split screen error! Unable to install 13.04

**bcomp** · April 26th, 2013

I've been having this problem on 12.10 with the latest kernel updates for at least three months now but I was hoping that the new (k)ubuntu version would somehow fix it.
If I recall correctly, after updating the kernel from 3.0.5-21 onwards, I get this error upon loading kde:

splitScreenError.jpg

As you can see the screen area is somehow split in two parts. It kinda cool but not what I wanted!

At first I hoped that it would be fixed (or go away) with the next kernel update but it wasn't!

After testing both kubuntu and ubuntu 13.04 on my system today, I get the same split screen error. What's more there seem to be no install options with the live dvd tests, so the gui is messed up.

I've got a brand new sony vaio (i7, 6GB RAM, with an ATI VGA [Radeon 7500M/7600M Series]).

I've tried to install the "official" ATI linux driver in the past without much success.
It installed allright but couldn't get the 3d acceleration to work so I regressed to the one provided by the repos.
I'm a heavy Blender user and it was hardly possible to use it on such a high end system, which is a same.

Any clues?

I would really really like to make the transition to 13.04 but I guess I need to sort out this damn ati graphics issue first.

My current xorg.conf

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "aticonfig Layout"
        Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
        Option      "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
        Option      "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
        Option      "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
        Driver      "fglrx"
        Option      "UseFastTLS" "1"
        BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"
        Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
        Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

**ridcully** · April 27th, 2013

I had the same problem

http://askubuntu.com/a/75677/152985 gave me a hint to solve it:

sudo apt-get install fglrx

did it for me.

**bcomp** · April 28th, 2013

Thank you for the suggestion. I tried it with my current version (12.10) and it doesn't work!

Fglrx gets installed but I'm unable to start kdm.

Considering that this is a well known laptop series, I'm surprised that others haven't experienced this problem already.