ATI restricted drivers + reboot = black screen (8.04)

[baddelini]

So I was having this same problem too. (And created an account to bring you my solution.) I activated the restricted drivers and bam, black screen after loader. Then I would try the 'x-server fix' and would have a white screen after login.

Rejoice people, there is a fix. Though the only way I know of is if you have Envy/EnvyNG installed and used it for your drivers.

What I did was boot in safe mode, then dropped down to root. Then I punched in

$ nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

And then find, under the section for your video card, where it says 'Driver' It'll be pointing to the fglx or whatever its called that breaks my **** all the time. Well I changed that, don't think it matters what to, but I did it to 'radeon'.

On reboot I had a login screen and then after that the damn white screen. So I got into terminal (CTRL ALT F1) and ran the text version of EnvyNG.

$ EnvyNG -t

Ran through that, rebooted, and got right back to normal. So if you're lucky enough to have envy, or able to get to the white screen and run the commands to download and install it, there's a workaround so you don't have to reinstall.


Good luck!

[Tsingi]

I've had no end of grief from my ATI card screwing up my system, I think the fix is to spend $40 on an NVidea card.

This is unfortunate because

A: I'm Canadian and so is ATI.
B: The Mach cards worked so well with Linux historically.

I don't even want to know if it gets solved, I expected big things when AMD bought ATI, I'm very disappointed, and they aren't worth any more of my time.

I'll give the card to someone who uses windows where it is supported.

--
A disgruntled Tsingi.

[stoopidnewb]

I have tried everything I know how to try to get these drivers installed and functional. Tried several different methods from serveral different sources to no avail including envyNG. I have run out of ideas and patience. Makes me wonder why ATI releases software that does not work. I know if they don't get it together quick, I will no longer be an ATI/AMD customer. I don't care if Ubuntu or ATI makes the drivers but, come on, we need something that works. Everything else seems to work ok except these drivers. Why is that so much more difficult? I will just have to put up with low quality video until I consider weather I will pay 200 bucks for Windows and scrap Ubuntu or for an nvidea card. \

Any one who has an nvidea card that works, can you please tell me which one and what you did to make it work. preferably comparable or better than my current one.
currently using
Radeon X1950 pro

BTW if you want to test the ati drivers, use Envy NG didn't work for me just like everything else didn't but at least I didn't have to reinstall the whole system.

If you get a black screen press esc while restarting to get to GRUB menu.

choose the one that says something like safe mode or restore mode

choose repair x drivers

reboot(can do this by simply typing the command "reboot" without quotes)

After I did this I got to my login menu, but logging in normally got me a white screen instead of a black one.

If this happens, restart and go to safe mode under the options in the login menu

open envy ng and select uninstall ATI drivers. It looks like when it does this, it uninstalls the ATI drivers and reinstalls the original ones that came with Ubuntu that work but don't allow advanced graphics. This leads me to believe that maybe, if you have this program installed, it may be a usefull tool to restore your comp if you try to install the ATI drivers in a different way. Haven't tried it yet.

Hope this helps everyone that is going through what I did

[Liviu-Theodor]

Hi, i have this problem:

After a fresh Ubuntu Hardy Heron install, it's no problem to boot in Ubuntu. The system then asks me to install proprietary ATI drivers (and I want these to run compiz). After installing the drivers, I reboot. Ubuntu shows it's loading bar, but after that's complete, I only see a black screen. It doesn't do anything anymore.

I have an older Radeon 9500 (256 bit), but I have enabled Compiz with the open-source drivers with no problem. Still, I am not using Ubuntu 64 bit, because the processor is a 32 bit AMD Athlon 2600+ (Barton technology).

A solution for your problem could be: boot in ubuntu safe mode, and run the command:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xorg.conf

[Ferux]

Nevermind this, watch post below for the solution

After 4 months, and trying everything suggested in this thread, there is still no solution to the problem. I think that's very sad.

I managed to get the white screen, and even to boot again in the safe gnome session (option at login), but that's not a solution since I want to use Ubuntu in full effect, with compiz-fusion, accelerated video.. Installing Ubuntu again is not an issue.

I have no other option than to go BACK to Windows XP. I can't afford to spend another €100 just because I want to use this beautiful free OS (which I like much better than Windows and which I'm addicted to).

I will use XP till the moment there's a fix for this problem. If there will ever be a fix..

PS, at Liviu-Theodor: I used Ubuntu 64 with my Radeon 9800 Pro with succes, but the fan on the card broke down. I replaced it with this 2600XT which gives me all the trouble right now.

[Ferux]

Good news for the people suffering this problem. In a last attempt, I found the - very simple - solution.

1. Ati released a new driver for the card which can be downloaded from their site.

2. sudo sh file-of-the-driver.run

3. Reboot - maybe this is not necessary

4. sudo aticonfig --initial

5. Reboot and enable compiz-fusion

[solarwind]

Good news for the people suffering this problem. In a last attempt, I found the - very simple - solution.

1. Ati released a new driver for the card which can be downloaded from their site.

2. sudo sh file-of-the-driver.run

3. Reboot - maybe this is not necessary

4. sudo aticonfig --initial

5. Reboot and enable compiz-fusion

Messes up things just the same. I'll have to try envy.

[solarwind]

Had exact same issue. Fixed problem by installing and running envy-ng.

[rmjohnson144]

Good news for the people suffering this problem. In a last attempt, I found the - very simple - solution.

1. Ati released a new driver for the card which can be downloaded from their site.

2. sudo sh file-of-the-driver.run

3. Reboot - maybe this is not necessary

4. sudo aticonfig --initial

5. Reboot and enable compiz-fusion

This is what worked for me and what is listed on the ATI website.

https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206...at88-inst.html

however it says to skip the reboot of step 3 and run aticonfig first.

a big thanks
-=Mark=-

[picciano]

New ATI drivers are still not working with my Radeon 9600. This is silly, is there any "good" way to set up video that just plain works?