HOWTO ATI on amd64

From Gentoo Linux Wiki

[edit] Procedure

Since I encoutered several problems in configuring my xserver, I created this, my how-to, so I can share my knowledge :D

• first of all: I had several problems (not just with xorg) with the unstable tree (~amd64) -- so use the stable one. It was so bad that I was forced to make a new installation (and this time I used amd64)

• Use these kernel-options (I activated them as a module):

General Setup
    [*] Configure standard kernel features (for small features)

Processor type and features  ---> Processor family (AMD-Opteron/Athlon64)
    [ ] IOMMU support

Device Drivers ---> Character devices  --->
    <M> /dev/agpgart (AGP Support)
    <M>   AMD Opteron/Athlon64 on-CPU GART support

You will be able to select /dev/agpgart after having set up your Processor family.

• recompile your kernel and so on

• Install ati-drivers:

emerge ati-drivers

• add your modules to your /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6

agpgart
amd64-agp
fglrx

• Don't forget to run

update-modules

• run (as root)

/opt/ati/bin/aticonfig --initial

• answer the questions. Normally the default answers do their job.

• You can use ddcxinfo-knoppix to get your hsync and vsync values. But it is a pitty that this package has a bug that won't let it compile. So you have to use a linux livecd to run it:

ddcxinfo-knoppix -monitor

and remember the vsync and hsync values

• There is one really nasty option (xorg freezed my system because of a wrong value there...) when fglrxconfig asks this:

Do you want to use the external AGP GART module?
Do not use the default answer there but answer YES. In other words... Your xorg.config must have this value:
Code:
    Option "UseInternalAGPGART"         "no"

• select the ati driver as the primary opengl interface

eselect opengl set ati

• Now (after rebooting or modprobing) a startx should work with 3D acceleration

// when you get a blank screen and the system hangs after startx try to disable SMP in your kernel (it's for handling more than one cpu that you don't need on a desktop pc, for it will slower your performance when only one cpu is installed in your motherboard. I don't know why its turned on by default...) it worked for me ;)

After a week of work I have had success with TurionX2 & ATI 200M in 64bit mode (acer ferrari 1000). I did the following: 1) use gcc 3.4.6 (/etc/portage/package.mask: >=sys-devel/gcc-4.0) 2) use the very lastest xorg (7.1.1),ati-drivers(8.28.8),mesa from the stable branch. I first updated ati-drivers, then xorg-x11, then ati-drivers, then mesa. Now I get from glxinfo: ... direct rendering: Yes server glx vendor string: SGI server glx version string: 1.2 ... OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc. OpenGL renderer string: RADEON XPRESS Series Generic OpenGL version string: 2.0.6011 (8.28.8) OpenGL extensions: ...very many extensions.

glxgears works fine, too: 3989 frames in 5.0 seconds = 797.732 FPS 3996 frames in 5.0 seconds = 799.159 FPS 4191 frames in 5.0 seconds = 838.167 FPS

If your XOrg log contains

(EE) AIGLX error: dlsym for __driCreateNewScreen_20050727 failed (/usr/lib64/dri/fglrx_dri.so: undefined symbol: __driCreateNewScreen_20050727)
(EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering

this is because you are using the newer xorg server. Disable AIGLX for now:

  Section "ServerFlags"
      Option  "AIGLX" "off"
  EndSection
  Section "Extensions"
      Option "Composite" "Disable"
  EndSection

I would like to make a better contribution to this howto, but I fear I could destroy my setup by making experiments. But if you want to ask questions about what versions of what programs I have installed, please write to johannes dot gajdosik at gmx dot at

[edit] See Also

• Original Forum Post by knue

If you have kernel 2.6.19 : You need to remove the "if embedded" part from the IOMMU line in /usr/src/linux/arch/x86_64/Kconfig