Is this driver OK in Nadia? (ATI)

[ashboy]

My GPU is a little old and up until an hour ago I was led to believe ATI bandoned it since 2009.

I can't find out from anything in the System menus what kind of ATI driver I'm currently running (I remember this was a little easier and Windows-like in Ubuntu, but that was years ago). Anyway, can I safely use this one in Nadia? http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/l ... ng=English

I just need a go-ahead from people who actually know what they're talking about. All I know is that my GPU is on the list, and the PDF says it supports Ubuntu. And any ATI driver ought to be better than the default driver it installed (if this isn't already that driver - but like I said, I can't tell either way).

I'm a bit nervous about messing with this stuff. For once I don't have a computer to fall back to if things go wrong.

[bigj231]

You will have to downgrade X.org if I recall correctly.
What exactly is wrong with the defaut driver? If there's nothing system-breaking, it's much easier to leave it as it is.
To check which driver you're using (and what GPU you have) use:

Code: Select all

inxi -G

For example, my output is:

Code: Select all

Graphics:  Card: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller 
           X.Org: 1.13.0 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 9.0.3

If your system is currently working, and you don't want to break it. Don't mess with GPU drivers. Take it from me, it's not worth the effort to change a version number.

[ashboy]

I know, I kinda have to. They run extremely sluggish. It's hard to say, but I'm looking at less than 25% performance. Framerate dropping visibly below 20 where it should have been at 60 under Windows with the same GPU. I remember getting more out of a less powerful card (in the same game) when I was using Ubuntu a couple years back.

My GPU is of the Radeon Mobile x1250 series. It came with a laptop that was passed over to me around 2008. It was old then, but still on par with any other GPU I had owned up until then. Enough to play Oblivion or X3. Now even run Ragnarok Online (2001) is a slide show.

It's a serious step back for me. I realize there are risks, but I think the pros outweigh the cons right now.

[ashboy]

Code: Select all

Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 
           X.Org: 1.13.0 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1280x800@59.9hz 
           GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on ATI RS600 GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 9.0.3

So I guess that's the Xorg driver then. Right, I better go look a removal / installation guide then. Any last thoughts before I blow up my laptop?

[ashboy]

Hang on, this isn't right. I read the installation pdf and it said:

ATI Catalyst™ Linux Installer Note
2
• Ubuntu
Minimum System Requirements
Before attempting to install the ATI Prop
rietary Linux driver, the following soft-
ware must be installed:
• POSIX Shared Memory (/dev/shm)
support is required for 3D apps
• glibc version 2.2 or 2.3
• Linux kernel 2.6 or higher
• XOrg 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4

So.. I guess I should NOT remove xorg then?

[AlbertP]

That "X.org X Server" entry in Software Sources is very confusing. It's the X.org component of open-source radeon driver which is mentioned, but in fact manually uninstalling the radeon X driver is not necessary at all.

But please do not install a driver. The Radeon Xpress 1250 is not supported anymore by ATI. The only drivers available for it are very old and for ancient Linux versions only. You have no choice but to keep the current drivers.

[ashboy]

Ancient? But.. 2009.. isn't.. so.. long.. ago.. ?

Nothing I can do then, that's very disappointing. I appreciate the help though. Thanks for preventing me from going head-first down this rabbit hole.

[ashboy]

Some people are suggesting to simply install a very old linux distro, as a work-around. Can anyone here recommend me one that works?

[AlbertP]

The driver that you need here is even older than the legacy driver released last year. Linux distros from 2009 have long reached end of life already. Which means that there won't be security updates and the repository has been closed.

Maybe the radeon driver will work better in some future edition of Mint; Mint 15 will be released this month.

[ashboy]

I guess I might as well wait for that then. Thanks for the help.