LinuxQuestions.org
Welcome to the most active Linux Forum on the web.
Home Forums Tutorials Articles Register
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware
Reload this Page Very, very frustrated... ATI 200M trouble (weird.. "static" whenever I use opengl)
User Name
Password
Linux - Hardware This forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 03-02-2008, 07:59 AM   #1
Darx
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 52

Rep: Reputation: 15
Very, very frustrated... ATI 200M trouble (weird.. "static" whenever I use opengl)

Hey. First, the formalities:

uname -r spits out:

2.6.22-14-generic


I'm running Ubuntu 7.10.

Scroll down to see the lspci output and my xorg.conf... for now, I'll just go ahead and describe the problem.

Recently, I've updated my driver using the one from ATI's site. The one that "came with" Ubuntu kinda sucked, so I figured maybe ATI could do better. Yes and no, turns out.

If all I want is glxgears, then boy, ATI kicks ass. I went from 200-300fps with the old driver to around 1400-1600fps with the new one. Unfortunately, whenever I try loading up an actual game or using OpenGL acceleration for video player output (I've been jonesing for Chromium, what can I say), I get these weird horizontal lines all over my screen.

I think these screenshots I took will do a better job explaining it than I can:

Before starting Chromium

..and...

After starting Chromium


Those lines stick around after I close the program, too. I have to get rid of them by opening a window (firefox works nicely) or moving icons over them or something.

Here's a screen of the same thing happening with gmplayer if I use OpenGL instead of just xv:

Screen

It's the strangest thing. If I right-click and then go to "double size," the screen clears up and I can see the video just fine (out of sync, but I guess that's another topic). If I then go back to "original size," though, the lines come back.

Another strange aspect of the whole ordeal is that sometimes, Chromium works just fine. It starts up perfectly, no lines or anything, and I can just play it like normal (unlike before I got ATI's driver, where I had a steady 3-5 FPS). This happens about once out of every five or so times I restart the X server. It mostly never works.

glxgears always works, no matter what.

Any help or learned individuals' opinions is much appreciated. lspci and xorg are as follows:


With lspci, I get this:


Code:
00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 Host Bridge
00:01.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge
00:04.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge
00:13.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 USB Host Controller
00:13.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 USB Host Controller
00:13.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 USB2 Host Controller
00:14.0 SMBus: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 SMBus Controller (rev 10)
00:14.1 IDE interface: ATI Technologies Inc Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
00:14.3 ISA bridge: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 PCI-ISA Bridge
00:14.4 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 PCI-PCI Bridge
00:14.5 Multimedia audio controller: ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:14.6 Modem: ATI Technologies Inc SB400 AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 01)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)
03:00.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments TSB43AB22/A IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
03:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03)
03:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx21/x515 Cardbus Controller
03:04.3 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated FlashMedia Controller
03:04.4 Generic system peripheral [0805]: Texas Instruments PCI6411/6421/6611/6621/7411/7421/7611/7621 Secure Digital Controller
03:06.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)

My xorg.conf is this:

Code:

# xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"

# Uncomment if you have a wacom tablet
#	InputDevice     "stylus"	"SendCoreEvents"
#	InputDevice     "cursor"	"SendCoreEvents"
#	InputDevice     "eraser"	"SendCoreEvents"
	Identifier     "Default Layout"
	Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0
	InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
	InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
	InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load	"glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Generic Keyboard"
	Driver      "kbd"
	Option	    "CoreKeyboard"
	Option	    "XkbRules" "xorg"
	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
	Option	    "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Configured Mouse"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option	    "CorePointer"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
	Option	    "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
	Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
	Option	    "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Synaptics Touchpad"
	Driver      "synaptics"
	Option	    "SendCoreEvents" "true"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/psaux"
	Option	    "Protocol" "auto-dev"
	Option	    "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "stylus"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "stylus"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "eraser"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "eraser"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "cursor"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "cursor"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "Generic Monitor"
	Option	    "DPMS"
EndSection

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

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
	Option "OpenGLOverlay" "on"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Default Screen"
	Device     "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
	Monitor    "Generic Monitor"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Modes    "1280x800"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"
	Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
		Modes    "1280x800"
	EndSubSection
EndSection
Every now and then, I'll try switching the "OpenGLOverlay" to "off" (or back to "on"), and it doesn't seem to make a difference either way.
 
Old 03-02-2008, 10:11 AM   #2
jschiwal
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Fargo, ND
Distribution: SuSE AMD64
Posts: 15,733

Rep: Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682
Is there a reason for two Device sections?
Code:
Section "Device"
	Identifier  "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
	Option "OpenGLOverlay" "on"
EndSection
 
Old 03-02-2008, 10:21 AM   #3
Darx
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 52

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
No idea. It's been like that forever, back when everything worked.

You raise a good point though, I'll experiment with removing one and then the other (if necessary) and report the results.
 
Old 03-02-2008, 10:50 AM   #4
Darx
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 52

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Alright...

Initially I commented out the second device section. X wouldn't start. I used the terminal to copy one of my half-dozen xorg backups back into X11. Then I commented out the first device section, leaving the second uncommented. Same result, which is strange, since I've since removed one entirely and X starts up. Here's my current Xorg:

Code:

# xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"

# Uncomment if you have a wacom tablet
#	InputDevice     "stylus"	"SendCoreEvents"
#	InputDevice     "cursor"	"SendCoreEvents"
#	InputDevice     "eraser"	"SendCoreEvents"
	Identifier     "Default Layout"
	Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0
	InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
	InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
	InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Generic Keyboard"
	Driver      "kbd"
	Option	    "CoreKeyboard"
	Option	    "XkbRules" "xorg"
	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
	Option	    "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Configured Mouse"
	Driver      "mouse"
	Option	    "CorePointer"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
	Option	    "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
	Option	    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
	Option	    "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "Synaptics Touchpad"
	Driver      "synaptics"
	Option	    "SendCoreEvents" "true"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/psaux"
	Option	    "Protocol" "auto-dev"
	Option	    "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "stylus"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "stylus"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "eraser"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "eraser"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
	Identifier  "cursor"
	Driver      "wacom"
	Option	    "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
	Option	    "Type" "cursor"
	Option	    "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"		# Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection


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

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
#	Option "VideoOverlay" "on"
#	Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
	Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"
	Device     "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
	Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
		Modes    "1280x800"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Commenting/uncommenting the "video overlay/opengl overlay" makes no difference.
 
Old 03-02-2008, 10:57 PM   #5
jschiwal
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Fargo, ND
Distribution: SuSE AMD64
Posts: 15,733

Rep: Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682
Look at the output of "/sbin/lspci" and check if the busID is correct. This is the pci bus address. Do you maybe have an onboard video and a video card. If that is the case then you would have two device entries and would use busID on each. Maybe the one with the matching busID took precedence before. Or maybe it was a remnant of a different card, and the busID didn't match so it wasn't used on your card. Also look through the xorg log. The current one should say why it failed. If there is an older one, it may indicate the device section used, but I'm not sure.
Last edited by jschiwal; 03-02-2008 at 11:00 PM.
 
Old 03-03-2008, 06:52 AM   #6
Darx
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 52

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
The BusID looks to be correct. I'm using a laptop, and it came with the card I'm still using. Not the most powerful thing in the world, but I can run STALKER from windows so I'm fine with it.

I dunno, I can't figure this out. This is a stupid question I'm sure, but where are the drivers actually located in the filesystem? At least, typically? I'm thinking of just removing them entirely and reinstalling them, then restarting X and seeing if that works.

Or, if you guys know of a better commandline way of removing drivers, that would also work.


Thanks for the replies so far, by the way.
 
Old 03-04-2008, 04:25 AM   #7
jschiwal
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Fargo, ND
Distribution: SuSE AMD64
Posts: 15,733

Rep: Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682Reputation: 682
Since you installed the latest ATI drivers from their site, see if their installation program has an uninstall (or erase) option. You will probably need to do this in init level 3. Then you can use the ubuntu package system to install your previous version.

My nvidia package supplies 114 files. Simply deleting files isn't a good idea because your package systems database will think things are installed that aren't possibly making installing the older version much more difficult.
 
Old 03-07-2008, 08:29 PM   #8
Darx
Member
 
Registered: Mar 2004
Posts: 52

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 15
Yeah, found that out the hard way. Before I get too much deeper into this, though, I guess I have a new issue. Whenever I'm in a terminal (not in X), the characters are huge and it only displays the top-left portion of the screen (I think). It's annoying, because after every command I enter I have to just spam the enter key so that the screen will "scroll up" to where I can read it.

This makes doing anything really tricky, but luckily so far all I've had to do is copy one version of xorg over another to fix things. Except for when I disabled the proprietary drivers under System>Admin>Restricted blah blah. But, luckily the ATI installer had a backup CURSES installer, and I was able to patch things back together in Recovery Mode.

Oh, and the terminals look normal in recovery mode too. I don't get what's going on, this has never happened to me. Oh well, the new version's going to be out soon enough, maybe that'll fix things.
 
  


Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Problems configuring "xorg.conf" with "ATI FGLRX" BlueSpirit Slackware 3 09-16-2006 02:01 PM
ATI EXPRESS 200M Issues with OpenGL SUSE 10.0 areswargod03 Linux - Hardware 0 03-04-2006 06:16 PM
ATI driver install trouble on Knoppix 4.0.2 LIVECD "not enough free space" Hypertoken Linux - Software 2 02-12-2006 10:19 PM
Weird! ATI Drivers work only after logout, followed by "startx" in prompt pitchaxistheory Mandriva 1 10-14-2004 05:51 PM
suse ati driver "Xlib: extension "XiG-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD" missing" madcow007 Linux - Hardware 0 03-06-2004 02:53 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Hardware

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:35 PM.

Contact Us - Advertising Info - Rules - Privacy - LQ Merchandise - Donations - Contributing Member - LQ Sitemap -
Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration