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

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).

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.

And 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

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

Agree with the license:

Choose Automatic mode and continue:

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

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:

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 !

Tagged as: Device driver, Linux, Radeon, Ubuntu