I am trying to install the drivers for my Radeon 9000 Pro under Debian, but it doesn't seem to be working. I downloaded the XFree86 4.2 driver Here, ran alien --to-deb filename, and installed the resultant file. There were no errors, but OpenGL programs still run really slow and the ATI Control icon in the menu does nothing. It seems like it isn't installed. [edited by - nagromo on February 22, 2004 9:21:30 PM]

Did the XFree86-included DRI drivers not work for some reason? Or are you using a version of XFree86 that''s too old (4.2 is in testing and 4.3 is in unstable, now)? Did you not try to use them at all? If you''re not using the newest XFree86 that you can, that''s always a good first step (a newer version''s Radeon drivers might do all you need them to).

If none of that gives you any ideas: what''s the output of glxinfo and what does your XF86Config-4 file contain? Did you modify it any, possibly following some instructions that told you how to modify it (if there were any necessary modifications to use the closed Radeon drivers, which I''d guess there would be)?

The included drivers work, but they seem to be using software emulation instead of my video hardware. I can run openGL apps, but they are very slow.

Here is the output of glxinfo:

name of display: :0.0display: :0  screen: 0direct rendering: Noserver glx vendor string: SGIserver glx version string: 1.2server glx extensions:    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_contextclient glx vendor string: ATIclient glx version string: 1.3client glx extensions:    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_context,    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_ATI_pixel_format_float,    GLX_ATI_render_textureGLX extensions:    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_import_contextOpenGL vendor string: VA Linux Systems, Inc.OpenGL renderer string: Mesa GLX IndirectOpenGL version string: 1.2 Mesa 3.4.2OpenGL extensions:    GL_ARB_multitexture, GL_EXT_abgr, GL_EXT_blend_color,    GL_EXT_blend_minmax, GL_EXT_blend_subtractglu version: 1.3glu extensions:    GLU_EXT_nurbs_tessellator, GLU_EXT_object_space_tess   visual  x  bf lv rg d st colorbuffer ax dp st accumbuffer  ms  cav id dep cl sp sz l  ci b ro  r  g  b  a bf th cl  r  g  b  a ns b eat----------------------------------------------------------------------0x23 24 tc  0 24  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  0  0 16  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None0x24 24 tc  0 24  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  0  0 16  8 16 16 16  0  0 0 None0x25 24 dc  0 24  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  0  0 16  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None0x26 24 dc  0 24  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  0  0 16  8 16 16 16  0  0 0 None

It looks to me like it is using software emulation.

Here is my XF86Config-4:

# XF86Config-4 (XFree86 X server configuration file) generated by dexconf, the# Debian X Configuration tool, using values from the debconf database.## Edit this file with caution, and see the XF86Config-4 manual page.# (Type "man XF86Config-4" at the shell prompt.)## This file is automatically updated on xserver-xfree86 package upgrades *only*# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xfree86# package.## If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated# again, run the following commands as root:##   cp /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.custom#   md5sum /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 > /var/lib/xfree86/XF86Config-4.md5sum#   dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86Section "Files"	FontPath	"unix/:7100"			# local font server	# if the local font server has problems, we can fall back on these	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/CID"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi"	FontPath	"/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi"EndSectionSection "Module"	Load	"GLcore"	Load	"bitmap"	Load	"dbe"	Load	"ddc"	Load	"dri"	Load	"extmod"	Load	"freetype"	Load	"glx"	Load	"int10"	Load	"record"	Load	"speedo"	Load	"type1"	Load	"vbe"EndSectionSection "InputDevice"	Identifier	"Generic Keyboard"	Driver		"keyboard"	Option		"CoreKeyboard"	Option		"XkbRules"	"xfree86"	Option		"XkbModel"	"pc104"	Option		"XkbLayout"	"us"EndSectionSection "InputDevice"	Identifier	"Configured Mouse"	Driver		"mouse"	Option		"CorePointer"	Option		"Device"		"/dev/input/mice"	Option		"Protocol"		"ImPS/2"	Option		"ZAxisMapping"		"4 5"EndSectionSection "Device"	Identifier	"ATI Radeon 9000 Pro"	Driver		"ati"	BusID		"PCI:1:0:0"EndSectionSection "Monitor"	Identifier	"Mag 770FSb"	HorizSync	30-60	VertRefresh	50-75	Option		"DPMS"EndSectionSection "Screen"	Identifier	"Default Screen"	Device		"ATI Radeon 9000 Pro"	Monitor		"Mag 770FSb"	DefaultDepth	24	SubSection "Display"		Depth		1		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSection	SubSection "Display"		Depth		4		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSection	SubSection "Display"		Depth		8		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSection	SubSection "Display"		Depth		15		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSection	SubSection "Display"		Depth		16		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSection	SubSection "Display"		Depth		24		Modes		"1024x768"	EndSubSectionEndSectionSection "ServerLayout"	Identifier	"Default Layout"	Screen		"Default Screen"	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"EndSectionSection "DRI"	Mode	0666EndSection

Did you run the "fglrxconfig" program that the driver package includes like the instructions say you should? I ask because I''m pretty sure that the device driver string would have changed to whatever it should be to use the new drivers if you had, but it appears to be what it should to use the default ATI drivers.

I tried to look up how to change it manually, but couldn''t find any official documentation on the matter, so I ran the executable through strings (and a group greps) and found that one should probably change the string to "fglrx". However, that may not be the only change, and you should probably just use their configuration program to do it all for you.

OK, I just ran fglrxconfig without backing up my Xfree86 config file and messed up the X. I changed part of the fglrx section to fix it, though. Now I am right back where I was before... it seems like it should work but it doesn''t.

1) The ''ATI Control'' icon in the K menu doesn''t do anything (the cursor doesn''t even change to working)

2) When I run ''fglrxinfo'' it says:

display: :0.0 screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: VA Linux Systems, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa GLX Indirect
OpenGL version string: 1.2 Mesa 3.4.2

when the example in the readme say:

OpenGL vendor string: ATI
OpenGL renderer string: FireGL 8700/8800
OpenGL version string: 1.2.1234 (1.2.3)

It seems like I am running the fglrx version because changing that fixed my problem, but fglrxinfo seems to say otherwise. I also re-installed the drivers and checked the troubleshooting in the readme. How can I turn on hardware acceleration when I can''t even get to the control center?

What motherboard are you using? You might need to ensure that the appropriate AGPGART driver is loaded before X starts (as well as the fglrx driver)

i.e. for a VIA KT400

modprobe via_agpmodprobe fglrx 

joeG

OK, I am beginning to think that the drivers were never properly installed. Modprobe fglrx couldn''t find the module. Nothing that it installed seems to work. There were no error messages, though, and the driver shortcut and fglrxconfig were installed. I will reinstall the drivers when I get home.