xf86-video-radeonhd

ddaedalus · 2009-01-03 11:25:17

Build a new pc lately.
Especially looked for a ATI Radeon graphics adapter, in hope to be able to use and support the open source drivers. And boy, this drivers are ingenious.
My xorg.conf is only 2 lines shy of half a terminal, and my native resolution and frequency have been recognized instantly. Absolutely no configuration was needed. xrandr works flawlessy too, and mode switching is way faster than it used to be.

All hail open source drivers.

ddaedalus · 2009-06-23 14:29:46

New kernel (2.6.30), new DRM for my ATI Radeon 4850. XRender works, XVideo works, KDE4 XRender Desktop Effects work like a charm. Basic OpenGL works. No xorg.conf.

All hail open-source ATI drivers. Just wanted to tell future buyers that ATI is the way to go IMHO.

Last edited by ddaedalus (2009-06-23 14:30:16)

kensai · 2009-06-23 14:38:19

ddaedalus wrote:

All hail open-source ATI drivers. Just wanted to tell future buyers that ATI is the way to go IMHO.

I wouldn't do that, I know is good that it works fine for you, but the ones having a pleasure of a time with ATI are way less than those having problems with it. Catalyst is a bad driver, with no support for Linux, just for three outdated distributions. xf86-video-ati and xf86-video-radeonhd, although nice, I can't even get them working properly for 2D acceleration. And many people buy ATI or Nvidia cards for using 3D capabilities, is sad when ATI open drivers don't provide this yet in a way where it is to be acceptable.

I do have hope for ATI, and I feel great knowing it works well for you, but well, it is not the best for everybody, sadly.

app4des · 2009-06-23 14:40:34

Too bad that EXAVSYNC doesn't work with newer ATI cards yet, so using any compositing manager (Like XRender desktop effects) makes videos have tearing again.

ddaedalus · 2009-06-23 16:04:09

kensai wrote:

ddaedalus wrote:
All hail open-source ATI drivers. Just wanted to tell future buyers that ATI is the way to go IMHO.
I wouldn't do that, I know is good that it works fine for you, but the ones having a pleasure of a time with ATI are way less than those having problems with it. Catalyst is a bad driver, with no support for Linux, just for three outdated distributions. xf86-video-ati and xf86-video-radeonhd, although nice, I can't even get them working properly for 2D acceleration. And many people buy ATI or Nvidia cards for using 3D capabilities, is sad when ATI open drivers don't provide this yet in a way where it is to be acceptable.
I do have hope for ATI, and I feel great knowing it works well for you, but well, it is not the best for everybody, sadly.

Certainly, you are right. I agree that, for heavy duty graphics rendering and computing the current drivers are more than insufficent and blobs are the way to go.
But I had problems with my last ATI Radeon X1300 Pro and my nVidia 7600 Pro both using blobs. Whereas acceleration worked, dualhead, mode-changing, mode-setting and xorg configuration was a huge pain in the ass.
I have quite modest requirements for my ATI, only browsing and watching videos. Therefore for this very limited use-case the latest updates were quite a treat for me. I hope this clarifies what the open drivers are good for.

@app4des: Compositing + Video: No tearing for me.

Last edited by ddaedalus (2009-06-23 16:04:40)

cyclotomic · 2009-06-25 23:47:43

ddaedalus wrote:

New kernel (2.6.30), new DRM for my ATI Radeon 4850. XRender works, XVideo works, KDE4 XRender Desktop Effects work like a charm. Basic OpenGL works. No xorg.conf.
All hail open-source ATI drivers. Just wanted to tell future buyers that ATI is the way to go IMHO.

Does the fan on your card spin at full speed all the time? I have an ATI Mobility Radeon 4650, and I tried the radeonhd driver recently on kernel 2.6.29 but the fan was spinning at full speed all the time so I found them to be unusable. Also are you on 32 bit or 64 bit? I'm wondering if that makes any difference.

Anyway, I still think people should avoid ATI at all costs. Their official drivers are abysmal regardless of the operating system you are using.

Last edited by cyclotomic (2009-06-25 23:48:26)

zenlord · 2009-06-26 07:56:39

While I don't need anything 3D, except maybe some Compiz-like goodies, I have planned an Intel IGP for my next pc. But if the open source Ati drivers are getting this good, I'm very much interested in what card you have in your system and which platform you're running.

Zl.

ddaedalus · 2009-06-26 17:14:00

@cyclotomic: Yes the fan runs full speed all the time. Still it is quiet. I am on 64bit.

@zenlord: No compiz for you with the open-source driver since OpenGL is barely working. I have a Sapphire Radeon 4850 512MB.

Last edited by ddaedalus (2009-06-26 17:20:13)

cyclotomic · 2009-06-26 18:56:14

ddaedalus wrote:

@cyclotomic: Yes the fan runs full speed all the time. Still it is quiet. I am on 64bit.

Dang, looks like I'll have to wait till that is fixed. Thanks for the info though.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-01-03 11:25:17

xf86-video-radeonhd

#2 2009-06-23 14:29:46

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#3 2009-06-23 14:38:19

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#4 2009-06-23 14:40:34

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#5 2009-06-23 16:04:09

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#6 2009-06-25 23:47:43

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#7 2009-06-26 07:56:39

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#8 2009-06-26 17:14:00

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

#9 2009-06-26 18:56:14

Re: xf86-video-radeonhd

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