Precise Pangolin with ATI Radeon - Open Source vs Proprietary Driver

**Lamukra** · April 27th, 2012

Code:

lspci -nn | grep VGA

Code:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Madison [Radeon HD 5000M Series] [1002:68c1]

**Lamukra** · April 27th, 2012

If Ia going to System Settings -> Details -> Graphics

I see there Driver VESA:MADISON and Experience Standard

**galerie** · April 30th, 2012

I upgraded from oneiric to precise yesterday morning, and cannot use 3D version of unity and got hang and freeze sometimes when startup and shutdown.

Just now I finished reinstalling my laptop with fresh install of precise but still experience same problem.
still sad bout' that.

Still trying now. there's some written posted during startup before ubuntu logo with loading sign...
still trying to read it, cause it happen so fast.

before I do another trial and error I would love and listen carefully to any advice from all of the forum member.

FYI... my laptop spec is :
Dell inspiron 14R N4010
core i5
my VGA ati radeon 550v (if I could remember correctly) recognized as radeonHD 4650 when I used oneiric with proprietary driver before

I will provide any more information if needed. just tell me and I will let you know.
tnx before for any respond and pardon me for my bad spelling and grammar.

**Lamukra** · April 30th, 2012

Originally Posted by galerie

I upgraded from oneiric to precise yesterday morning, and cannot use 3D version of unity and got hang and freeze sometimes when startup and shutdown.

Just now I finished reinstalling my laptop with fresh install of precise but still experience same problem.
still sad bout' that.

Still trying now. there's some written posted during startup before ubuntu logo with loading sign...
still trying to read it, cause it happen so fast.

before I do another trial and error I would love and listen carefully to any advice from all of the forum member.

FYI... my laptop spec is :
Dell inspiron 14R N4010
core i5
my VGA ati radeon 550v (if I could remember correctly) recognized as radeonHD 4650 when I used oneiric with proprietary driver before

I will provide any more information if needed. just tell me and I will let you know.
tnx before for any respond and pardon me for my bad spelling and grammar.

could you please post output of this

Code:

lspci -nn | grep VGA

and this

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

and this

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep WW

**Lamukra** · April 30th, 2012

Ou... Do you know precisely what is model of your video card ???

**galerie** · April 30th, 2012

Originally Posted by Lamukra

could you please post output of this

Code:

lspci -nn | grep VGA

and this

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

and this

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep WW

pardon me for the late answer cause it's already 4.00 AM in my country now. been sleeping while searching answer for my problem

tnx for u'r fast respond.
these are results codes u'd provided

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

Code:

02:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI M96 [Mobility Radeon HD 4650] [1002:9480]

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

Code:

(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[    20.957] (II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[    21.014] (EE) Failed to load module "fglrx" (module does not exist, 0)
[    21.072] (EE) Failed to load module "fglrx" (module does not exist, 0)

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep WW

Code:

(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[    20.883] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[    20.883] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/" does not exist.
[    20.884] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/" does not exist.
[    20.885] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi" does not exist.
[    20.885] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi" does not exist.
[    20.885] (WW) The directory "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType" does not exist.
[    21.014] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fglrx
[    21.072] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fglrx
[    21.076] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for vesa
[    21.076] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for fbdev
[    22.988] (WW) evdev: A4TECH USB Device: ignoring absolute axes.

Originally Posted by Lamukra

Ou... Do you know precisely what is model of your video card ???

if I remember correctly, maybe wrong

my Graphic card is ati radeon HD 550v (recognized as radeon HD 4650 when I used proprietary driver on oneric)
any other information needed just ask

tnx for every advice

**Lamukra** · April 30th, 2012

Originally Posted by galerie

pardon me for the late answer cause it's already 4.00 AM in my country now. been sleeping while searching answer for my problem

tnx for u'r fast respond.
these are results codes u'd provided

Well, it seems the same problem that I had in the beginning just with another card. Your machine does not have FGLRX module installed. I recommend to install it with help of amd.com page. Download driver for your card from there and install it.
After you will install it run commmand

Code:

aticonfig --initial

It will create xorg.conf file in your /etc/X11 folder

After you can tweak it as you wish.

BUT

Don't rush with this solution. Think first and try with Open-Source driver first, you might get better performance with that than with proprietary driver. I installed proprietary driver because I had trouble with heat level and fan speed in Precise more than I had previously. Fan was going crazy and laptop heating like hell, you could almost fry on it. In previous version of Ubuntu I did not have so much trouble with heat levels when I used open-source ATI driver, buy in Precise it got crazy and proprietary driver installation saved me big time. But not installing it from Jockey(Additional Driver in System Settings) but through amd.com download page and installing it manually.
So I will recommend you to use radeon driver for your card first, then if it will not work you try fglrx...

**Lamukra** · April 30th, 2012

Here is my xorg.conf for my ATI Radeon HD 5650 that I always used with my card and had a great 3D performance, much better than with fglrx. Copy Paste it into /etc/X11/xorg.conf. If you don't have one create one.

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "DualHead"
	Screen      0  "LaptopScreen"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
	Option	"AIGLX" "on"
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load  "dri"
	Load  "dri2"
	Load  "dbe"
	Load  "glx"
	Load  "type1"
	Load  "freetype"
	Load  "record"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"ATI Radeon HD 5650"
	Driver		"radeon"
	Option		"EXAVSync" "True"
	Option		"ColorTiling" "on"
	Option		"RenderAccel" "true"
	Option          "EnablePageFlip" "true"
	Option 		"DRI" "true"
	Option		"AccelMethod" "EXA"
	Option          "Monitor-LVDS" "Left Monitor"
	BusID       	"PCI:1:0:0"
	Option          "Monitor-LVDS" "VaioLCD"
        Option          "Monitor-HDMI-0" "BraviaLCD"
	Option		"IgnoreEDID" "true"
	Screen		0
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "VaioLCD"
	Option 	     "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "BraviaLCD"
	Option 	     "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "LaptopScreen"
	Device     "ATI Radeon HD 5650"
	Monitor    "VaioLCD"
	DefaultDepth    24
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth     24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Group "video"
	Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
	Option	"Composite" "Enable"
	Option	"RENDER" "Enable"
	Option	"RANDR" "Enable"
	Option	"DAMAGE" "Enable"
	Option  "GLX" "Enable"
EndSection

After you created it, restart the machine and if you will fail to boot then boot into root shell from recovery menu and

Code:

rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf

reboot again

If you will succeed to boot then post the output of commands again

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep EE

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep WW

**galerie** · April 30th, 2012

Originally Posted by Lamukra

Well, it seems the same problem that I had in the beginning just with another card. Your machine does not have FGLRX module installed. I recommend to install it with help of amd.com page. Download driver for your card from there and install it.
After you will install it run commmand

Code:

aticonfig --initial

It will create xorg.conf file in your /etc/X11 folder

After you can tweak it as you wish.

BUT

Don't rush with this solution. Think first and try with Open-Source driver first, you might get better performance with that than with proprietary driver. I installed proprietary driver because I had trouble with heat level and fan speed in Precise more than I had previously. Fan was going crazy and laptop heating like hell, you could almost fry on it. In previous version of Ubuntu I did not have so much trouble with heat levels when I used open-source ATI driver, buy in Precise it got crazy and proprietary driver installation saved me big time. But not installing it from Jockey(Additional Driver in System Settings) but through amd.com download page and installing it manually.
So I will recommend you to use radeon driver for your card first, then if it will not work you try fglrx...

tnx Lamukra
after upgrading I tried to use catalyst 12.4 from amd websites but no success. I experienced problems I mentioned before.
now I want to try the open source. could you tell me how to install it correctly cause I have read askubuntu about this but still cant figure the right way. or any link to the tutorial how to install radeon driver for my graphic?
cause I only know basic things bout computer.

I tried the tutorial from this link for installing the proprietary driver
but failed.
first time I tried it have error that mentioned about DKMS (I forgot the exact info) but i got 2 error

**Lamukra** · April 30th, 2012

Don't pay attention on names right now in xorg.conf file, this file should work with your system as well, just don't make any mistake in xorg.conf or you will get parse error in there (like forgot to close quotes or wrong section closing)