AMDGPU Driver Caused "Fallback mode" error

[anonLab1]

Hi,

Summary: I recently switched from Windows 10 to Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.3 (64-bit) and attempted to install a graphics driver for my AMD Radeon R7 M260/M265 Graphics card which caused the "Cinnamon just crashed. You are currently in fallback mode" error when i rebooted after installing the graphics driver.

What I did: Linux Mint Cinnamon showed my GPU as Intel and there was no option for my AMD GPU in the Driver Manager (somehow it is not detected?). So I installed the appropriate Linux driver from the AMD website (Crimson Edition 15.12) and after restart I am faced with this error "Cinnamon just crashed. You are currently in fallback mode".
I understand now from this forum topic viewtopic.php?f=59&t=248059 that installing the proprietary driver was a bad idea and that I will probably require an open source driver. However how do I fix this error?
Thanks.

[deepakdeshp]

Please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver
To come out the existing problem try reversing the commands you executed, to install the driver

[anonLab1]

Thanks for the response
I attempted to uninstall the driver and rebooted, but was greeted by a black screen.
So I have now reinstalled Linux Mint Cinnamon to start from scratch.
What concerns me is that I can not see my graphics card on the Driver Manager (only the CPU drivers) and when i check my graphics card with:

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lspci -nn | grep -E 'VGA|Display'

I get two results:

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00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Device [8086:5916] (rev 02)
01:00.0 Display controller [0380]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265] [1002:6900] (rev 83)

I believe this means I have a "hybrid graphics" system?

Anyways, I followed the instructions from the link you provided:
- AMDGPU-PRO supports the Radeon R7 M260/M265 graphics card (as shown here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AMDGPU-Driver but not here?: https://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articl ... Notes.aspx)
- So I installed AMDGPU-PRO (AMDGPU-Pro Driver Version 16.40 for Ubuntu 16.04) as specified on this page: https://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articl ... stall.aspx
- However, when I performed the reboot after the install, I received the same "Cinnamon just crashed. You are currently running in Fallback Mode" error.

[Mattyboy]

What concerns me is that I can not see my graphics card on the Driver Manager (only the CPU drivers)

The reason you can't see any propriety drivers in the manager is because you're already using the best open source drivers in Mint 18 for Radeon graphics cards. There's are no propriety AMD drivers for Mint 18.

If you wish to run Mint 18.x stay with the open source drivers.
If you wish to run the propriety AMD catalyst drivers you need to install Mint 17.x

There is no other workable alternative.

[deepakdeshp]

What concerns me is that I can not see my graphics card on the Driver Manager (only the CPU drivers)

The reason you can't see any propriety drivers in the manager is because you're already using the best open source drivers in Mint 18 for Radeon graphics cards. There's are no propriety AMD drivers for Mint 18.

If you wish to run Mint 18.x stay with the open source drivers.
If you wish to run the propriety AMD catalyst drivers you need to install Mint 17.x

There is no other workable alternative.

Are the proprietary drivers in any way superior to the open source ones?

[Mattyboy]

Are the proprietary drivers in any way superior to the open source ones?

Depends on what you plan to use the computer for. For gaming then I'd say yeah you'll probably get better performance from the proprietary drivers. For everything else the open source drivers are pretty good and should 'serve you well'.

I'm running Ubuntu 18.04 beta at the moment on a PC with a Nividia card and on that OS find the open source driver currently performs better than the 390 provided by Nividia ( terrible screen tear on kernel 4.15 ) so swings and roundabouts.

Mint 17 still has support for another year... who knows maybe in that time AMD will sort their, eh, stuff out.

[deepakdeshp]

I read that AMD is not going to have support for Linux, at least the old hardware

[Mattyboy]

at least the old hardware

Yeah. Small user base warrant the investment? probably not, certainty not when you're pushing new product.

[deepakdeshp]

at least the old hardware

Yeah. Small user base warrant the investment? probably not, certainty not when you're pushing new product.

I am on Mint 18.3. Ialways wonder if I should switch to the proprietary driver in Mint 17.3, though I never play any games.

[anonLab1]

What concerns me is that I can not see my graphics card on the Driver Manager (only the CPU drivers)

The reason you can't see any propriety drivers in the manager is because you're already using the best open source drivers in Mint 18 for Radeon graphics cards. There's are no propriety AMD drivers for Mint 18.

If you wish to run Mint 18.x stay with the open source drivers.
If you wish to run the propriety AMD catalyst drivers you need to install Mint 17.x

There is no other workable alternative.

Awesome thanks a tonne - I was going crazy trying to get it working.
I will try the open source driver with some games and see whether it is satisfactory and if I need to switch to Mint 17.x.
Do you know how I can see the open source driver I am currently using?

[Mattyboy]

Do you know how I can see the open source driver I am currently using?

You can use this 'universal' terminal inxi command to see details about your system.

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inxi -Fxz

( always include the results of this when asking questions about your machine ).
For more specific in depth details refer to the inxi manual.

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man inxi

[Hoser Rob]

I read that AMD is not going to have support for Linux, at least the old hardware

That's not true. The reason for all these issues with mint 18 (and all newer dfistros) is that AMD has been re writing their whole Linux graphics stack. AFAIK they're getting rid of closed binaries like fglrx and going more like Intel.

All graphics card makers have issues with old cards, but AMD does seem to move them into legacy a bit quickly. Hopefully this will improve.

[Arch_Enemy]

Are the proprietary drivers in any way superior to the open source ones?

Depends on what you plan to use the computer for. For gaming then I'd say yeah you'll probably get better performance from the proprietary drivers. For everything else the open source drivers are pretty good and should 'serve you well'.

I'm running Ubuntu 18.04 beta at the moment on a PC with a Nividia card and on that OS find the open source driver currently performs better than the 390 provided by Nividia ( terrible screen tear on kernel 4.15 ) so swings and roundabouts.

Mint 17 still has support for another year... who knows maybe in that time AMD will sort their, eh, stuff out.

I'm running 387 (stayed with 340 for a long time) nd not having those issues.
One thing about running the nVidia driver, you get their "control panel". I have 2 screens so I can tune them so they are the same colour.

[Mattyboy]

I'm running 387 (stayed with 340 for a long time) nd not having those issues.
One thing about running the nVidia driver, you get their "control panel". I have 2 screens so I can tune them so they are the same colour.

I'm dual booting ubuntu beta on the same machine as my Mint install.

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[Kernel: 4.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
           Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA Device 1c03 bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB/PCIe/SSE2
           GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 384.111 Direct Rendering: Yes

No issues with tearing at all on Mint ( even when using my two 1920x1080@60.00hz monitors at the same time ). Agree you can have a play about with the server settings control panel which I have in Ubuntu ( tried a manual install of 384.111 ) but its just terrible regardless of what I do. Maybe its the combination of 4.15 and the fact its still in beta? Dunno, but for the time being I'm sticking with the open source driver.... unless anyone has a suggestion?