Mobility HD 5xxx series linux driver

[droidhacker]

Ok, so the big question is precisely HOW do we let the *right people* at the hardware manufacturer know that our objective is to run Linux on the hardware? And in a way where it doesn't just get the "that's nice, now run along" treatment....

For example, I just bought two netbooks (asus w/intelpsb nightmare preloaded with windonkey7 -- would have liked to have AMD hardware, but unfortunately, AMD doesn't have any netbook hardware). The very first thing I did was wipe the thing clean -- never even booted into windonkey, straight onto a liveusb and zeroed out the disk.

Anybody notice that netbooks have become quite terrible? Ever notice how difficult it is to get a netbook with an SSD any more? They used to *all* come with an SSD+Linux (albeit a crippled and useless linux), but now they all come with a 160GB spinning battery muncher and preloaded with windonkey.

[Gacrux]

Ok, so the big question is precisely HOW do we let the *right people* at the hardware manufacturer know that our objective is to run Linux on the hardware? And in a way where it doesn't just get the "that's nice, now run along" treatment....

For example, I just bought two netbooks (asus w/intelpsb nightmare preloaded with windonkey7 -- would have liked to have AMD hardware, but unfortunately, AMD doesn't have any netbook hardware). The very first thing I did was wipe the thing clean -- never even booted into windonkey, straight onto a liveusb and zeroed out the disk.

Anybody notice that netbooks have become quite terrible? Ever notice how difficult it is to get a netbook with an SSD any more? They used to *all* come with an SSD+Linux (albeit a crippled and useless linux), but now they all come with a 160GB spinning battery muncher and preloaded with windonkey.

I just bought an Asus laptop and am struggling with the radeon mobility hd5xxx graphics card. I booted into windows 7 once before scrapping and installing Arch Linux.

So as you say, I want Asus to know I'm happy with the laptop but never used windows (and would have preferred a cheaper price with Linux or no OS). And I also want ATI to know that I would not buy ATI again (and would recommend friends not to buy) because in the past I've had a better experience in Linux from Nvidia cards. But despite this ATI/Asus/Microsoft have all made money, so why should they change?

Perhaps a website to collect testimonies/experiences such as yours and mine and regularly emailing the right departments in the relevant companies?

[droidhacker]

Perhaps a website to collect testimonies/experiences such as yours and mine and regularly emailing the right departments in the relevant companies?

A website with testimonials isn't going to do it because it'll never get looked at. FYI: this forum is basically that anyways. Sure we have some people who work for hardware manufacturers around here, like Bridgman, but by and large, they tend to be geeky and don't really have the ear of those responsible for making major decisions.

But emailing the right departments in the relevant companies? Sure... need names, emails, phone numbers, mailing addresses. Got any? If not, chances are that it'll get into the first level customer support and the hands of some clown who doesn't know what a computer even is, and that person will scratch their head at the huge long word... "LINUX", get thoroughly confused, and dump it in the trash because they lack the intelligence or experience to forward it to the relevant place. First level customer support has heard of MS, and ***MAYBE*** apple (or maybe not). They DEFINITELY haven't the faintest idea what a LINUX might be or what a DRIVER is.

[droidhacker]

And I also want ATI to know that I would not buy ATI again (and would recommend friends not to buy) because in the past I've had a better experience in Linux from Nvidia cards.

Why? You say yourself... "in the past". And we know with full certainty that AMD is constantly improving while NV is stagnating.... And if I'm not mistaken, the 10.3 driver should work with that card....

Either way, this is the main point of this thread, that if the appropriate decision makers understand that linux is IMPORTANT, then they will ensure that it is supported properly at launch.

FYI: I've had terrible experiences with NVIDIA cards and will DEFINITELY NOT be going there again. Not unless they can deliver proper open source drivers. Binary drivers just aren't worth the hassle or the risk.

[Gacrux]

And if I'm not mistaken, the 10.3 driver should work with that card....

Yup, works well for the record.

[Cuppa-Chino]

hi -- you all on my troubles with the sony vaio e and the mobility hd 5650 -- anyone suggest a distro that works a with core i5 and has xserver1.6 or is really easy to downgrade ? so I can test the setup with an older fglrx ?

will do some digging but happy to hear your help!!

[TheWretched]

Hey, Cuppa... I have the same laptop (save the i5, but an i3). I guess we'll have to wait for another driver update, sadly.

I've only tried Ubuntu 10.4 Beta as of yet (no time to try anything else) and my system also segfaults at the EDID. Posted this error also at Launchpad. Dunno if that'll help, though.

[Cuppa-Chino]

hi this is the bug I filled: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...er/+bug/544638

[TheWretched]

Mine was somewhere in the branch section, as there was another Vaio E user present too, with the same problem.

[Cuppa-Chino]

would be good to get everyone that has the issue to tag those bugs
to give them some more UUUMPH