Radeon HD 7870 - compatibility with Linux Mint 13

[cos667]

Hi all,

Since i moved from Win7, 2 weeks ago, i have random problems related to my XFX Radeon HD 7870 and i would like to know how compatible is this card with Mate or Cinnamon ?

Problems with Cinnamon: random screen freezing, reached stable situation by using beta driver from ATI.
Tried to install compiz crashed everything and re-installed completely with Mate this time.

Problems with Mate: random screen freezing and applications hangs (with default driver). After i switched to beta driver from ATI - same situation.
Activated proprietary drivers and now it looks better but i am too scared to try compiz again

After 2 weeks of trying all "tricks and tips" i could find on forum i am kind of tired,
and i would like just to know if Radeon HD 7870 is really compatible with Mate or Cinnamon, and if not,
what graphic card should i buy to have maximum compatibility (and maybe compiz)...

Thanks.

[xenopeek]

Before we head of into buying something else, could you show us some details about your hardware? To do so, please run the following command on a terminal and copy the output from the terminal here (you can copy text to/from the terminal, see its Edit menu).

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inxi -Fx

[cos667]

This is the output:

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System:    Host: mintwkst Kernel: 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
           Desktop: MATE 1.2.0  Distro: Linux Mint 13 Maya
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: SABERTOOTH Z77 version: Rev 1.xx serial: MT7023K14301919
           Bios: American Megatrends version: 0906 date: 03/26/2012
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i5-2550K CPU (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 27202.3
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1600.00 MHz 2: 1600.00 MHz 3: 1600.00 MHz 4: 1600.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Device 6818 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           X.org: 1.11.3 driver: fglrx tty size: 132x40 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Device aab0 bus-ID: 01:00.1 Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.24
           Card-2: Intel Panther Point High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Network:   Card: Intel 82579V Gigabit Network Connection driver: e1000e ver: 1.5.1-k port: f040 bus-ID: 00:19.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: c8:60:00:a6:1b:7a
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 3750.8GB (72.4% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: MKNSSDCR60GB size: 60.0GB temp: 31C
           2: id: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD4500HLHX size: 450.1GB temp: 33C 3: id: /dev/sdc model: OCZ size: 240.1GB temp: 30C
           4: id: /dev/sdd model: ST3000DM001 size: 3000.6GB temp: 33C
Partition: ID: / size: 44G used: 6.8G (17%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 12.84GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8C mobo: 27.8C gpu: 43.00C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 206 Uptime: 1:12 Memory: 1855.1/11974.4MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.6.3 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.20

[xenopeek]

Okay, from your output confirming you are running the AMD Catalyst driver. Nothing else jumps out as a problem.

For the record, Compiz isn't compatible with Cinnamon and so trying to run Compiz on top of Cinnamon may have been cause of your final problems on Cinnamon. Compiz should work on MATE, though it is a bit of work: http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/919.

I'm not sure about Compiz on the AMD Catalyst driver, and if that will work flawlessly.

[cos667]

Hi again,

installed compiz and did run "compiz --replace" but the header of any window disappeared, no effect is working, no buttons on windows, every window just looks messed up.
So i guess the Catalyst driver i am using is not working on MATE+compiz. I can just hope that i will get no "screen freeze" or other "screen artifacts".

But nevertheless, is there an HW compatibility list so i can find a recommended graphic card ?

Because i guess that Linux Mint is not playing well with medium or high end graphic cards and therefore the compatibility issues (especially ATI).

Compiz packages:

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dpkg -l compiz*
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name                        Version                     Description
+++-===========================-===========================-======================================================================
ii  compiz                      1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4        OpenGL window and compositing manager
ii  compiz-core                 1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4        OpenGL window and compositing manager
un  compiz-core-abiversion-2012 <none>                      (no description available)
un  compiz-fusion-plugins-extra <none>                      (no description available)
un  compiz-fusion-plugins-main  <none>                      (no description available)
ii  compiz-gnome                1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4        OpenGL window and compositing manager - GNOME window decorator
un  compiz-kde                  <none>                      (no description available)
ii  compiz-plugins              1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4        OpenGL window and compositing manager - plugins
ii  compiz-plugins-default      1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.4        OpenGL window and compositing manager - default plugins
un  compiz-plugins-extra        <none>                      (no description available)
ii  compiz-plugins-main         1:0.9.7.0~bzr19-0ubuntu10   Compiz plugins - main collection
ii  compiz-plugins-main-default 1:0.9.7.0~bzr19-0ubuntu10   Compiz plugins - main default collection
un  compiz-wrapper              <none>                      (no description available)
ii  compizconfig-backend-gconf  0.9.5.92-0ubuntu5           Compiz Fusion configuration system - gconf backend
ii  compizconfig-settings-manag 0.9.5.92-0ubuntu3           Compiz configuration settings manager


[cos667]

Finally i've sold my HD 7870 with an bad price and bought an cheap Asus GT 210 Silent.
And, amazing, but Compiz is still not working. I do not understand what i am missing here....

[cos667]

Finally solved it!!! after doing this with my new Asus GT 210 :

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

I don't know who keeps that repository but is great (and i did not had to boot in terminal mode to install new Nvidia drv from their website).