How to install Compiz-Fusion in Debian etch (AMD64, ATI Radeon HD3200)
 

Hello,
Is someone familiar with Compiz-Fusion in a AMD64-ATI radeon system? I have Debian Etch installed (Gnome 2.14.3), and found that most tutorials are either too old or not related to my case (either for intel or nvidia or 32-bit).

It is quite confusing on the things that I should have installed prior to install compiz-fusion.

So far, I've found the ATI proprietary display driver here:

http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/l...64-radeon.html

What would be next? Do I need to install fglrx or xgl? Also, pointing me to where I should get the packages required will be cool. :-)
if you know where to find precise up-to-date instructions, I should greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

It will be tougher with Etch. If you had the stomach for unstable, it is as simple as using apt-get or aptitude to install compiz-fusion, and tons of plugins.

The problem is that it is unstable, and it will break frequently.

You could certainly build from source on any linux.

The precise up to date instructions that you're looking for are all over the web. Have you tried google at all?

Peace,
JimBass

Hi Jim,
Oh yes, I have googled around for several months already. As I said, the info available (that I've found) is not exactly for my case, or so it seems. If you know where exactly is that information as you said, would you kindly point to me where it is? somehow I failed to see it as for your post.
By the way, thanks for the idea of trying it with lenny, but I prefer the stability of etch; I don't want a crashing system every time i click on something.

But I want to ask debian users if at this stage of development, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect that installing compiz-fusion should be done automatically and fixing all dependencies required the "debian way", just like apt-get install compiz-fusion and that's it!?? Is that possible or not just yet?
Thanks.

It is possible, but not in stable or even in testing yet. You need to add a special repository to unstable to make it work.

That is not (directly) the fault of compiz-fusion, that is the way Debian separates the different types; stable, testing, and unstable, and also the official Debian position on closed source software. Debian won't put any software in testing that hasn't made it through 10 days in unstable without a clear security need. The guy who makes the unstable packages doesn't do it long term, he just recompiles and uploads almost daily. I don't think he's kept a package for 10 days to pass that test. Even if he did, all of Compiz-Fusion takes proprietary, closed source drivers. I know the official Debian repositories have nvidia sources installed, but I don't think that they have any software that absolutely requires the nvidia or ati proprietary drivers to function in order to be installed. You're trying to fight 2 uphill (and by uphill I mean a vertical wall) to get that software in Etch. Etch is stable, which means it really isn't intended for desktop use. People can and certainly do use Etch for that, but it is intended for a true server, which means no Xwindows at all. No GUI at all, just a headless box that serves. You might see compiz-fusion in testing at some point, but again due to the Debian position of free/non-free software, I would guess not.

Here's the very first hit from a google search on "install compiz-fusion from source" -
http://forum.compiz-fusion.org/showthread.php?t=1468

The fact that you weren't able to come across that info or make it happen on your own makes me think that you'll have some issues running the scripts on that page, but I'm of the firm opinion that everyone running linux needs to be able to install from source material, and not need their package manager to install everything for them. Good luck with everything!

Peace,
JimBass

Man, stuck browser! Sorry for the quad post! I'll report myself.

Peace,
JimBass

I can only see one post from you Jim.

Interesting! After hitting the quick post button (twice), I was returned to this page to find not 1 or 2, but 4 identical posts from me. Then when I reported myself with the Report button, I was returned again to find only 1 post. It was all quick enough that I suspected there was some software deleting identical posts. Sorry to have troubled you over what turned out to be nothing!

Peace,
Jim

No trouble, I'm on here anyway :)

How to install drivers for AMD64 ATI Radeon HD3200 in Debian Etch 4
 

Hello,
I' m trying install drivers for ATI Radeon HD3200 in my laptop HP DV51002 nr without results. As Maxei explain, I've found the ATI proprietary display driver but after install it the X no runs.
I check all requirements before the installation satisfied (POSIX Shared Memory, glibc version 2.2 or 2.3, Linux kernel 2.6 or higher and XOrg 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 or 7.4).
¿Any ideas or suggestion for my case?

Pd: sorry for my poor english

Thaks

X not starting could be a problem with the driver, but it also could be a mis-configuration of X. You'll have to look at the X log, which is located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log . It would be best to cut and paste the whole log into the thread using the code tags, then we'll have a better idea what is going on.

Peace,
JimBass