Linux Mint Forums

I have installed Linux successfully in the past using Ubuntu (I think Feisty Fawn was the first version I used), which worked straight out of the tin. But a year or so ago, I upgraded from my old Nvidia card to an MSI Radeon R6670.

Unfortunately any attempt to run Linux with this card results in a start-up screen like this:



I did ask on the Ubuntu forums about this at the time, never got an answer and basically just gave up. I then tried Mint and had exactly the same problem.

Now I have got a new motherboard and CPU, so I thought it would be worth having another go with Mint 14 (XFCE 64-bit). I still get the same screen, which must be a worthy contender for exhibiting at the Tate Modern.

I then found my old Nvidia card and tried Mint with that and it worked first time without any hassle, so it's definitely the Radeon card that's causing the trouble. I tried running the live DVD in "compatibility mode", which starts with the same corrupted screen and then pulls itself together and loads up the standard desktop screen (presumably using a VESA driver), so there's a ray of hope there.

Now I'm told that I probably need to install the proprietary driver that is downloadable from the AMD website. But I haven;t a clue how to do that when I don't even have a usable screen to do it with.

Can any of you guys help a poor newbie?

Sorry if I haven't put it as an easy to-the-point question. Let me put it like this then:

How do I install the correct driver for this card when I am unable to get a usable screen? Is there a way I can at least get to a command line interface?

Use the live/hybrid CD provided for the distro:

• Start in recovery mode
• Download the amd/ati graphics driver for your card
• Save it in your /home directory(folder) or onto a usb drive (you will need to mount the USB drive, use /media or /mnt as the location for the usb device (/media/myusb/.. (it should then appear))
• You can use a text based browser to get/fetch or http/ftp the file from amd
• If these are not options, find an internet cafe or a Library or other free wifi spot and get the file onto a usb drive (they are cheap)
• Or buy a better graphics card that is latter amd more supported via the AMD site, but check the info "Linux + card model + amd driver" in order to proceed more easily..