Fresh install - AMD videocard.

LordSeaworth · 2016-09-19 04:08:19

Hey,
I've installed archlinux and looking to install my video card now.
Can anyone help me with what driver i should use?
This is the output of my "lspci | grep -e VGA -e 3D"

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Curacao XT / Trinidad XT [Radeon R7 370 / R9 270X/370X]

Shall i install amdgpu or amdgpu-pro?

I've tried amdgpu before but it wouldn't start when i did startx.
Do i need a custom kernel besides the default one to have it run?

I'm sorry if i sound so nubbish. But i'm trying to get more into linux and archlinux was my way to go and i hope i learn alot of stuff on the way.
If anyone could help me out please I would be really gratefull.

Thanks in advance.

Lone_Wolf · 2016-09-19 12:03:35

check Xorg wiki page .
Once you figured out which GPU architecture your card uses, you'll know which driver to use.

JohnBobSmith · 2016-09-19 14:20:32

LordSeaworth wrote:

...
Shall i install amdgpu or amdgpu-pro?
I've tried amdgpu before but it wouldn't start when i did startx.
Do i need a custom kernel besides the default one to have it run?
...

I just recently installed AMDGPU and I'm very happy with it. I see no reason to use the potentially buggy AMDGPU-PRO. Your card, R7 370, seems to be supported. However, one major question I have is: Are you using multiple video cards?? The additional R9270X output isnt making much sense. Then again, I could just be utterly confused; we'll know for sure once someone has a more complete answer...

There are many, many things that will cause xorg to crash when you use startx. If this is a fresh install, did you remember to install and load a window manager or desktop environment?

No, you do not need a custom kernel. However, the newer the kernel (within reason) the better. You should probably not be using a kernel less than the 4.14 series. An LTS kernel in the 4.14 range should be fine too. This is just a loose approximate. Rule of thumb is that older kernels may not support newer hardware fully. The default kernel will be fine for now.

Good luck.

Last edited by JohnBobSmith (2016-09-19 14:21:29)

LordSeaworth · 2016-09-19 18:40:11

Lone_Wolf wrote:

check Xorg wiki page .
Once you figured out which GPU architecture your card uses, you'll know which driver to use.

If already follow the wiki article for both xorg and amdgpu.
I have a working openbox on the pc.
The amdgpu just won'"t load.

Gives an error about no screens found when trying to start it.
I follow every step on the wiki page.

@JohnBobSmith

I'm using the kernel installed by archlinux default.
And I only have one video card. and no on board video.

Lone_Wolf · 2016-09-19 22:58:05

LordSeaworth, you didn't check the xorg wiki page thoroughly enough.

It's hard to go into more detail without giving away the solution (if i did that, you would not learn from your mistake) but i'll try.

Re-read the xorg wiki page, follow all relevant links for amd/ati cards .
Keep doing that until YOU figure out which driver(s) your card needs.

LordSeaworth · 2016-09-20 06:20:11

So great. I'm stuck with no amd drivers then...
Can you atleast give some information.

I installed the amdgpu. I added the radeon to blacklist. I enabled amdgpu in kms preload.
I've create the conf file like the wiki said. but still getting erros on startx

Lone_Wolf · 2016-09-20 08:53:30

Ok, look at AL xorg wiki page > installation > ATI .
That table uses GPU architecture .

the amdgpu /admgpu-pro drivers are (officially) supported on GCN 4 & GCN 3 architecture only .
There are currently only 3x GCN4 cards in existance , RX460 / RX 470 / RX480 . Your card is not one of those , so it's not GCN 4 .
In the column next to GCN 3-2-1 there are 3 links called various .

Follow those links, then tell us which gcn version your card is.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2016-09-20 08:54:02)

JohnBobSmith · 2016-09-20 13:59:20

LordSeaworth wrote:

...
Can you atleast give some information.
...

Actually, its us who needs more information from you. The more info we have about your setup, the better we can help you. I not sure why nobody has said to post your xorg log files here. Can you please paste your /var/log/Xorg.0.log and /var/log/Xorg.1.log (if it exists) like so:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | curl -F 'sprunge=<-' http://sprunge.us

This will give us a sprunge.us pastebin service link. Or you can use any pastebin service, but try to avoid pasting only parts of the log/walls of text here. We need the entire error log.Then we can help you troubleshoot further.

LordSeaworth · 2016-09-21 00:43:20

JohnBobSmith wrote:

LordSeaworth wrote:
...
Can you atleast give some information.
...
Actually, its us who needs more information from you. The more info we have about your setup, the better we can help you. I not sure why nobody has said to post your xorg log files here. Can you please paste your /var/log/Xorg.0.log and /var/log/Xorg.1.log (if it exists) like so:
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | curl -F 'sprunge=<-' http://sprunge.us
This will give us a sprunge.us pastebin service link. Or you can use any pastebin service, but try to avoid pasting only parts of the log/walls of text here. We need the entire error log.Then we can help you troubleshoot further.

Hey,
Okay so I did this command first

lspci | grep -e VGA -e 3D

wich gave me this output
<code>01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Curacao XT / Trinidad XT [Radeon R7 370 / R9 270X/370X]</code>

My GFX is a Sapphire R9 270X Toxic 2GB GDDR5 Boost.
So i checked the list on the wiki.
and my card is in the GCN 3 list so i can choose AMDGPU or AMDGPU-PRO.
But since i wanne test it out first i wanted to test out AMDGPU.

So i followed the wiki.
I installed these packages

sudo pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu mesa-libgl lib32-mesa-libgl mesa-vdpau lib32-mesa-vdpau

Then i created the config file like wiki said.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-amdgpu.conf

Section "Device"
    Identifier "AMD"
    Driver "amdgpu"
EndSection

Then i enabled early KMS

Added the module 'amdgpu' to startup
I regenerated initram

mkinitcpio -p linux

I disabled radeon driver to load

/etc/modprobe.d/radeon.conf

blacklist radeon

Then i tried starting startx but gives error.
I'll post the output of that log in a min.

Xorg log

http://sprunge.us/jYPS

Last edited by LordSeaworth (2016-09-21 00:49:59)

Lone_Wolf · 2016-09-21 10:00:06

LordSeaworth wrote:

My GFX is a Sapphire R9 270X Toxic 2GB GDDR5 Boost.
So i checked the list on the wiki.
and my card is in the GCN 3 list so i can choose AMDGPU or AMDGPU-PRO.

The wikipedia page doesn't list all GCN3 chipsets, but all ATI/AMD graphic chipsets ever released.
Your R9 270x is listed as being a GCN 1 card ( The R5/7/9series is mostly a rebrand of older chipsets, although there are newer ones among them).

[  1090.080] (II) [KMS] drm report modesetting isn't supported.
[  1090.080] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[  1090.080] (II) UnloadModule: "amdgpu"
[  1090.080] (EE) Device(s) detected, but none match those in the config file.

Your card is supported by the radeon kernel module, but that one is blacklisted > no kernel modesetting support >no drm modesetting > X can't use modesetting.

LordSeaworth, for now you should use the radeon kernel module and xf86-video-ati driver.
In the not-to-distant future you may be able to switch to amdgpu :

This Phoronix article states kernel 4.9 will have experimental support for using GCN1 chipsets with amdgpu (it will be disabled by default , so you'll need a custom-build kernel for it) .

@JohnBobSmith :
The error cause lies before X was started and was clear to me, imo xorg log wasn't needed/useful until AFTER the error was dealt with.

JohnBobSmith · 2016-09-21 22:58:16

Lone_Wolf wrote:

...
@JohnBobSmith :
The error cause lies before X was started and was clear to me, imo xorg log wasn't needed/useful until AFTER the error was dealt with.

So it seems that way. Still, its harmless to post it, just in case. We can then rule out (or confirm) more possibilities with the log than without.

EDIT: Lone_Wolfs solution is correct. I hope we've helped you, LordSeaworth. If you have your answer, remember to mark as solved.

Last edited by JohnBobSmith (2016-09-21 23:00:58)

Arch Linux

#1 2016-09-19 04:08:19

Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#2 2016-09-19 12:03:35

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#3 2016-09-19 14:20:32

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#4 2016-09-19 18:40:11

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#5 2016-09-19 22:58:05

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#6 2016-09-20 06:20:11

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#7 2016-09-20 08:53:30

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#8 2016-09-20 13:59:20

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#9 2016-09-21 00:43:20

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#10 2016-09-21 10:00:06

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

#11 2016-09-21 22:58:16

Re: Fresh install - AMD videocard.

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