Updates to Graphics Drivers Not Working

Hi, I'm trying to get OpenGL 3d graphics support for my Dell Latitude D810, which has a Graphics card that is no longer supported by "conventional" drivers. That said, it is crucial for me to get drivers that DO work, and the ones I've found are not updating properly.

as far as I can tell, the launchpad ppa either isn't added to my software sources, or it isn't there at all. I ran the following in a terminal. Please let me know if I'm posting in the right place or if I can get any help here. In any event, Thank you for your assistance.

neal@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update
[sudo] password for neal:
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security InRelease
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease
Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates InRelease
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Sources
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner i386 Packages
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted i386 Packages
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse Sources
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/multiverse Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric/universe Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/main Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://archive.ubuntu.com oneiric-updates/universe Translation-en
Ign https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric InRelease
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en
Hit https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release.gpg
Err http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
404 Not Found
Err http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
404 Not Found
Err http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Sources
404 Not Found
Err http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
404 Not Found
Hit https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric Release
Hit https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main i386 Packages
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign https://private-ppa.launchpad.net oneiric/main Translation-en
W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net///ubuntu/di...source/Sources 404 Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net///ubuntu/di...-i386/Packages 404 Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers...source/Sources 404 Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers...-i386/Packages 404 Not Found

E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
neal@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
xserver-xorg-video-openchrome
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
neal@ubuntu:~$

I don't know what you mean by "conventional" drivers.

There are "open source" drivers and there are "restricted" drivers. These latter drivers provide 3D acceleration.

For that chipset, there are no restricted drivers that will work with it and any Ubuntu version newer than 8.10. The open-source drivers are installed by default, and those are the ones that actually work.

You will need to remove the other drivers you installed and replace them with the open source Radeon drivers.

xxx

I discovered during my struggles with driver issues that the open source drivers installed by default are current enough that they do not support my graphics card either; mine is SOOOOO old, that I have found multiple sources claiming that the current Windows ATI and linux equivalents do not support my card, but that experimental open source drivers are in the making, if a little buggy for the interim. I am attempting to use these experimental drivers because they are being made specifically for people trying to find drivers for outdated graphics cards like mine.

Sorry, I wasn't entirely clear before; does this explanation help you help me? Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for your advice! Thank you!

Oh, and by "conventional" I meant the newer open source drivers installed by default in the latest Ubuntu distribution.

The open-source drivers are constantly undergoing revision, so even if they did not work well with a previous Ubuntu version, that's no indication if they will still work poorly with a newer Ubuntu version.

To see what make and model video card you have, open a terminal and enter "lspci" (without the quotes). Look for the line containing "VGA" -- and post that information back here.

That will tell us if you have a card that will take the current AMD restricted drivers.