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**maestrobwh1** · Jun 14, 2011, 05:24 PM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Did you install card then use jockey (hardware drivers) to try to install the proprietary drivers (fglrx)?

I am not sure abut the nvidia referece.

under the assumption that you tried to install tha ati fglrx drivers, from command line, try

Code:

modprobe fglrx

If it errors out (fatal not found), what happened probably and not surprisingly is that your ati driver did not build which is a maddeningly common thing since lucid.

If it does not error out, the package built properly, then try

Code:

aticonfig --initial

If you did not try to install the proprietary drivers, then you need to either install them, then do the above command,

OR: Suggestion

Code:

mv /etc/xorg.conf /etc/xorg.conf.bak

Then when you reboot with no xorg.conf, it "should" fallback on the open source radeon driver and you can get a desktop at least.

Then you can try to purge the old driver packages for fglrx (there are SEVERAL posts on the net for this), and reinstall or do what I did:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1782016

You might only need the xswat repo.

Or you could go over to ati and use their self extracting "run" package.

The open source radeon driver is fine unless you need intense graphics. KDE is a bit more sluggish with it than it is with the ati proprietary driver. FPS radeon = 45, FPS fglrx (ati) = 250+

The proprietary driver will be problematic with upgrades so I have found that once I get things running, I DO NOT upgrade the fglrx packages or the kernel without doing a full back up (I use clonezilla-live). It is sometimes really hard to reverse a botched card driver upgrade - I had a dependency problem whiere fglrx and fglrx-amdccle needed upgrading, but one would not, leaving one package broken and I could not install or upgrade any other packages.

Hence, if you use the repo I gave you for the kernel, then disable that ppa and the xswat ppa, it will not try ot upgrade because those packages are almost always newer than the ones in the standard ubuntu repos.

**zahtar** · Jun 15, 2011, 02:23 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Hello maestrobwh1, thnx for your thorough reply

My attempt was from jockey (the icon in k-menu is called "Additional drivers" but I think we're talking about the same thing). When I tried, the fglrx drivers were not installed and I got the error msg saying that my xorg.conf is invalid. That's the reason I actually started the thread. And btw it makes total sense that the modeprobe and aticonfig commands you mentioned found nothing.

What I did was:

1) boot in recovery mode, console login, and

Code:

cd /etc/X11
mv xorg.conf xorg888.conf

preferred renaming this way cause there are many xorg*.conf.* files in that dir

2) boot in normal mode, retried to install fglrx from jockey. Success

Reboot, gaming performance is still worse that onboard and HD videos about the same.

Catalyst Control Center (administrative) is unreachable, asks me for the passw and doesn't show anything after that. The plain Catalyst Control Center runs normally (I think it does...), resolutions refresh rates etc are all ok. Weird thing (just after installing fglrx) is that I can't see my vga temprature any more! Ran sensors, sudo sensors-detect and nothing!! The Catalyst Control Center doesn't give a reading either...

3) As you mentioned, I ran:

Code:

zahtar@      :~$ aticonfig --initial
Found fglrx primary device section
Fail to link to fglrx-libglx.so, please check whether driver is installed correctly
Using /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Saving back-up to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.fglrx-0
aticonfig: Writing to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' failed. Permission denied.

then

Code:

zahtar@      :~$ sudo aticonfig --initial
[sudo] password for zahtar: 
Found fglrx primary device section
Fail to link to fglrx-libglx.so, please check whether driver is installed correctly
Using /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Saving back-up to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.fglrx-0
zahtar@zahtar-grn:~$

So this means the driver was not installed correctly?

You mentioned in your post I have to purge the old driver packages. There are no old packages, this is actually the first fglrx install. And what does purge in our case mean? (apparently english is a foreign language to me). Does it mean remove old entries? There are none since I created a new xorg.conf. btw here it is:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier   "aticonfig Layout"
	Screen   0 "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
	Load "glx"
EndSection

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

Section "Device"
	Identifier "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
	Driver   "fglrx"
	BusID    "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Default Screen"
	DefaultDepth   24
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"
	Device   "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
	Monitor  "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
	DefaultDepth   24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport  0 0
		Depth   24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

What do you think I should do to verify that the driver installed ok? and what about the temperatures?

I am not familiar with ppa (I actually don't know what it means) and not familiar with editing repositories either. If I need to, I'll edit of course according to your generous advice

Thnx again for your time

**esperado** · Jul 09, 2011, 07:15 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Well, i had the same problems (and much more) and my conclusion is: Shame on kubuntu devs.
That's was my second attempt to move from M$ to Linux. A pain in the ass and so many hours...
I wanted so hard to can pretend with modesty : ''oh, me, i'm running Linux" to this gorgeous blonde, waiting this very special admiration in his eyes, and may-be more if affinity ...
That's the way i did-it.
My MB is an ASUSP7Z68 pro with realtek ALC892 for sound.
Graphic card: ATI 6800.

nb my kubuntu language is not English, so the texts i indicates may be as approximative as my English knowledge

First install Kubuntu by a full moon night. Don’t even try to reboot in a graphical way: there is no Xorg.conf file, you will be frozen on the splash screen with no message.
Don't try the graphical safe mode from the menu: it is buggy and does nothing,
Don't try the Open source driver, it is buggy, you will have a TTY or a user/kernel panic.
1 -So reboot in a console and copy the xorg.conf.failsafe to xorg.conf.
(in a konsole, type "sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.failsafe" Then do ctrl+o to save-it and change its name to "xorg.conf") then reboot.
Don't try to set your screens via "configuration -> system configuration": it is buggy see nothing, save nothing.
Install the ATI driver via Jockey. ("System -> Additional drivers")
In a console, type: "sudo aticonfig --initial -f".
Reboot. If you know some prayer, pray. May-be sacrificing a chicken can help ?
2 -if you cannot reboot, redo 1, reboot, and download http://support.amd.com/fr/gpudownloa...6&lang=English
Make the file executable (property or chmod in a Konsole) and execute-it.
3- If you can reboot, try to open from the lunch menu: "configuration ->ATI CATALYST control center (administrator).
if it opens, you are lucky, and you can set-up your displays. Else, you see a box asking-you for a password, you type-it and nothing happens:
Right click on the Kubuntu menu luncher icon and chose "Modify the applications". Go to Configuration -> ATI Catalyst Control center (administrator). Did-you see in "command" :"amdxdg-su -c amdcccle" ? Ahha aaah aaaah, so simple (sardonic)... change-it for "kdesudo amdcccle", save then close.
Open this ATI Catalyst Control center (administrator) by the normal way.
Now, you can set your display and you will remember your password till the end of your life.

Take a week of rest before to try to set your audio drivers.

Okay, First you have to understand that audio in Linux is a mix of 3 different systems , OSS, ALSA and PULSE, running upside down at the top of each other, each of them writen by some schizophrenic developpers hated each others. Plus some other martian things running in between or at the top of the top, like Kmix or GStreamer. You don't understand ? Simple is so Ugly !
But if, as me, you have the sound, but no control at all on the input line or something else like no sound at all, and Kmix is empty and nonsense, type in a console: alsamixer.
If you see most of you audio equipment in a sort of jurassicpark console, it's okay. (if not, google for a week more).
Type in a console: "sudo apt-get install gnome-alsamixer".
it will create a new link in "multimedia" menu with something witch look a little more like a mixer, and you can begin tu use some inputs. And forget about Kmix. If, as me now, you can set the volume of your input line, but not via the master level, google more for the next two months.

Next year, i will try to get my sensors running. And remember, Kubuntu is free: you cannot ask for moneyback. And, because you do not know the kubuntu devs, you cannot kill one of them. Very frustrating.

**esperado** · Jul 09, 2011, 07:17 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Of course, if someone knows the adress of some kubuntu dev., feel free to PM me.

**buckeyered80** · Jul 09, 2011, 07:37 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Oh so you had a NVIDIA card installed before? Now you've upgraded to a Radeon HD series?

**esperado** · Jul 09, 2011, 07:52 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

Originally posted by buckeyered80

Oh so you had a NVIDIA card installed before? Now you've upgraded to a Radeon HD series?

If your question is for me, no, it was fresh installs until i found the good way (a dozen or more ?).
Notice, if you are a gorgeous blonde, that i'm an expert now and i can do-it in less than an hour...

**buckeyered80** · Jul 09, 2011, 08:01 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

LOL. Esperado. No, I am not a gorgeous blonde. Now, to zahtar, the fact that you got this:

Code:

Failed to link to fglrx-libglx.so, please check whether driver is installed correctly

That makes me think something has gone wrong in the driver installation. Yes, purge means to remove all the remnants of any nvidia driver files.
Here's another thought. Try going into your BIOS and disabling the onboard video. Maybe it is trying to pick up that onboard card, and it won't give it access to your PCI Express card. That happens even in Windows.

**esperado** · Jul 09, 2011, 08:18 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

"No, I am not a gorgeous blonde"
Very frustrating too...

**wifi rocks** · Aug 29, 2011, 10:06 PM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

I suspect that the problem is a conflict with flgrx and having two GPUs active. I'm experiencing the same issue with an ASRock 890GM Pro3 (ATI HD 4290) and a ATI HD 5670 PCIe. When I used the driver with just the 4290 it worked without any issues. Then when I uninstalled the driver and added the HD 5670 life became interesting to say the least.

Unfortunately ASRock does not allow you to disable the on-board video, otherwise I would try that option. I'm actually thinking of getting an NVidia GPU and seeing how that works (at least the driver will not recognize the ATI card).

**miciurin** · Sep 14, 2011, 05:42 AM

Re: Can't install ati drivers: xorg.conf is invalid

I had a similar problem (black screen, then command, error with fglrx not doing this and that), passing from integrated to ATI 5670 . Here is what I did. I took out the live CD, booted from that to graphical interface. Got on the net. I found some Ubuntu documentation with specific commands on how to remove nvidia, fglrx, or whatever driver you had before (I would recommend removing all fglrx and nvidia drivers). This step is followed by installing some stuff called mesa, dri, etc. Basically it installs the free Radeon driver. All this is accomplished in two or three command lines.
Took out the live CD, booted to command line, executed the commands mentioned up and then I deleted the Xorg.conf file. The system does not need an Xorg.conf file to start in vesa or the free radeon driver.
Reboot, and voila, graphical desktop. From here you can install the fglrx from kubuntu or the latest one from Ati. When you run aticonfig --i it will make a new Xorg.cong for you.
Sorry, I do not have the Ubuntu wiki site with the commands to completely purge both the fglrx and nvidia drivers, but google it and you will find it.

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