Hallo to all (i'm new here).
I'm sorry to hask this question another time(i've see many of these..)but i don't know how to resolve the problem,even if iv'e read all the post.
I want to switch to linux (from a very bugged win2k partition...)but i don't know how to make my radeon 9700 pro AIW to work with my distro (mandrake 9.1 download edition).
I've tried many times and made improvement but now i'm at a dead end...
I install a kernel module,hit "ctrl+alt+f1"to shut down xfree and log in as root
here i go to the fglrx directory (i download the latest driver)and install it with the force option.
everithing runs fine and the ati install see the kernel and compile it (i see "tainted kernel" or similar but i think it's ok...)after that i run fglrxconfig.
i enter the correct monitor info and when it hask me of use external agpgart i say no (i tried also with yes but it's the same...),after that i use the default options that the driver say.
now i reboot the pc and log in as root.
if i type "fglrxinfo"i see "xlib :extensionxfree86-dri missing on display :0.0
display: :0.0 screen 0
open gl vendor:mesa project
open gl renderer string: mesa glx indirect
open gl version string:1.3 mesa 4.0.4


that's the mesa rendering.....
but the glgears runs now at double speed!
if i run the panel i see under the opengl ICD that use mesa......
i see the xf86config4 and see nothing strange.....under the vga i change the generic vga card to ati bla bla bla....
but everithing is the same and don't know where to start (it seems everithing is ok...).
My hardware is :radeon 9700 pro aiw sapphire,via kt400 chipset (i don't remember the exact brand of the motherboard )....
Thanks in advance and i hope that it's something simple to correct (but knowing linux,it's not ).

I've read the xfree86.0.log and (above other thing...)i have see these thing:
(WW) fglrx(0): Cannot read colourmap from VGA. Will restore with default
(II) fglrx(0): UMM area: 0xd8700000 (size=0x07900000)
(II) fglrx(0): driver needs XFree86 version: 4.3.x
(II) fglrx(0): detected XFree86 version: 4.3.0
(WW) fglrx(0): ***********************************************
(WW) fglrx(0): * DRI initialization failed! *
(WW) fglrx(0): * (maybe driver kernel module missing or bad) *
(WW) fglrx(0): * 2D acceleraton available (MMIO) *
(WW) fglrx(0): * no 3D acceleration available *

Perhaps i can install newer version of xfree86??

No one know what cause the problem?

It seems that i don't have the agpgart module running......typing "lsmod" i see that fglrx have 0 and i don't see anything like "agpgart" or similar....

I've tried everithing that i see in the previous post like the one of Sirra and the others....none of the tutorial work for me.
It's time to change motherboard (nforce 2? or intel?)or time to swith to suse?
If i'm secure with suse i buy it (it's 90 euros...).