How to install ATI Graphic driver for Ubuntu 9.04

How to install ATI Graphic driver for Ubuntu 9.10, Ubuntu 9.04

by admin on June 6, 2009

How to install ATI package for Ubuntu system is the controversial issue in the Ubuntu community, but just little people have been success to install ATI driver. Drivers which are from Ubuntu resposities don’t support full function for example: dual monitor in Ubuntu 9.04 and Ubuntu 9.10 as well.

In this post How to install Ubuntu 9.04 on notebook MSI VX600 I have introduced how to install ATI driver by using that tutorial but I am wrong, you will not be able to boot your system after updating your system.

So I write this post to guide how to install ATI Graphic Driver on your Ubuntu system: notebook VX600 using the latest driver which is supported by ATI instead of Ubuntu package.

When you install Ubuntu system (with acpi=off), please don’t go to the System -> Administration -> Hardware and enable the drivers. Sometimes you could not see the ATI hardware in that list, so don’t worry about that ( I spent a lot of time to figure out why but now I ignore that).

screenshot-hardware-drivers

Step 1: Update your Ubuntu system

After you install Ubuntu, it is better to update to get the latest package from Ubuntu Synaptic. Later, I will show you why you should do that.

Step 2: Download the latest ATI package

First, you have to download the latest ATI driver package. In this case, I am going to download ATI Radeon HD3xxx driver.

radeon_hd3xxxAnd click Go button, you will be able to download ati-driver-installer-9-5-x86.x86_64.run

Step 3: Install ATI package

Normally, that file will be saved on your desktop. So open Terminal and browse to your desktop:

$ cd Desktop

Install the package with root user:

$ sudo sh ./ati-driver-installer-9-5-x86.x86_64.run

ati_terminal_command

It will detect automatically X version and open the wizard, and click continue:

ati_step1

Agree with the license:

ati_agree

Choose Automatic mode and continue:

ati_step3

Wait for a while during it is installing on your system:

ati_step4

ati_step5

Step 4: Config ATI driver

Open terminal and type this command:

$sudo /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial -f

The /etc/X11/xorg.conf content after I have finished ATI configuration:

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier     “aticonfig Layout”
Screen      0  “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0″ 0 0
Screen         “amdcccle-Screen[1]-1″ 1280 0
EndSection

Section “Files”
EndSection

Section “Module”
EndSection

Section “ServerFlags”
Option        “Xinerama” “off”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier   “Configured Monitor”
EndSection

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

Section “Monitor”
Identifier   “amdcccle-Monitor[1]-1″
Option        “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
Option        “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
Option        “DPMS” “true”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier  “Configured Video Device”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier  “aticonfig-Device[0]-0″
Driver      “fglrx”
BusID       “PCI:1:0:0″
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier  “amdcccle-Device[1]-1″
Driver      “fglrx”
BusID       “PCI:1:0:0″
Screen      1
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Default Screen”
Device     “Configured Video Device”
Monitor    “Configured Monitor”
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

Section “Screen”
Identifier “amdcccle-Screen[1]-1″
Device     “amdcccle-Device[1]-1″
Monitor    “amdcccle-Monitor[1]-1″
DefaultDepth     24
SubSection “Display”
Viewport   0 0
Depth     24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Now reboot your system, and see what happens next boot time :) , you can remove line acpi=off in the /boot/grub/menu.lst as well.

Step 5: Configure ATI Driver

After you install ATI driver, you will see the ATI Catalyst Control Center and ATI Catalyst Control Center (super-user). From now on, you can setup your ATI as you always do in windows:

screenshot-catalyst-control-center

Note, if the windows does not appear after you update your Ubuntu system, you should repeat from step 2 again.

I guess that you will be able to config Dual monitor as well with this driver. I din’t test yet, I will test this function with my computer in my Lab.

Get fun !

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Rating: 9.9/10 (8 votes cast)
How to install ATI Graphic driver for Ubuntu 9.10, Ubuntu 9.04, 9.9 out of 10 based on 8 ratings

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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

Sayak Banerjee June 22, 2009 at 10:56 am

I recently purchased a Dell Studio with an ATI 4570, and I was totally unable to use the GPU. I had virtually tried everything, and fglrx or vesa wouldn’t just work for me. Then I saw your blog, and went with the installation. I ran the installer but it didn’t show me any text, but thanks to your detailed post, I did not face any problem! So now, I have ATI driver installed and running.. yahoo!
Many thanks to you :D

Best Regards

Reply

admin June 22, 2009 at 11:26 am

Dear Sayak Banerjee,

Thanks for your comment. I am very happy because this post is useful for you. Enjoy your Dell laptop. Actually, I love Dell very much but I do not have money at the moment so I will buy that later hehe.

I have looked around your interesting blog. In my option, it can help a lot of Linux members as well.

Best regards,

Reply

Mahmoud Saeed June 27, 2009 at 6:39 am

Thanks a lot.
Worked properly with my MSI VX600 laptop.

Reply

Sayak July 1, 2009 at 6:15 pm

Hehe.. good to know :)
Studio is a nice laptop, atleast way better that my older HP. I’d recommend your Dell, as it is cheaper than others and offers higher configuration :)

Peace

Reply

enchufesco August 28, 2009 at 6:25 pm

Hello. My issue is the next: in Hardy I have no problem with ATI drivers but when upgrading to INtrepid or to 904 the graphic interface doesn´t work (I´m not a pro with linux so I can´t work in console mode )
With open drivers everything works fine but no 3D at all, no compiz…etc
I have a Radeon HD2600X2 and the only ubuntu that works for me is Hardy heron…
I think my only solution is to keep 904 without 3D (a pitty) or maintain FOREVER my system with Ubuntu 804.
I´m very disappointed.

Reply

admin August 31, 2009 at 8:45 am

Hello enchufesco,

You can upgrade your graphic driver by following steps:
Step 1: Add acpi=off to your booting by type ‘e’ button when the system is booting: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions
Step 2: When you go into Ubuntu, download the new driver from amd.com and install as I described in my post.

Hope you will get that.

Best regards,

Reply

Rich September 13, 2009 at 4:18 am

Thank you so much for this article! I’ve been having so much trouble with Ubuntu and trying to get dual monitors set up lately and it was all a result of letting Ubuntu install the driver for me through the hardware dialog.

I followed your steps and now its working beautifully!

Reply

admin September 14, 2009 at 10:53 am

Your welcome !

Reply

mrfab October 25, 2009 at 3:16 am

Thanks 4 great guide sitting in sweden here and finaly getting forward after days with struggeling
with reconfigures.

Also your howto sound system on ubuntu systems
http://www.ngohaibac.com/sound-solutions-on-ubuntu-system/

AWESOME

Reply

admin October 31, 2009 at 11:55 pm

Thank you very much man.

I hope I can write more useful posts.

Get fun.

Reply

Grant December 7, 2009 at 11:05 am

Nice write up and very helpful. Did have one question though – do you know how to swap the display mapping for two monitors? I have my main monitor coming up as #2 in the CCC and my HDTV as #1 and want to swap those, but don’t see an option in CCC. Is there instead a config file I need to edit?

Any help would be appreciated.

Reply

admin December 7, 2009 at 11:21 am

Dear Grant,

I think that you don’t need to modify any file, just simply swap 2 monitors by using ATI Catalyst Control Center (super – user) or using command: amdxdg-su -c amdcccle

You can view this post for more detail.

Best regards,

Reply

Paul February 7, 2010 at 5:50 am

Hi there…i tried the installation method but i got this vcdk missing error..how do i fix this??

Reply

player April 8, 2010 at 2:39 am

to Paul you just don’t see the bottom part of window ? if this it, then you need press tab 4 times, after installation window will appear, the hit enter.

Reply

Paul June 3, 2010 at 10:51 am

wow…thanks player duder..it work..never thought the solution to be so simple..

Reply

Sebas2k July 6, 2010 at 3:26 am

Hi there!
The drivers and the installation works fine (thinks for the tips) for 1 video card and 2 monitors but can’t make run in dual video cards, the second shows up in Display manager as “Unknown video card”. This actually happens in 2 different computers both with dual video cards, what am I doing wrong?

Thank in advance

Reply

Adrián August 10, 2010 at 10:43 pm

wow player…that’s was so…incredible and stupid same time, im neither thought this would be a problem of windows…earth eat me hehe, THANKS!!

Reply

charles January 30, 2011 at 1:35 pm

THANK YOU!!! By clicking TAB 4 times it continued with the install!
You;re right, I did not see the bottom of the window, so I didn’t know what I was pressing “ENTER” on.

THANKS!!!!

Reply

charles January 30, 2011 at 1:40 pm

PS

At the last screen, you can’t see the bottom either, press TAB once (and ENTER)! It finishes!

Reply

DaveIntrepid May 23, 2011 at 7:30 am

THANK YOU! This worked fine!

I installed from ati-driver-installer-9-3-x86.x86_64.run (downloaded from AMD/ATI). 9.3 is the final version to support the x1600 card on my notebook. I must use Ubuntu 8.10 as this is supposedly the last version that can use the 9.3 drivers.

However, Catalyst Information reports: 2D version: 8.59.2, Catalyst Control Center V. 2.5, OpenGL V. 2.1.8543. I have No PowerPlay option which was the primary reason I installed the proprietary driver, in hopes of downclocking the GPU to reduce heat and minimize the notebook fan nearly always being on.

Any advice is warmly appreciated!

Thanks you in advance! :)

Reply

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