Arch Linux

signor_rossi

Member

Registered: 2007-08-24

Posts: 257

X.Org ATI Driver (from GIT for now) Supports New Power Options!

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n … &px=NzIwNg
http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16468

Was not difficult to set it up for me using the xf86-video-ati-git package from AUR and am using it now (had to start with clean KDE4 and XFCE config, though). For now it works for me (even Google Earth and Direct Rendering work on my X600 Mobility), let's see the next days.

Last edited by signor_rossi (2009-04-16 14:15:52)

jordz

Member

Registered: 2006-02-01

Posts: 248

Re: X.Org ATI Driver (from GIT for now) Supports New Power Options!

Does this fix the suspend/hibernate problems? My laptop can't restore after a suspend/restore (screen stays black).

signor_rossi

Member

Registered: 2007-08-24

Posts: 257

Re: X.Org ATI Driver (from GIT for now) Supports New Power Options!

Not for me atm, but that may not be the drivers fault as it wouldn't work for my laptop with fglrx either without some tweaking (now where did I put my notes with the info I need? Damn it!)
The important thing is that these drivers introduce power saving support for many cards that previously weren't supported at all in that regard by the free driver, for me power saving was the only reason to keep fglrx at all. And so far, without enabling anything fancy in my xorg.conf (EXA somehow seems to corrupt the screen on video playback when enabled) Google Earth works very good and also video playback works almost (almost because of hardware limitations of my card in dual head mode, X11 video playback is fast enough and works in dual head mode too). But I am still in the testing phase...

EDIT: Oh joy! Tried a while and could get hibernate to work from console and suspend to work from X.
Hibernate from X doesn't start X again and just hangs after loading the image with a blinking cursor, have to turm the machine off with the power button and suspend from console gives me garbage on the screen after resume, fortunately no hardlock and keyboard till responding.

I also did some measurements on battery. So powertop shows me 19.5W power consumption with ForceLowPowerMode enabled and 22.7 with FLPM disabled while the system idles.

Last edited by signor_rossi (2009-04-16 19:47:29)