$(uname -r)-$VER.$(uname -m).rpm
*{{Arch Linux}}
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-drivers}} (Userspace tools and libraries)
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-drivers-arch}} (Drivers for the stock Arch Linux kernel)
** {{cmdroot|pacman -S ati-drivers-archck}} (Drivers for the ArchCK Linux kernel)
== User experience ==
=== Speed ===
How much is the speed gain versus the opensource drivers?

- On the old drivers, I've noticed appx 40% speed gain with ATI fglrx vs open source drivers. However, there are issues with freezing/garbage after suspend, garbage when resizing desktop (ctrl-alt-plus, ctrl-alt-minus), and garbage while using VMware. The current 8.14.13 has shown 400% improvement over using "radeon" or "ati" in xorg.conf. 1200FPS glxgears! (''note that glxgears isnt a benchmark tool, its so simple that its value is without any meaning... you can only compare glxgears using the same drivers/machine, if you change any of then you can have higher/lower values and in real life programs/games happend the opposite. Think in the car engine rpm, higher rpm in the same car usually its a faster car, change anything and its meaningless. ie: gears, truck, wheel size, etc make it useless'')

NOTE: 2D acceleration may be disabled when 3D acceleration is enabled. This comes from the Xorg.conf file the fglrx driver provides
# === OpenGL Overlay ===
# Note: When OpenGL Overlay is enabled, Video Overlay
# will be disabled automatically
Option "OpenGLOverlay" "1"

Just a note to the above. The 2D acceleration for that option refers to video overlay. You can use either regular Xv video overlay or make the video an opengl texture and let the OpenGL engine scale your video. It has nothing to do with 2D drawing primitives. Further, your mileage on performance may vary depending on what card you have. The open-source drivers don't support newer cards, while the ATI drivers don't support older cards.

=== Power saving ===
Power saving is much better than with the <tt>radeon</tt> driver, but doesn't work in dual-screen configuration (see [[How to make use of Graphics Chips Power Management features]]).

== Useful links ==
* [http://www.ati.com/products/catalyst/linux.html ATI Linux Driver FAQ]
* [http://www.rage3d.com/content/articles/atilinuxhowto/ ATI Radeon Linux How-To]
* [http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=61&daysprune=30&order=asc&sort=title Rage3D Linux Discussion Forum]
* [http://www.driverheaven.net/forumdisplay.php?f=103 Radeon Driver Forum at Driverheaven]
* [http://odin.prohosting.com/wedge01/gentoo-radeon-faq.html Gentoo ATI Radeon FAQ]
* [http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-374745-highlight-t42+ati+dri.html Gentoo T42 ATI. DRI + xorg driver]
* [http://ati.cchtml.com/ Unofficial community ATI bugzilla] - tracks bugs in the driver. Might be monitored by ATI ([http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1333438751&postcount=386], [http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1333439009&postcount=390]).

== ThinkPads that may be supported ==
Supported chips, as found in select IBM ThinkPads:
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL 9000]]
** {{T40p}}
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL T2]]
** {{R50p}}
** {{T41p}}, {{T42p}}
* [[ATI Mobility FireGL V3200]]
** {{T43p}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon 9000]]
** {{R50}}, {{R51}}
** {{T40}}, {{T41}}, {{T42}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon 9600]]
** {{T42}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon X300]]
** {{R52}}
** {{T43}}
** {{Z60m}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon Xpress 200M]]
** {{R51e}}
* [[ATI Mobility Radeon X600]]
** {{Z60m}}

[[Category:Drivers]]