Howto for fglrx / catalyst (Ati driver)

[adrianx]

Xorg.0.log - http://www.pastebin.org/11750
messages - (lines containing "error" of "fglrx"):

root@quartz:~# cat ~adrian/Desktop/messages.txt | grep -e "error" -e "fglrx"
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: fglrx: module license 'Proprietary. (C) 2002 - ATI Technologies, Starnberg, GERMANY' taints kernel.
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Maximum main memory to use for locked dma buffers: 2598 MBytes.
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx]   vendor: 1002 device: 9610 count: 1
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] ioport: bar 1, base 0xd000, size: 0x100
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Kernel supports PAT but it has been disabled
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Using driver built-in PAT support instead
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Driver built-in PAT support is enabled successfully
Aug 24 23:04:56 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] module loaded - fglrx 8.64.3 [Jul 14 2009] with 1 minors
Aug 24 23:05:01 amethyst NetworkManager: <WARN>  nm_generic_enable_loopback(): error -17 returned from rtnl_addr_add():#012Sucess#012
Aug 24 23:05:05 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] GART Table is not in FRAME_BUFFER range 
Aug 24 23:05:05 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 1738
Aug 24 23:05:06 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Gart USWC size:854 M.
Aug 24 23:05:06 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Gart cacheable size:338 M.
Aug 24 23:05:06 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Shared offset:0, size:1000000 
Aug 24 23:05:06 amethyst kernel: [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Unshared offset:fffb000, size:5000

[leigh123linux]

Leigh123linux,

The install for the PAE installed, but it's not working for me.

I had an empty xorg.conf before and I noticed it is still empty after the catalyst package installs and a reboot.

I'm also getting this:

[root@w1 X11]# aticonfig -h
aticonfig: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/libGL.so.1: cannot restore segment prot after reloc: Permission denied

Does that have to do with me manually installing the ATI Catalyst driver and then removing it? I think I remember there was an issue where some Fedora libraries were overwritten by manually installing the ATI Catalyst. Any suggestions?

That's a selinux error!

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SELinu...nux_denials.3F

[Hlingler]

Does that have to do with me manually installing the ATI Catalyst driver and then removing it? I think I remember there was an issue where some Fedora libraries were overwritten by manually installing the ATI Catalyst. Any suggestions?

That may be an SELinux problem, but it wouldn't hurt to repair (or at least verify/check for) damage from the ATI binary: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Xorg/..._Video_Drivers

V

EDIT: I see you already fixed it, and it was the binary.

[Jeff72]

Leigh,

I'm getting some kind of Traceback error on boot after installing the catalyst PAE packages. I'm not sure where to see that error after boot and it scrolls by a bit fast to write it down. It definitely is something to do with the fglrx driver.

Here is some fglrx info from my messages file:

Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: fglrx: module license 'Proprietary. (C) 2002 - ATI Technologies, Starnberg, GERMANY' taints kernel.
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] Maximum main memory to use for locked dma buffers: 3862 MBytes.
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx]   vendor: 1002 device: 9442 count: 1
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] ioport: bar 4, base 0x9000, size: 0x100
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] Kernel supports PAT but it has been disabled
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] Using driver built-in PAT support instead
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] Driver built-in PAT support is enabled successfully
Aug 24 17:01:28 w1 kernel: [fglrx] module loaded - fglrx 8.64.3 [Jul 14 2009] with 1 minors

Also, some EE lines from Xorg.0.log:

# grep EE Xorg.0.log
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
(EE) RADEON(0): [dri] RADEONDRIGetVersion failed to open the DRM
(EE) RADEON(0): Acceleration initialization failed

Looks like it is trying to load the RADEON driver.

I notice that my empty /etc/X11/xorg.conf file from before is still empty after the PAE catalyst packages were installed. I'll try running aticonfig --initial to create the catalyst xorg.conf file and reboot.

UPDATE: Yeah, you need to have a populated /etc/X11/xorg.conf file or you will get the error I got above. Running "aticonfig --initial" and then rebooting solved my problem.

[Hlingler]

I'm not sure where to see that error after boot and it scrolls by a bit fast to write it down.

F11 restored the boot log, so you may also want to look at /var/log/boot[.log]

V

[Jeff72]

That may be an SELinux problem, but it wouldn't hurt to repair (or at least verify/check for) damage from the ATI binary: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Xorg/..._Video_Drivers

V

EDIT: I see you already fixed it, and it was the binary.

Yeah, I updated my uninstall section here also:
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=228689

[Jeff72]

F11 restored the boot log, so you may also want to look at /var/log/boot[.log]

V

Thanks! That is good to know!

Leigh,

On that note, I am getting this error on boot now:

Starting ATI External Events Daemon: atieventsd: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/catalyst/libGL.so.1: cannot restore
 segment prot after reloc: Permission denied
                                                           [FAILED]

I am thinking this might actually be related to SELINUX.

Also, I was able to login with the Catalyst 9.8 packaged drivers, but the screen locks up fairly quick. This also happened with the manual Catalyst 9.8 binary install. Others had suggested the following which solved the problem for me with the packaged drivers also:

# Add the following line to the "Device" section in the ATI created /etc/X11/xorg.conf file:
Option "SWCursor" "true"

You might want to add this to post #1 as a requirement so people's systems don't freeze up after trying to move windows.

[Jeff72]

* Updated October 12, 2009

Here are some notes on how I got the ATI Catalyst 9.8 and 9.9 driver working with Fedora 11 (32-bit) on my ATI 4850 graphics card:

ATI Catalyst driver install
I started with post #1 and did the PAE install since i'm running Fedora 11 32-bit: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showpo...99&postcount=1
However, I had to do the following to resolve some issues.

Generate an ATI /etc/X11/xorg.conf file (xorg.conf issue):
I originally had an empty /etc/X11/xorg.conf file before installing the Catalyst packages. I noticed that /etc/X11/xorg.conf was still empty after installing the catalyst packages and rebooting.
The fix for this was to generate an ATI /etc/X11/xorg.conf file by running this as root:

# rename old /etc/X11/xorg.conf file
mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf-old

# Single Monitor display
aticonfig --initial

# or, if you have two monitors configured:
# Two Monitor displays
aticonfig --initial=dual-head

Fix desktop locking up after login and while moving windows around:
After creating an initial xorg.conf file, I was able to get to the login screen. However, my screen would lockup whenever moving windows around.
There are 2 options you can do to fix this, as far as I am aware of:
NOTE: Pick only one of the two options below. If you want to do option 1 and you already have done option 2, then you will want to comment or remove the "Option "SWCursor" "true" line from your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

Disable RandR 1.2 support:
(Note, the below command adds "EnableRandR12=SFALSE" to the "[AMDPCSROOT/SYSTEM/DDX]" section in the /etc/ati/amdpcsdb file.)
(See also http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item=927&num=1 for "A Newbie's Guide To RandR 1.2".)

# Run the following as root
aticonfig --set-pcs-str="DDX,EnableRandR12,FALSE"

REMOVE the following line from from your /etx/X11/xorg.conf file, if it is there:

Option "SWCursor" "true"

COMPIZ-FUSION (cube and other desktop affects)
I installed compiz-fusion using the official package instructions here:http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showpo...29&postcount=2
To run compiz-fusion, run: "Applications" - "System Tools" - "Compiz Fusion Icon"
Then right click the running Compiz Fusion Icon in the top right of your screen and select "Select Window Manager" and choose "Compiz".
Then right click the running Compiz Fusion Icon in the top right of your screen and select "Select Window Decorator" and choose "Emerald".
Then right click the running Compiz Fusion Icon in the top right of your screen and select "Emerald Theme Manager" and choose "SlateHorn_Blue" (or any one you like) and then click Quit.
Hold down CTRL+Alt keys and then left click on the top of a window and drag left or right to see the cube affect.


SELINUX fixes:
I got this error on bootup which is related to SELINUX:

# /etc/rc5.d/S97atieventsd start
Starting ATI External Events Daemon: atieventsd: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/catalyst/libGL.so.1: cannot restore segment prot after reloc: Permission denied
                                                           [FAILED]

The fix for the above SELINUX error is to run this as root:

chcon -t textrel_shlib_t '/usr/lib/catalyst/libGL.so.1.2'

To make "glxgears" run without having SELINUX complain, run this as root:

chcon -t textrel_shlib_t '/usr/lib/catalyst/libatiadlxx.so'

To change screen display properties:
Run "Applications" - "System Tools" - "ATI Catalyst Control Center"

UPDATING YOUR SYSTEM (Added October 12, 2009)
If you update your system, and update the xorg catalyst packages (to version 9.9-2, for example):
xorg-x11-drv-catalyst
xorg-x11-drv-catalyst-libs
Then you will need to run the SELINUX fixes again. These will fix things so that Compiz Fusion Icon and also "glxgears" works again.
Run these as root userID:

chcon -t textrel_shlib_t '/usr/lib/catalyst/libGL.so.1.2'
chcon -t textrel_shlib_t '/usr/lib/catalyst/libatiadlxx.so'

Other options:
I am running fine with disabling RandR 1.2 support above. But, if you happen to have issues with disabling RandR 1.2 support above, you can try this instead:
Enable SWCursor:
(Note: Originally I tried this option. With SWCursor set to true, the system display does not lockup anymore. Although things work, I notice mouse cursor corruption if I enable compiz-fusion.)

# Add the following line to the "Device" section in the ATI created /etc/X11/xorg.conf file:
Option "SWCursor" "true"

[adrianx]

Thanks! That is good to know!

Leigh,

On that note, I am getting this error on boot now:

Starting ATI External Events Daemon: atieventsd: error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/catalyst/libGL.so.1: cannot restore
 segment prot after reloc: Permission denied
                                                           [FAILED]

I am thinking this might actually be related to SELINUX.

Also, I was able to login with the Catalyst 9.8 packaged drivers, but the screen locks up fairly quick. This also happened with the manual Catalyst 9.8 binary install. Others had suggested the following which solved the problem for me with the packaged drivers also:

# Add the following line to the "Device" section in the ATI created /etc/X11/xorg.conf file:
Option "SWCursor" "true"

You might want to add this to post #1 as a requirement so people's systems don't freeze up after trying to move windows.

Guess what.... Adding Option SWCursor "true" seems to have solved the problem! I added it to xorg.conf and there have been no crashes for over 10 minutes into my session.

Thanks Jeff72 and thanks Leigh and Hlingler for your patience.

P.S. I now have desktop effects! My mouse pointer is doing some strange stuff, but I think it has already been reported in another thread. It's way past my bedtime, but I'll carry on tomorrow.

[tkalfaoglu]

Big heads up:

Even if the ATI's install program says all is well, it might have failed miserably.
I installed the ATI on a new Fedora 11 installation, and because kernel-headers and kernel-devel (and gcc!) were not installed on that machine, ATI said all was well, but the kernel driver was not installed!
I had to do run that make.sh manually to see the error messages and correct it.. works great now!

-t

[egemet]

Dear Turgut,
Did you have Catalyst drivers loaded from the installer script downloaded from Ati or from those rpmfusion packages? Did you have lockups due to cursor movements.

Thanks

Ahmet

[egemet]

P.S. I now have desktop effects! My mouse pointer is doing some strange stuff, but I think it has already been reported in another thread. It's way past my bedtime, but I'll carry on tomorrow.

Adrian,
What sort of cursor pecularities are those? Could you please specify?

Ahmet

[adrianx]

Adrian,
What sort of cursor pecularities are those? Could you please specify?

Ahmet

There is a rectangular area behind the mouse pointer in which the display becomes corrupted. This happens whenever I hover the mouse over a button, menu item or when I scroll. The mouse pointer also vanishes when the mouse is not being moved.

Edit: By corrupted I mean the offset of whatever is repainted behind the pointer is wrong.

[fangel]

(Just a feedback)
I followed Leigh's instructions in post #1 and worked OK. Thanks Leigh
One issue was the system freezing when moving a window around which seems to be fixed with the SWCursor "true" option suggested in previous posts. Now the only issue remaining is the cursor peculiarities when compiz-fusion is used, as adrianx and others have already mentioned.
My card is HD3870

[tkalfaoglu]

Dear Turgut,
Did you have Catalyst drivers loaded from the installer script downloaded from Ati or from those rpmfusion packages? Did you have lockups due to cursor movements.

Thanks

Ahmet

Hello Ahmet (merhaba!)

I followed the message from this board -- that is, rename xorg.conf, install ATI drivers,
and then do a mkinitrd thing.. it worked! I could not believe it..
I also did the software cursor edit..

-turgut