Linux and Ati

[stigweed]

I can't remember if I posted this anywhere before:

I'm new to linux, I haven't done any kernel configuration or compilation yet, I'm running Fedora 1.

The mesaGL drivers included render 3D cleanly but very slowly (I can't tell if its using the 9700Pro at all - the images look clean, not like software rendering in windows) so I downloaded the linux drivers from ati.com.

They actually only list the FireGL drivers (the old name for when teh 9700 was a professional card, as I understand it). But any time I try to extract the rpm, it says it conflicts with the mesaGL driver and won't continue. If I do a command line --force then it comes up with errors on about a hundred lines and stops. It continues to work with a hybrid of the mesaGL core with an ati text based config program.

Can anyone tell me how to get this working properly under linux - or at least point me in the direction of a suitable readme to escape this noob-hood? I mean I can't have my tux screensaver rendering at 2fps on a Rad 9700 Pro can i? It's jsut not right?

[Kaitain]

You can have either the full MesaGL installation, which is software rendering, OR proper hardware acceleration provided by FireGL. The two cannot be installed in conjunction - this is because the rendering kernel is different for each, but given (rather intelligently) the same name.

You will need to remove the Mesa rpm. You will need to leave mesaglut and libmesaglut rpms installed. You should then be able to install the firegl drivers without any kind of forcing.

Best of luck getting it to work even then. I ultimately swapped my ATi card for an nVidia out of frustration. ATi put a stupidly fussy card detection routine in place - if it found an ATi processor, it would check to see who built it. If it was built by anybody other than ATi, or even if it was built by ATi but on the cheap, then the driver would abort. Which was nice.

[stigweed]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I heard something about that rejection of OEMs. I read up on google a bit and the Rad 9700 isn't even supported for 3D yet. The Ati driver is pretty out of date as well and I don't think it supports 3D yet for the 9700.

[Kaitain]

The ATi driver is out of date because they don't write it. They just repackage an open-source driver with their own custom screen detection code and a lot of hot air. The o-s driver is being developed here:

http://dri.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/moin.cgi/ATI

you might have more luck with them

[stigweed]

I see. I'll just have to wait (spent too much on the 9700 to change to nvidia now). I did just manage to get my winmodem working using a driver from linuxant.com. I'm limited to 14.4 k until I buy a license for $14.99 - that's still cheaper than upgrading to an external modem. Apparently Linuxant now have an agreement with Conexant to write their drivers.

[Kaitain]

Interesting that you have to pay for the driver. Reading through Linuxant's page, I quite understand the reasons. It's a shame, however, that Conexant didn't see fit to develop a driver in-house, the way Intel have for their HaM chipsets.

Rare to send a "well-done" to Intel, but they have one just for that

[stigweed]

Bought the license. Was very easy, and a good exchange rate at the moment means I paid £8.50 or so for it - about as much as I paid for the modem in the first place. Not bad though considering a serial modem is about £30 and a USB is about £50