This release note provides information on the latest posting of ATI's Proprietary Linux driver version 8.22.5.
The ATI Linux release notes provides information on the following:
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver provides TV Output support for ATI graphics cards that support TV out. The ATI Proprietary Linux driver also allows for the following monitor arrangements:
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver is available in both RPM format and through an Installer executable. The packages are available for XFree86 versions 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, as well as X.org 6.8. One of these four versions must be installed before installing the ATI Proprietary Linux driver.
Note:
64 bit driver support for XFree86 version 4.1 and 4.2 are not supported.
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Refer to the minimum system requirements listed below to ensure you have downloaded the correct driver package for your system.
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver is designed to support the following ATI Workstation products:
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver is designed to support the following ATI Mobility™ products:
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver is designed to support the following ATI Integrated products:
Caution: | This software driver provides 2D support only for the ATI Radeon® 9100 IGP and ATI Radeon® 9100 PRO IGP. |
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver is designed to support the following ATI desktop products:
Note:
ATI All-In-Wonder™ variants based on the above are also supported. Video capture however is not supported.
The latest version of the ATI Proprietary Linux driver is designed to support the following Linux distributions:
Note: | The ATI Proprietary Linux driver may install on a number of other Linux distributions. Refer to the installation instructions for more information. |
Note: | ATI has accepted contributed packaging scripts to allows creation of other packages, but does not necessarily test, verify or warrant the reliability. Currently Red Hat Enterprise Linux suite and Novell/SuSE product suite are supported Linux distributions |
Before attempting to install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver, the following software must be installed:
Note: | If a Linux 2.6.11 or newer kernel was built with CONFIG_AGP enabled, the kernel AGP frontend is required to load the fglrx kernel module. To identify whether your kernel was built with CONFIG_AGP enabled, look for CONFIG_AGP=y in the kernel config file, or if the 'agpgart' module loaded. |
For best performance and ease of use, ATI recommends the following:
Note: | In order to use the fglrx internal AGP support, you have to make sure that the kernel agpgart support is not active, i.e. it is not compiled into the kernel and the kernel modules are not loaded. If the fglrx kernel module detects that the kernel agpgart support is active, it will automatically use that even if its internal AGP support is requested in order to avoid conflicts that can cause problems under some circumstances. |
This release of the ATI Proprietary Linux driver provides support for the latest released Kernel version 2.6.15.
This section provides information on issues that have been resolved with the latest release of the ATI Proprietary Linux driver.
The following section provides a brief description of known issues associated with the latest version of ATI Proprietary Linux driver. These issues include:
This information applies to the following system configurations:
This issue does not occur in Clone Mode or when the TV is the only connected display.
Upon using the resolution keyboard shortcuts (ctrl-alt-+) or (ctrl-alt--) to switch resolution of the XFree86 Desktop, the display will be off center or completely corrupt.
The TV display is not usable in this state and it is not possible to get back to a stable resolution once this has happened. A restart is required.
This information applies to the following system configurations:
A 3D window might appear normally, but will corrupt the contents of any other window placed above it.
The 3D display may also appear corrupt. Lines, polygons, and highlights will be visible, but textures will not. The application is not usable in this state and may crash after a few seconds.
This issue does not occur on all systems or monitor configurations. Symptoms may vary between different applications.
This information applies to the following system configurations:
A blank screen may appear momentarily when X starts to load. The following error message (or similar) may appear on the text console or in /var/log/XFree86.0.log:
This is not a problem with the display driver.
Version 2.6 kernels require a second kernel module in addition to agpgart, which should be named similar to the manufacturer of your motherboard AGP chipset. This error message should occur if the other agp module is not loaded.
This issue can be worked around as follows:
Check the modprobe manpage for more information on loading kernel modules.
If you cannot find a suitable agp module for your motherboard, then you may want to upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel, or check your motherboard manufacturer's website for more information.
This information applies to the following system configurations:
The following may occur when trying to run certain 3D applications:
The display driver requires POSIX Shared Memory to be enabled on the system in order to run these applications correctly. This feature should be enabled by default on most current Linux distributions, but may be disabled intentionally by some system administrators or not included in older distributions.
To enable POSIX Shared Memory on your system, perform the following as root:
If the mount was successful, then the following output (or similar) should appear:
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)At this point, POSIX Shared Memory is enabled. Your 3D applications should run properly and the error message above should no longer occur.
If the output from this command is blank, then the mount failed.
If /dev/shm fails to mount, then this feature may not be turned on in your Linux kernel. In this case we recommend upgrading to a more recent Linux kernel, or contacting your Linux Distribution vendor for more information on enabling POSIX Shared Memory.
For further information and general help on driver or software installation, game issues, and more, visit the ATI FAQ website.
The ATI Proprietary Linux Installer makes installing the ATI Proprietary Linux driver a much simpler and user friendly experience. The new ATI Proprietary Linux Installer provides two modes of installation. The Install Driver option provides a simple driver installation process, and the Generate Distribution Specific Driver Package provides a simple way to generate a package for your distribution.
Note:
ATI recommends that you create a central location for your ATI Proprietary Linux driver downloads.
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ATI recommends you un-install the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver before installing a newer version .
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`fglrxconfig` is no longer provided with the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver Installer. To configure your display devices, use `aticonfig`.
Un-installing the ATI Linux Proprietary Driver is dependent on the mode of initial installation.
If the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver was installed using either the Automatic or Custom options, then do the following:
You have now successfully uninstalled the ATI Linux Proprietary Driver.
If the initial installation of the driver was done via the Operating Systems package management software (rpm, apt, etc.) then please use that package management software to remove the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver.
The Install Driver option provides two driver installation options. The Automatic option installs all driver components, and the Custom option allows for the selection of driver components to be installed.
To install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver using the Automatic option, follow these steps:
Note: | You must be logged in with super user privileges in order to successfully install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver. |
You have successfully installed the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver.
The Custom option allows for the selection of driver components to be installed. To install the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver using the Custom option, follow these steps:
The ATI Proprietary Linux Driver Setup dialog box is displayed
Note: | You must be logged in with super user privileges in order to successfully install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver. |
You have successfully installed the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver.
The Generate Distribution Specific Driver Package option provides a simple way to generate a package specific for your distribution. This option uses the policies set by the operating system vendor and allows for maximum compatibility with the distribution. To install the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver using the Generate Distribution Specific Driver Package option, follow these steps:
The ATI Proprietary Linux Driver Setup dialog box is displayed
Note: | You must be logged in with super user privileges in order to successfully install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver. |
You have successfully generated and installed a distribution specific driver package..
To receive driver notifications, add the following RSS feed to your RSS reader: http://www.ati.com/online/rss/atilinuxdriver.rss
Note:
In order to receive notifications you will need to have an RSS reader installed.
The ATI Customer Care website provides accurate and up-to-date product support for optimum usability and performance. Technical issues are categorized and can be personalized to enhance user experience. The new ATI Customer Care Website can be found at: support.ati.com
To view a known or resolved issue, do the following:
The ATI Proprietary Linux driver releases may incorporate suggestions received through the Linux feedback program.
Please refer to http://apps.ati.com/linuxDfeedback/ to provide us with feedback.
ATI Technologies Inc. http://www.ati.com Voice: (905) 882-2600 Fax: (905) 882-2620 |