AMD 8.37.6 -- The no R600 or AIGLX Support Version

[d2kx]

curzondax, this is because the new OpenGL driver isn't integrated yet.

[lenrek]

I manage to install without any problem. So far everything works fine.

[fglrx] Maximum main memory to use for locked dma buffers: 555 MBytes.
[fglrx] module loaded - fglrx 8.37.6 [May 25 2007] on minor 0
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:01:05.0[A] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[fglrx] total      GART = 130023424
[fglrx] free       GART = 114032640
[fglrx] max single GART = 114032640
[fglrx] total      LFB  = 134217728
[fglrx] free       LFB  = 120320000
[fglrx] max single LFB  = 120320000
[fglrx] total      Inv  = 0
[fglrx] free       Inv  = 0
[fglrx] max single Inv  = 0
[fglrx] total      TIM  = 0

$> uname -a
Linux virgo 2.6.22-rc3 #2 Mon May 28 15:16:16 SGT 2007 i686 athlon-4 i386 GNU/Linux

$> lspci | grep VGA
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)

[gfxdrone]

Well, after reading the ATI / AMD press release disguised as an 'article' here on phoronix, several things become immediately obvious: forget about open drivers. Forget about any of the issues getting fixed. Forget about ATI actually ever supporting users. Forget about ATI ever testing and releasing working drivers, and taking responsibility for their drivers.

To summarize, forget about ATI completely in the Linux kernel, it's over, if the free drivers don't cut it for you, expect a non stop stream of breaks, kernel and xorg failures, and whatever else the future brings.

I can't believe that phoronix was suggesting that something of interest was about to be announced re AMD/ATI, what a joke, what we get is a weak rehash of nothing you couldn't figure out yourself by looking at ATI's junky driver releases.

And that final comparison to nvidia drivers, someone here is drinking the happy juice, nvidia stuff works, they release when the driver is working and ready, after a beta release cycle to catch bugs, usually it doesn't even require a patch, or they release when they need to fix stuff for xorg or new kernel, it's released very quickly, and it works.

I think phoronix is going a bit overboard to try to not offend their connections to ATI, this article was one of the most surreal fantasies I've read in a while. You really should have left that nvidia comparison off the end, you know that's not true, why did you write it? nvidia drivers are better in every way, they are released and usually work, their installer is better, they take responsibility for bugs to some degree at least, they continue to support legacy cards with active new driver releases, and so on. Just because ATI pushes out a bad product on a schedule doesn't make their process good, it makes it bad in fact, the mark of bad software is exactly this: not release when ready, after beta release to catch bugs, but release when the schedule says you should. No wonder ATI drivers suck, now it's totally clear, their process sucks, and obviously their management must be bad too to make such a typically pointy headed boss decision.

Conclusion: if this is the AMD announcement, and if this is the best they can do, then AMD might as well write off all large scale corporate / organizational rollouts today, only an idiot IT guy would buy AMD / ATI if they're going to roll out Linux desktops.

And regular users, be warned, this article clearly states: no changes, more of the same, bad testing will continue, bad methods will not be fixed, and nothing will be opened. So forget ATI if you have any sense at all.

The VERY BEST we can now hope for, and I mean the very best, I don't expect it at all though, is for AMD/ATI to at least open their hardware specs so that free driver authors can work with fewer restrictions.

I have been a loyal AMD fan for years, but this is a serious mistake on their part, and is going to end up losing them the Linux market goodwill they built up over the past years, unless, again, they come out with a bombshell and open their processes, their drivers, and their hardware specs.

I feel so sorry for ATI card users who want to run Linux, what a pity, and how depressing. And phoronix should be ashamed of themselves for printing such utter nonsense, I hope they at least paid you for the advertising space...

AMD is now making the exact mistake Sun Microsystems made a few years ago, failing to adapt to new models, pursuing strategies that worked years ago, but which are not nearly as effective today. And they can expect to experience the same thing Sun did, until they learn their lesson, drops in share prices, marketshare, and failure to expand their market. However, Sun shows the way, you can change as a company, but it takes determination and the willingness to take risks. ATI is clearly hopeless and will not change until AMD forces change, and AMD will only force this change when they lose enough market share and their stock price drops enough to make taking the chance to lead worth it.

[d2kx]

Debian/sid: had to install xserver-xorg-core 1.3.0.0-6 from the Incoming folder first for depency reasons, only started with aticonfig doing the Xorg configuration (my own only got me a black screen). Then it hangs on VT console change (was fixed for me in 8.36.5).

Wanted to try the new Fedora 7, but it doesn't work.

Excellent.

[lenrek]

Well, after reading the ATI / AMD press release disguised as an 'article' here on phoronix, several things become immediately obvious: forget about open drivers. Forget about any of the issues getting fixed. Forget about ATI actually ever supporting users. Forget about ATI ever testing and releasing working drivers, and taking responsibility for their drivers...

Anger won't solve the problem. But hey, I am stuck with this laptop, and I know I have no choice (at the moment). If this is a desktop, I would have throw away this ATI card long time ago. Perhaps from ATI perspective, maybe they think we should be grateful that we are actually getting some support them.

I am using this laptop for more than 1 and half year now. Everytime there is a release, I was hoping for something new, something that can give me those fancy stuff I have been seeing (Composite, AIGLX, ...), and searching the net for more info, which finally led me to this forum. After reading stuff around here, I know, I should kiss my hope good bye and just be realitic. If ATI can give me stable driver, I am happy.

However, am I content with this situation?

Well, I can only say, if, by the time, I can getting my new laptop and the situation still remains the same, then I will be kissing ATI good bye as well...

[gfxdrone]

The one bright spot is that the experimental ati xorg drivers are working very well on older hardware. I really think that ATI should just admit their incompetence and stop even trying, just open the specs up and let Linux hackers do it, I'm running experimental xorg ati drivers and they are great on old hardware, the stuff works. That's the hardware ATI doesn't even have a driver for anymore. I don't know what's wrong in the ATI corporation, and I don't know why Phoronix is pretending that what is wrong is just fine, but it's not to Phoronixes credit to publish this kind of blatant pandering to ATI, it's pathetic to see a website do this, it reminds me of MS fanboy sites reviewing Vista.

It's clear that volunteer hackers are in fact doing better work with fewer resources than ATI, so why doesn't ati just admit that they can't do this work, for whatever reason, and stop pretending? Then open the specs and let some real programmers start working on it.

My anger is caused by two things: one, phoronixes pandering to ATI, down to printing blatantly false statements about nVidia versus ATI Linux drivers, and two: the continuing mess in their driver process, and the pathetic support ATI is providing its Linux users. I guess I really am going to give up now on this situation ever improving.

[yoshi314]

yeah i get that impression too. every shortcoming in the driver is countered by "however" statement followed by some phony reasons why ati users shouldn't worry.

i got used to it already. it's like watching commercials on tv - you just don't notice them anymore.

[uhoh]

8.37 doesn't work at all for me with mobility x600, on debian/unstable. startx switches from textmode, screen goes blank for a short while (as it usually does), then all I get is some faint green vertical lines and everything is locking up. Only option is alt+sysrq+s,u,b to do a half-clean reboot.

Downgrading xserver-xorg-core to the pre-1.3 version, and installing 8.36, everything works as before. (still I get screen corruption on the lower right corner at times, occasional mouse pointer corruption, only opengl for the first 2048 horizontal pixels, no aiglx, 50% chance of lockup when switching VT.).

ATI drivers on linux are hell, and the press releases about getting better are plain lies. Avoid ATI cards at all costs if you plan to run Linux.

[gfxdrone]

This phoronix press release was a SERIOUS mistake on AMD's part, and on Phoronixes. AMD had to announce something of substance, something real, and instead they just tricked phoronix into printing a stupid corporate PR piece. That is a VERY bad sign in my opinion, it suggests that the problems at ATI may go higher up than I had thought, possibly into AMD itself.

If I were phoronix, I'd think very carefully about being used in this way again, at least if Phoronix wants to maintain any credibility. And I'd definitely not print the article without serious critical commentary, like pointing out what nonsense it is in almost every respect.

[Huenengrab]

I'm not even going to try the new drivers. Its basically all the same with fglrx. When ATI/AMD releases their hopefully better OpenGL-Driver, I'll give it a shot, as long as it happens this year. As soon as UT3/Quake Wars gets released, I'm planning on building a new machine, that'll be as linux-compatible as possible. If ATI/AMD didn't improve anything until then, ATI-graphics are dead for me.