fglrx or mesa? (with an ATI card ) Which for 3D Desktop bling...?

maxvonseibold · 05-29-2007, 11:11 AM

Hello ...

I'm running a Radeon X800 on Ubuntu Feisty (7.04) trying to get Beryl working ...

Firstly, should I be running fglrx or Mesa, and what of the proprietary ATI drivers for the card?

I have found quite a few guides on this (for example):-

http://lhansen.blogspot.com/2006/10/...-with-ati.html
http://www.howtoforge.com/ubuntu_fei...ryl_ati_radeon
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2724712
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=399643

And some say one, whilst others the other?

No amount of searching will discuss the virtues of one versus the next and confusion is widespread ...

Can anyone advise me, fglrx or Mesa? ???

fglrxinfo gives me this:

Code:

Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
display: :0.0  screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: Mesa project: www.mesa3d.org
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa GLX Indirect
OpenGL version string: 1.4 (1.5 Mesa 6.5.2)

Code:

glxinfo | grep render

Gives this:- 

Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
direct rendering: No
    GLX_ATI_pixel_format_float, GLX_ATI_render_texture
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa GLX Indirect
max@elderflower:~$

Also the relevent sections of xorg.conf are:-

Code:

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"aticonfig-Screen[0]"
	Device		"aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Monitor		"aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
	Defaultdepth	24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport	0	0
		Depth	24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Mode	0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
	Option		"Composite"	"0"
EndSection


Section "Device"
	Identifier	"aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Driver		"fglrx"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
	Option		"VendorName"	"ATI Proprietary Driver"
	Option		"ModelName"	"Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
	Option		"DPMS"	"true"
EndSection

Thank you.

Max.

Lenard · 05-29-2007, 11:34 AM

Hmmmm.......... fglrx works for me..........

Code:

$ glxinfo | grep render
direct rendering: Yes
    GLX_ATI_pixel_format_float, GLX_ATI_render_texture
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon Xpress Series

$ fglrxinfo
display: :0.0  screen: 0
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Radeon Xpress Series
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6458 (8.36.5)

Sample xorg.conf relevant sections:

Code:

Section "Module"
	Load  "dri"
	Load  "extmod"
	Load  "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
	Option	    "AIGLX" "off"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

 ### Comment all HorizSync and VertSync values to use DDC:
	Identifier   "Monitor0"
	ModelName    "LCD Panel 1280x800"
	HorizSync    31.5 - 90.0
	VertRefresh  59.9 - 60.1
	Option	    "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "Videocard0"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option	    "Centermode" "off"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen0"
	Device     "Videocard0"
	Monitor    "Monitor0"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
		Modes    "1280x800" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Group        0
	Mode         0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
	Option	    "Composite" "False"
EndSection

maxvonseibold · 05-29-2007, 11:57 AM

Initially, I went with fglrx and got some 3d effects (mainly through desktop effects in Ubuntu). However Beryl was definitely not working, so I tried Mesa. This is because there were conflicting guides on setting Beryl up under Ubuntu and I figured I would try Mesa having had no luck with fglrx.

Despite this, my xorg.conf still reads as having fglrx and ATI drivers.

Should I reconfigure xorg.conf for Mesa (if so how?

)

Could you possibly advise me if I need to modprobe anything for fglrx?

Thanks

kciampi319 · 06-11-2007, 06:13 AM

maybe this will help i found it on some random forum too bad i don't remember where or i wouldn't have to retype it all

when you run fglrx info you should not get mesa stuff you should get some thing like
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: MOBILITY FireGL V5000
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6334 (8.34.8)

mesa stuff means that your installation did not go so well.
try this
sudo apt-get remove linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r)
sudo apt-get remove xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r)
sudo apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo depmod -a
sudo aticonfig -initial
sudo aticonfig -overlay-type=XV
ctrl+alt+backspace
if you run fglrxinfo now and get something like
OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: MOBILITY FireGL V5000
OpenGL version string: 2.0.6334 (8.34.8)
this is good. now reboot
if you run fglrxinfo and get mesa stuff you may be missing a symbolic link
I had the same problem.

sudo gedit /etc/default/linux-restricted-modules-common
make sure that fglrx is not disabled
sudo apt-get remove linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r)
sudo apt-get remove xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r)
sudo apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo mkdir -p /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/dri
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/dri/fglrx_dri.so /usr/X11R6/lib/modules/dri
sudo depmod -a
sudo aticonfig -initial
sudo aticonfig -overlay-type=XV

then try the ctr alt backspace check fglrxinfo
if thats good reboot and check it again hopefully i helped

Lux Perpetua · 06-18-2007, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxvonseibold

Initially, I went with fglrx and got some 3d effects (mainly through desktop effects in Ubuntu). However Beryl was definitely not working, so I tried Mesa. This is because there were conflicting guides on setting Beryl up under Ubuntu and I figured I would try Mesa having had no luck with fglrx.

Despite this, my xorg.conf still reads as having fglrx and ATI drivers.

Should I reconfigure xorg.conf for Mesa (if so how?

)

Could you possibly advise me if I need to modprobe anything for fglrx?

Thanks

Mesa will not get you bling. Mesa is a software implementation of OpenGL, whereas you need hardware acceleration to enjoy 3D effects. I think your only alternatives are fglrx and the open-source driver. There are pros and cons to both.