(solved)New Linux user need help with ATI Radeon 4850

[mystika1]

Hi,
I am new to linux so please be understanding. So far I love PCLinuxOS as it has been easy to install and use. I am currently trying to install the driver from the ATI website and sadly I have no clue how to do it. I will be looking for a book to learn the needed commands.(any recommendations?) Anyway, I have already downloaded the file to my downloads folder so it is all ready for installation but I can't install it.

Currently I am using the flgrix 2000 and above driver but I don't have catalyst installed. It shows that I don't have any 3D capabilities but I do. This is a good card and works great in windows but I don't know what to do for linux. Shouldn't catalyst already be on my system? I had to reinstall PCLinuxOS yesterday because when I configured graphics card in pcc and went to restart my computer would not boot PCLOS.(I dual boot with xp) I am afraid to use the pcc again for fear that I will have to reinstall the os yet again and lose my settings. I don't know if this is relevant but I also lose my wallpaper when I reboot the computer. It looks like it won't hold the settings.

Please help me to get going so that I can relax and learn how to use linux.

Thanks,

Penny

[menotu]

Try this - open Synaptic (do a reload) and search for:

fglrx-control-center

Described as:

AMD Catalyst Control Center Linux Edition, a graphical configuration
utility for the ATI proprietary X.org driver.
This package corresponds to ATI Catalyst version 10.5.

Install it and see whether this can assist you. (you may need to logout and back in again)

BTW - welcome to the forum

[tj_fredo]

Welcome Penny

Since you already have the driver working ,there is no need to download and install from Ati website,just do as Menotu suggested and enjoy this great distro and forum.

[critter]

There is no need to install applications or drivers from outside of the PCLinuxOS repositories found in synaptic.
It is actually strongly discouraged.

Almost all graphics cards can be configured from what is already in the repositories.
Go to pcc ( that's the blue circle with the wrench/ screwdriver cross in it) which you can find on the task-bar.

Select hardware > set up the graphical server and try any of the cards listed there that look as they might be yours.
select a monitor and resolution that looks like the settings that you should have and then click - test.
If you get a multi-colored screen and a dialog asking you to accept the settings then answer yes.
You will probably need to re-boot or at least log out and back in in order for the settings to be applied.

If that doesn't work the post back with exactly the responses that you get ad I am sure that one of us will be able to help you get  there.

Stick with it - It really is worth the effort.

I think that what menotu posted while I was typing this will probably solve your problem.

If not, come back to us - oh! and welcome, forgot my manners.

[mystika1]

Hi,
I installed cc and when I went to use it I got the following error.

There was a problem initializing Catalyst Control Center Linux edition.  It could be caused by the following.

No ATI graphics driver is installed, or the ATI driver is not functioning properly.
Please install the ATI driver appropriate for you ATI hardware, or configure using aticonfig.


Please tell me what I should do. ...

Thanks,

Penny

[critter]

OK! first off, don't panic.
ATI graphics cards can be a little fussy sometimes but generally work fine under Linux - including 3d effects.

I've switched to an old laptop with an ATI radeon xpress 200m card - not the best in the world but works just fine. So now we have similar hardware.

Click on pcc on the taskbar - see my previous post

go to hardware > browse and configure hardware
click the little triangle to the left of "Videocard" and it should show the card that it thinks you have
click the card name and copy and paste the contents of the right hand panel into a reply here.
this is mine:

Code:

Identification
Vendor: ‎ATI Technologies Inc

Description: ‎Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)

Media class: ‎VGA compatible controller

Connection
Bus: ‎PCI

PCI domain: ‎0

Bus PCI #: ‎1

PCI device #: ‎5

PCI function #: ‎0

Vendor ID: ‎0x1002

Device ID: ‎0x5955

Sub vendor ID: ‎0x103c

Sub device ID: ‎0x309b

Misc
Module: ‎Card:ATI Radeon X1950 and earlier

This should give me, or somebody more knowledgeable, the information required to help you.

[mystika1]

Well I tried everything that I could find on the boards to fix my problem. I did notice that ATI cards are noted to be less than friendly for linux users so I swapped video cards with my husband(Nvidia)and it worked like a charm. Sigh....He has the better card now but that's ok.

Thanks for the help,

Penny

[travisN000]

I think here was an issue in PCLOS with the ATI 48xx series of video card & drivers, but Tex recently fixed it..  It may not have made it from the PASS servers to the main software repositories yet, but should be available very soon if it isn't already..  

IIRC there was some info about it on his twitter feed...  www.twitter.com/iluvpclinuxos

(..or maybe it was on the developer mailing list  )