Radeon RX580 with amdgpu (not -pro)

[Linuxfarm68]

Just installed Linuxmint 18.3 on my primary workstation that have Win10 as dual boot, because many posts point to a working amdgpu opensource driver.

But something is wrong, the boot usb key as the first installed system without updates did only run a compatibility mode graphics. So i did all updates, what put me into a black screen with blue message that the xserver cannot start. I have installed the openssh-server package so it's possible to peek into the damaged system via another machine.

For the amdgpu driver there are so much mixed information, most people wrote information about amdgpu-pro within posts about amdgpu. In the archwiki i found further tips for a simple amdgpu setup. So let's start investigation.

--edit
Here i installed the padoka PPA for a matching driver set and updated MESA

About the card
eric@athena:/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d$ inxi -Gx
Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Device 67df bus-ID: 04:00.0
Display Server: X.org 1.19.5 driver: N/A
tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A out of X
--/edit

eric@athena:~$ uname -a
Linux athena 4.4.0-21-generic #37-Ubuntu SMP Mon Apr 18 18:33:37 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

eric@athena:~$ dmesg | grep amdgpu
[ 9.632628] [drm] amdgpu kernel modesetting enabled.

eric@athena:~$ lsmod | grep amdgpu
amdgpu 983040 0
ttm 98304 1 amdgpu
drm_kms_helper 139264 1 amdgpu
drm 360448 3 ttm,drm_kms_helper,amdgpu
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 amdgpu

Seems the driver itself is running? Radeon was blacklisted like suggested in the Archwiki so this is off

eric@athena:~$ lsmod | grep radeon
eric@athena:~$

The xorg.log for failed start looks like this:

X.Org X Server 1.19.5
Release Date: 2017-10-12
[ 2149.896] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 2149.896] Build Operating System: Linux 4.4.0-101-generic x86_64 Ubuntu
[ 2149.896] Current Operating System: Linux athena 4.4.0-21-generic #37-Ubuntu
SMP Mon Apr 18 18:33:37 UTC 2016 x86_64
[ 2149.896] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic root
=UUID=989933d4-6316-4e44-89db-74897937ec51 ro iommu=soft quiet splash vt.handoff
=7
[ 2149.896] Build Date: 24 November 2017 09:44:25AM
[ 2149.896] xorg-server 2:1.19.5-0ubuntu2~16.04.1 (For technical support please
see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
[ 2149.896] Current version of pixman: 0.33.6
[ 2149.896] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 2149.896] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[ 2149.896] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Thu Jan 4 09:54:47 201
8
[ 2149.896] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 2149.897] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 2149.897] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 2149.897] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[ 2149.897] (**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[ 2149.897] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
Using a default monitor configuration.
[ 2149.897] (==) Automatically adding devices
[ 2149.897] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[ 2149.897] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[ 2149.897] (==) Automatically binding GPU devices
[ 2149.897] (==) Max clients allowed: 256, resource mask: 0x1fffff
[ 2149.897] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[ 2149.897] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 2149.897] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/" does not exist.
[ 2149.897] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 2149.897] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/" does not exist.
[ 2149.897] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 2149.897] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi" does not exist.
[ 2149.897] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 2149.897] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi" does not exist.
[ 2149.897] Entry deleted from font path.
[ 2149.897] (==) FontPath set to:
/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
built-ins
[ 2149.897] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-module
s,/usr/lib/xorg/extra-modules,/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[ 2149.897] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices
.
If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevic
es.
[ 2149.897] (II) Loader magic: 0x55851dad0e00
[ 2149.897] (II) Module ABI versions:
[ 2149.897] X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[ 2149.897] X.Org Video Driver: 23.0
[ 2149.897] X.Org XInput driver : 24.1
[ 2149.897] X.Org Server Extension : 10.0
[ 2149.898] (--) using VT number 3

[ 2149.898] (II) systemd-logind: logind integration requires -keeptty and -keep
tty was not provided, disabling logind integration
[ 2149.900] (--) PCI:*(0:4:0:0) 1002:67df:1da2:e366 rev 231, Mem @ 0xc0000000/2
68435456, 0xd0000000/2097152, 0xfe800000/262144, I/O @ 0x0000d000/256, BIOS @ 0x
????????/131072
[ 2149.900] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[ 2149.900] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[ 2149.901] (II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 2149.901] compiled for 1.19.5, module version = 1.0.0
[ 2149.901] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 10.0
[ 2149.901] (==) Matched ati as autoconfigured driver 0
[ 2149.901] (==) Matched modesetting as autoconfigured driver 1
[ 2149.901] (==) Matched fbdev as autoconfigured driver 2
[ 2149.901] (==) Matched vesa as autoconfigured driver 3
[ 2149.901] (==) Assigned the driver to the xf86ConfigLayout
[ 2149.901] (II) LoadModule: "ati"
[ 2149.902] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module ati
[ 2149.902] (II) UnloadModule: "ati"
[ 2149.902] (II) Unloading ati
[ 2149.902] (EE) Failed to load module "ati" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.902] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[ 2149.902] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[ 2149.902] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 2149.902] compiled for 1.19.5, module version = 1.19.5
[ 2149.902] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 2149.902] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 23.0
[ 2149.902] (II) LoadModule: "fbdev"
[ 2149.902] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev
[ 2149.902] (II) UnloadModule: "fbdev"
[ 2149.902] (II) Unloading fbdev
[ 2149.902] (EE) Failed to load module "fbdev" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.902] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[ 2149.902] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module vesa
[ 2149.902] (II) UnloadModule: "vesa"
[ 2149.902] (II) Unloading vesa
[ 2149.902] (EE) Failed to load module "vesa" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.902] (==) Matched ati as autoconfigured driver 0
[ 2149.902] (==) Matched modesetting as autoconfigured driver 1
[ 2149.902] (==) Matched fbdev as autoconfigured driver 2
[ 2149.902] (==) Matched vesa as autoconfigured driver 3
[ 2149.902] (==) Assigned the driver to the xf86ConfigLayout
[ 2149.902] (II) LoadModule: "ati"
[ 2149.902] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module ati
[ 2149.902] (II) UnloadModule: "ati"
[ 2149.902] (II) Unloading ati
[ 2149.902] (EE) Failed to load module "ati" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.902] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[ 2149.903] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[ 2149.903] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 2149.903] compiled for 1.19.5, module version = 1.19.5
[ 2149.903] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 2149.903] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 23.0
[ 2149.903] (II) UnloadModule: "modesetting"
[ 2149.903] (II) Unloading modesetting
[ 2149.903] (II) Failed to load module "modesetting" (already loaded, 0)
[ 2149.903] (II) LoadModule: "fbdev"
[ 2149.903] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module fbdev
[ 2149.903] (II) UnloadModule: "fbdev"
[ 2149.903] (II) Unloading fbdev
[ 2149.903] (EE) Failed to load module "fbdev" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.903] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[ 2149.903] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module vesa
[ 2149.903] (II) UnloadModule: "vesa"
[ 2149.903] (II) Unloading vesa
[ 2149.903] (EE) Failed to load module "vesa" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 2149.903] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
[ 2149.909] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[ 2149.909] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
[ 2149.909] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[ 2149.909] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[ 2149.909] (II) UnloadModule: "modesetting"
[ 2149.909] (EE) Device(s) detected, but none match those in the config file.
[ 2149.910] (EE)
Fatal server error:
[ 2149.910] (EE) no screens found(EE)
[ 2149.910] (EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
[ 2149.910] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for ad
ditional information.
[ 2149.910] (EE)
[ 2149.922] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.

--edit2
Found out that there is the required binary blob polaris12* in /lib/firmware/amdgpu but in dmesg there is no intention to feed it into the card
eric@athena:~$ dmesg | grep firmware
eric@athena:~$ dmesg | grep polaris
#eric@athena:~$

So how and when will the firmware be placed into the card? Looking here shows nothing of loaded firmware, as xorg errors out.
eric@athena:/sys/firmware$ ls
acpi dmi efi memmap
--edit2

[mr_raider]

I don't know what the level of support for rx580 (polaris 12) is in amdgpu. You might be stuck using amdgpu-pro.

However, padoka only upgrages mesa. It doesn't upgrade the xserver or the full amdgpu package.

Here is what I woudl try:

1. Upgrade your kernel to the 4.10 series at least

2. Disable padoka ppa, downgrade the packages back to stock.

3. Try the oibaf PPA

https://launchpad.net/~oibaf/+archive/u ... cs-drivers

If all else fails, I would revert back to stock and try to install amdgpu-pro.

[Linuxfarm68]

Hmm no success at all, so i give the results from hours of experimenting before Ubuntu 16.04-3

amdgpu
- Kernels from ubuntu are not compatible to linuxmint kernel, with amdgpu in both versions it will result to a crash with a polaris12 device.
- amdgpu is a mess because mesa, the kernel and the driver is like a puzzle and fail if not all versions are compatible

amdgpu-pro with polaris12
- require a matching package from AMD to the special kernel version, or it wont compile or crash at boot
- polaris12 requires minimum Kernel-4.9 to load it's firmware (pci-iids), AMD offers driver for 4.9 and 4.10
- The firmware blobs are an urgent requirement, non matching versions cause havoc

Final tips:
- use the 'nomodeset' kernel option at boot to enforce the framebuffer if you stuck in the black screen
- wrong firmware blob loads are notable through extreme storm from the graphic card

So i use an ubuntu LTS with cinnamon desktop until this knot is resolved, hope that the next LTS will set stable solutions for some years.

[mr_raider]

You are not the only person who failed to install amdgpu-pro in MInt but succeeded in Ubuntu 16.04.3 AMD tests the driver against a particular ubuntu configuration, which is not identical to Mint.


Ubuntu LTS uses a HWE with upgraded Xserver. You can try to install the HWE in Mint and see if amdgpu-pro compiles. Once everything works, do not upgrade the kernel or the xserver any more.