Friday, January 11, 2013

ATI Catalyst for Ubuntu 12.10 - a successful story

ATI Logo
If you have a shiny new notebook with ATI hybrid graphic and running Ubuntu 12.10, it is most likely you had trouble with proprietary ATI drivers and you given up and continued with integrated Intel video card while ATI card is still switched on, not used but ... heating your computer.

Not any more. Here is quick info how to install most recent proprietary drivers in no time and make your Ubuntu rolling more smoothly.
First, open terminal and start with next commands:

sudo apt-get remove --purge fgrlx*
(just in case you have tried the official drivers, provided in Ubuntu repos)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

these are not necessary, but recommended, next install all things needed for drivers to run on your machine:

sudo apt-get linux-headers-generic

optionally, for 64 bit systems, install also

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs lib32gcc1 libc6-i386


Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal LogoThere is PPA for most recent ATI drivers, just add it to your repository list and install the drivers:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:andrikos
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install fglrx-updates xserver-xorg-video-intel
sudo aticonfig --initial --force

Finally, reboot your system and enjoy
To check you are running ATI drivers after reboot, install mesa-utils:

sudo apt-get install mesa-utils
glxinfo | grep -i render

Thats all. This worked for me, let me know if not for you. And dont forget to check the ATI control center in your apps lens. In case you find your computer is too hot, switch temporary to integrated graphics and use discrete graphics card for games only.

EDIT: in case there is watermark showing "for testing use only", follow next link: 


http://askubuntu.com/questions/206558/how-to-remove-the-amd-testing-use-only-watermark-from-ubuntu-12-10


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10 comments:

Hi, i followed the steps, but im getting something strange.
If i switch from discrete to integrated i can start unity normally. But, if i reboot the system (using integrated) unity starts in low mode graphics. If I reboot the system again unity starts normally and if reboot one more time unity crashes again and so on.
Do you know how can i fix this?

My card is ATI HD 7570m/Intel Graphics 4000.

Thank you.

Hi, same for me, I realised it tonight. Will investigate the problem and if solution exists, I will share with you.

Sorry, I've tried so many things with no success. There is a bug rebort at launchpad here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/fglrx-installer/+bug/1088220 with workaround like this: WORKAROUND: Run this command (as root) after every reboot:
aticonfig --del-pcs-key=DDX,PX_GPUDOWN
but it is not working for me.
Anyway, I have approximately measured power consumptions of both integrated card (pure intel driver) and ati card and it seems like if you want your notebook gets coold just go to ati control panel (with root privileges) and in powerplay menu just switch performance slider to minimum when the power source is plugged on. It is the same as you are using intel only videocard, even little more powerful.
Regards

Hi, i followed the steps and after reboot in my right corner of the display I have a picture : "testing use only". what's mean that ?

This comment has been removed by the author.

sorry, the comment doesn't show well. I will place the link in the post body.

and ... let me know if it worked.

Hi, did you try to install catalyst 13.1?
It didnt work for me, when I reboot the system I got "low graphcis mode"...

No, I haven't tried it. I see it is released two days before, but will wait until andrikos release a deb for it. I doubt whether it will work at all with Ubuntu 12.10 at all.

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