I hope my question is in the right forum...

I'm using Debian lenny and I just made some days ago an update:
+Packages upgrade
+Kernel compilation

All of my depots in /etc/apt/sources.list are free only. I hardly want to use free software instead of any proprietary programs.

I used the linux-image-2.6.26 for a while before compiling my own kernel (because of a problem with my Thinkpad wifi's led, I applied a patch)

And now, I'm surprised, a DRI problem occur:
[drm] Loading R300 Microcode
platform radeon_cp.0: firmware: requesting radeon/R300_cp.bin
radeon_cp: Failed to load firmware "radeon/R300_cp.bin"
[drm:radeon_do_init_cp] *ERROR* Failed to load firmware!

I have the solution: I must install firmware-linux from non-free packages. But I don't want have to do it!

My questions are:
+ Why I don't experienced this problem with DRI despite I use only free depots?
+ Is there any solution to use the performances of my ATI's graphic card without using non-free programs?

(I'm working to use the framebuffer, but it seem not be a solution for performances. (Notify me if I'm wrong))

regards.

Until recently the microcode was built into the kernel driver and no separate package was required... so you've always been using it. What changed is that the microcode was moved out of the kernel driver into a separate package so you would be more aware of its presence.

Some GPUs have their microcode burned into the chip; others require that the drivers load or patch firmware at startup, as is done with your CPU. Your R300 happens to be one which requires the firmware to be loaded at startup.

You should be able to run XAA acceleration without the firmware on an R300 GPU, and I *think* you can get video playback through the overlay, but you won't be able to use EXA acceleration, Textured Video or 3D acceleration.

Well... Thanks for your explication.

I have no luck. I bought a ThinkPad T43 and now, I can't plug an harddisk of my choice and I have a graphic card that require a 'software' proprietary microcode.

I miss my T40...

If you object to microcode, you will be stuck without nearly any functioning hardware :-)

I miss my T40 ubuntu box too but i spilled a bowl of cereal in it
I replaced it with a T43 figuring that they would be pretty much the same but surprise surprise...there's this firmware issue when I replaced the hard drive with the one from t40 with all my files. I went to the Lenovo support site for the firmware patch file, but I'm not sure i want to flash the bios. I mean, if something isn't right you can mess up your machine fataly. There's a tutorial on http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Embedd...oller_Firmware that gives good information on handling this and apparently Linux is not affected that much by the bugs they're patching. But my T43 is running fine with the old firmware on my old hitachi HD and ATI Radeon X300 video card. Only every time i boot it warns me about old firmware. Don't know if Iḿ sitting on a timebomb though.

In this page: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Proble...Pad_hard_disks
They say that downgrade the bios to v1.01 will resolve the problem... Well, I think it isn't a good idea. You'd better try to get a hd from the list.

My current HD is a Hitatchi 40GB (HTS541040G9AT00) and I don't want to take my head to put a bigger(and/or better) one.

In my case I try to repair my old T40 with Radeon Mobility 9000. It was quite silent after all.