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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Mint 13 Mate Additional Drives ATI HD 4600 Fail & Works?

This Post is related to my Minecraft Client not the Server

All Documented Jan 24, 2013 except where notes indicate Previous attempts. No hardware changes have been made to system from release of Mint 10 to the day of this documentation other than 19 inch LCD added just recently.

Home Custom Built System:
ASUS M3A78-CM Motherboard
AMD Phenom 9950 Quad-Core BE (Stock Settings) 2.6 GHz it seems Mint Throttles it back to 1.3 GHz.
6 GBs DDR2-800 RAM
1TB Hard-drive (Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit)
120GB Hard-drive (Mint 13 Mate 64-Bit)
Sapphire AMD HD4670 Video to 22" LCD via DVI & 19" LCD via VGA

Initial Clean Install runs as expected for Mint 13 Mate and I am feeling as if maybe this will bring back the Satisfaction of Running Mint 10 64-Bit on this machine. (Mint 10 was just Perfect on this Machine)

Issue:

First thing Mint notifies me of is Proprietary Drivers Available (nice), so when I get it pulled up, I choose (post release updates) for my AMD/ATI Video Card. (I would like to attempt to use Steam now that it is available for Linux.)

These Drivers Download, however once the install begins, It throws an error that the installation has failed and that I should see the Jocky.log.  I have saved a copy of that log.

I have attempted this process multiple times using Mint 13 Mate, Mint 13 Cinnamon, Ubuntu 12.04, all 64-Bit.

In all cases I get the same error, and in all cases after the failed install of this driver and before a Restart, my Control Center shows the AMD CCC & AMD CCC admin icons.

**Now for some background that may be relevant**

In all previous cases, I threw up my hands and decided that I was going to have to stick to the open-source drivers that come with Mint and have to wait for a Video Card Upgrade before attempting to get the Proprietary Drivers installed for a "Steam for Linux" Play day that could be had for the taking.

However, on this particular day, I did a little Messing around with my configuration before I got the notice for the AMD Drivers. Mainly this: I pulled up the monitor window from the Control Panel, Rearranged the Monitor to get the correct Orientation "Left on Left","Right on Right", and turned off the Monitor on the Right to move my Panel to the Left Monitor and set it to the (Preferred) Resolution(1680X1050) and made it the Default setting for all users, so essentially via the Monitor window, setting it to a single Display for all user on initial Login.

**Why this Might be Relevant**

After the Failed Driver Install, I attempted to install a few of my favorite Programs from the Software Center, they all failed.  So I figured the failed driver install must have something to do with it.  I then restarted the Machine (note: on 1st restart as system drops to command line it gives"could not write, broken pipe and then modem caught signal 15 yada yada), and when it comes back on the previous configuration I applied via the Monitor window is no longer what gets displayed to me.  I essentially have mirrored Displays again as was the default when I initially installed Mint 13 Mate, as well as the AMD CCC icons are still in the Control Center.

Clicking on the non admin results in CCC loading and displaying, however as it is not the admin icon I do not have the ability to set up any display settings.

Clicking on the CCC admin icon results in nothing, no response of any kind, never loads, not even the request for my root password.  I can however start the CCC admin via command line with "sudo amdcccle" without quotes, the terminal asks for root password, it opens and I can configure my Desktops via the CCC admin window and when I apply the settings it asks if I would like to keep them and then states a restart is required to apply the settings.  I restart, It does not give the "could not write, broken pipe" line on second restart as it did on first restart when it drops to command line, and the configuration I choose via the AMD CCC admin window is exactly what I configured when via the AMD CCC admin window before the restart (in this case***Left on Left, Right on Right, both on, 1680X1050 Left, 1400X900 Right, Mate Panel on Left.

Well, I think, maybe these drivers are working after all??? Before I see if they will power any games though another notification pops up and lets me know that Restricted Drivers are available(Confirming they have not installed correctley?), I have not installed any other software, and have not run any updates. Lets see if Software will install?

Avant Window Navigator will not, however I believe that is due to repo removal? No, after running updates a 2nd time and Restarting, it has installed and starts without compositing, however I can turn on compositing and it works.

Drop box does install, links and begins sync as normal, Software Center seems to be working fine.

I decided to see if Minecraft will work....Not ready to trouble shoot Steam as of yet.

After Download, I create in my home Folder a "Minecraft" folder and move the minecraft.jar file to it.  Inside this folder I create an empty document and name it Minecraft.sh and add the appropriate lines to give more memory and mark as executable, when I double click it, a pop-up  asks me to run in term, display, cancel or just run, either run options results in Minecraft opens and I can play it no problem, except after I close it, every-time I end up with a hs_err_pidXXXX.log file in my new Minecraft Folder, which I believe confirms that the AMD/ATI Drivers have not installed correctly.

So, as I would prefer to use Mint Tested Drivers, the final questions I am looking to get answered are:

How do we get the drivers installed for my Video card without the error from the Jocky Application for Additional Drivers to rule out the Drivers?

Or if it is not the Driver, what would cause Java to throw an error and create the err log file?

Which chicken should I be Chasing?

While doing Research in the Mint Forums, I have decided to let the updates run.

During updates was asked to keep or Replace, Gnome.default.list and Grub file. I Replaced Both figuring it was important to flow with the updates.  After a 3rd Restart everything seems to be working normally.


*&*** I found these command references for further info or consideration and recorded the output of each: ***&*

Interesting: in terminal, the Linux command: inxi -Gx reports:


Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV730XT [Radeon HD 4670] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           X.Org: 1.11.3 driver: fglrx Resolution: 1680x1050@60.0hz, 1440x900@59.9hz
           GLX Renderer: ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series GLX Version: 3.3.11627 - CPC Direct Rendering: Yes


For Further Detail: inxi -Fxz reports:


System:    Host: Mint13-Quad-Mate Kernel: 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
           Desktop: N/A Distro: Linux Mint 13 Maya
Machine:   Mobo: ASUSTeK model: M3A78-CM version: Rev X.0x Bios: American Megatrends version: 0405 date: 07/15/2008
CPU:       Quad core AMD Phenom 9950 (-MCP-) cache: 2048 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm) bmips: 20896.9
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1300.00 MHz 2: 1300.00 MHz 3: 1300.00 MHz 4: 1300.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV730XT [Radeon HD 4670] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           X.Org: 1.11.3 driver: fglrx Resolution: 1680x1050@60.0hz, 1440x900@59.9hz
           GLX Renderer: ATI Radeon HD 4600 Series GLX Version: 3.3.11627 - CPC Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2
           Card-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RV710/730 HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 4000 series] driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
           Card-3: Linksys driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 13b1:001d
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: 1.0.24
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller
           driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e800 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Linksys usb-ID: 13b1:001d
           IF: N/A state: N/A speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1120.2GB (0.6% used) 1: /dev/sda ST31000528AS 1000.2GB
           2: /dev/sdb WDC_WD1200BEVS 120.0GB
Partition: ID: / size: 108G used: 5.9G (6%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 4.10GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0C mobo: 30.0C gpu: 28.00C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2836 psu: 0 sys-1: 2848
Info:      Processes: 153 Uptime: 1:46 Memory: 941.6/5970.7MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.6.3 Client: Shell inxi: 1.7.33


Further Research



After some Searching, Reading and Thinking, I have found a reference to Jocky and Synaptic having problems with the ATI Driver installation and getting around it by way of command line.

My first "Find" digging thru the Mint Forums indicate these Steps:

"Use Synaptic to remove any flgrx packages you can find.
Open the Terminal and type these commands

Code: Select all
    sudo apt-get remove --purge fglrx*


Code: Select all
    sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install fglrx-driver fglrx-control
***This Step above resulted in message that the install request refers to 2 Files and that I need to choose one of them, I assume those would be the fglrx with and without the Post Release Updates.***


Code: Select all
    sudo /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial
***This Step did nothing***



Although not advised I had to use --force which worked for me.
***I do not know how to use the above --force command***


I am attempting this now:

These Steps did not result in a completed process within the Terminal and upon restart a Blue Screen, No Panel, awn without compositing and no Desktop Icons. However I was able to pull up Jocky using a menu applet on the awn dock which had no entries for AMD CCC or AMD CCC admin and install the ATI Driver(No Post Update) and Jocky did ask for a restart. Before the Restart I did see the AMD CCC entries again in the menu system with Bold Font to indicate a newly installed Program. After Restarting the system as requested It came right back to the Bluescreen problem. Via the awn dock and a logout applet I was able to logout and set my session to mate, when I logged back in I was greeted by the correct Desktop with panel and all. Now I just am left wondering if the Post Release Updates support my Video Card or not???

Regardless, I still have the same hs_err_pidXXXX.log being generated in my Minecraft Folder.

I then ran Jocky a 2nd time and attempted to install the ATI with Post Release Updates and It Failed a 2nd Time.  I have saved that 2nd log. I will note, that I had the Control Center Open on one screen and Jocky open on the other, the 2nd attempt with the Post Release Updates did in fact remove the AMD CCC Entries in the Control Center and then put them back before the failed install error message.

Digging further into the forums I find a reference to ATI CCC requiring 32-bit Libraries or Multi-Architecture support, I did a search within Synaptic for both ia32-libs or Multiarch support to see what it could find and both are already installed.

Going back into Synaptic I decided to attempt removing the fglrx Drivers to attempt the install of the AMD Support Downloadable 13.1 legacy drivers for my Card, when I searched for fglrx I also noticed that xserver-xorg-video-radeon was also installed.  Checking it description I noted that this is not related to the ATI Drivers.  I am going to remove it, then attempt the jocky install again before a restart.  Running Jocky before a restart had no different effect, I will now restart and see if I have a picture.

Yes! the system rebooted no problem, I wonder if I need to be removing the xorg driver first then attempting to install the ATI Driver?

Minecraft is still throwing the same error log even after this attempt.


***UPDATE***

 I have kept at it for the rest of the day, and at one point had 3 AMD CCC entries, and unconfigurable graphics in all of them, even the monitors app stopped responding, ah for the love of.........I finally was laughing at my situattion and shaking my head. I have to little experience to understand which config file would have been causing it and even less understanding as to where I might find said file. I finally, did a fresh install of Mint 13 Mate out of frustration and totally forgot about the log files, so those have been lost.  I have begun a new thread in the Linux Mint Forums and will post any developments there and here.

The Original Post is here:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=122168

New Post is here:

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=123806

***UPDATE***

 It was requested in the Forums that I Input these commands and post the Ouput of each:


The Output of glxinfo | grep direct is:

 ~ $ glxinfo | grep direct
direct rendering: Yes
    GL_EXT_copy_buffer, GL_EXT_copy_texture, GL_EXT_direct_state_access,

The Output of fgl_glxgears in the termianl, Displays a Window with a  Rotating Box with Rotating Internal Gears with an Output in the Terminal of:


 ~ $ fgl_glxgears
Using GLX_SGIX_pbuffer
1314 frames in 5.0 seconds = 262.800 FPS
1538 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.600 FPS
1539 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.800 FPS
1538 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.600 FPS
1544 frames in 5.0 seconds = 308.800 FPS
1538 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.600 FPS
1540 frames in 5.0 seconds = 308.000 FPS
1540 frames in 5.0 seconds = 308.000 FPS
1538 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.600 FPS
1538 frames in 5.0 seconds = 307.600 FPS