unable to install video driver

[karels]

Last week I installed Linux MCE DVD AMD 64 rc2. All went well. Configuring it left me with a DCE-router problem. I found out it's related to a generic, installed driver for video-processor. Spending hours and hours (newbie) on how to install a new driver in Kubuntu all my efforts failed because I was not able to login as superuser. I wrote down all users and passwords with installation and I am sure there was none for superuser. What an I missing? Off-course I can run MCE without using overlay but I would very much like to know what I'm doing wrong with installing this driver!

mobo= Gigabyte MA78GM-S2H
(on-board ATI radeon HD3200)

Thanks for assisting

[colinjones]

If you need to execute a command as the superuser prefix it with sudo
It will ask you for the password - in Linux this is the password of your currently logged in account not the root user.

So normally you would login to a shell as username:linuxmce password:linuxmce
Then execute:

sudo <somerootlevelcommand>
password:linuxmce

[Zaerc]

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Logging_In

[Rukus]

I just recently completed the 64bit install, and I can admit that it was a beast.  Below are the steps I performed. (Make sure you're network connection established as you'll need it to download your drivers.)

1) I started the system in recovery mode so I could get the command line interface.

2) If you haven't changed the default linuxmce account yours should be User: Linuxmce Pass: Linuxmce

3) Once logged run the following command to download the driver from the ATI website. Feel free to double check, but I sure this is the one you need. 

wget https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/64bit/ati-driver-installer-8-11-x86.x86_64.run

4) Type ls to make sure the file downloaded. If so type in sudo ./ati-driver-installer-8-11-x86.x86_64.run. It will ask for you linuxmce password, type it in.  If the "./" doesn't work try "sh".  If this works the program should be running.

5) Follow the prompts to install.

Hope this helps

[colinjones]

btw, drop the akamai prefix - this will direct you to the akamai VIP nearest to underfunded rather than your (karels) own which you do not want to do.

[karels]

Thank's all for Your replies. mosst helpfull. Now I was able to run the command. The automatic install didn't work though. I tried to install a ' Distribution specific  driver package'  (as noted in installer instructions) but I did not know what type I should  select.  Kubuntu is   no option here.

options are:

Package Maintainer(s): Aric Cyr <aric.cyr@gmail.com>
                      Mario Limonciello <superm1@gmail.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
Debian Packages:
        Debian/sarge
        Debian/oldstable
        Debian/sid
        Debian/unstable
        Debian/etch
        Debian/stable
        Debian/lenny
        Debian/testing
        Debian/experimental

Package Maintainer(s): Niko Mirthes <nmirthes@gmail.com>
                      Michael Larabel <michael@phoronix.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
Fedora Packages:
        Fedora/FC3
        Fedora/FC4
        Fedora/FC5
        Fedora/FC6
        Fedora/F7
        Fedora/F8
        Fedora/F9
        Fedora/RHEL3
        Fedora/RHEL4

Package Maintainer(s): Anssi Hannula <anssi@mandriva.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
Mandriva Packages:
        Mandriva/2006
        Mandriva/2007
        Mandriva/2008
        Mandriva/2009

Package Maintainer(s): Bowen Zhu <bwzhu@redflag-linux.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
RedFlag Packages:
        RedFlag/RF50
        RedFlag/RF60

Package Maintainer(s): ATI
Status: Verified
RedHat Packages:
        RedHat/RHEL4_64a
        RedHat/RHEL4
        RedHat/RHEL5_64a
        RedHat/RHEL5

Package Maintainer(s): Emanuele Tomasi <tomasi@cli.di.unipi.it>
                      Ezio Ghibaudo <ekxius@gmail.com>
                      Federico Rota <federico.rota01@gmail.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
Slackware Packages:
        Slackware/All
        Slackware/Only_Module
        Slackware/Only_X

Package Maintainer(s): Stefan Dirsch <sndirsch@suse.de>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
SuSE Packages:
        SuSE/SLED10-IA32
        SuSE/SLES10-IA32
        SuSE/SLED10-AMD64
        SuSE/SLES10-AMD64
        SuSE/SUSE102-IA32
        SuSE/SUSE103-IA32
        SuSE/SUSE110-IA32
        SuSE/SUSE102-AMD64
        SuSE/SUSE103-AMD64
        SuSE/SUSE110-AMD64

Package Maintainer(s): Mario Limonciello <superm1@gmail.com>
                      Aric Cyr <aric.cyr@gmail.com>
Status: *UNVERIFIED*
Ubuntu Packages:
        Ubuntu/7.10
        Ubuntu/8.04
        Ubuntu/8.10
        Ubuntu/gutsy
        Ubuntu/hardy
        Ubuntu/intrepid
        Ubuntu/source

For example, to build a Debian Etch package, run the following:
% ./ati-driver-installer-<version>-<architecture>.run --buildpkg Debian/etch[/size][/size][/size][/sub][/li][/list]


*************************************************************************************************
*************************************************************************************************
First I thought i would simply go   for Ubuntu7.10 but then I remembered about GNOME vs KDE and I thouht it would be better to just ask. Thank You.

[karels]

update:

skipped further install of linuxmce (DVD version.) now I will try installing kubuntu 7.10 and MCE on it. Yesterday I was able to generate a pakage for my ATI Radeon HD 3200 and install this. When I rebooted Te system was working and I could see the ATI driver was installed and no longer Vesa driver. I was, however, forgotten to run a config command. The manual said I should do this. So I did. And then after the kubuntu splash screen there was nothing. Complete blackness. I will try once more, installing the driver but not vonfiguring it. Maybe??

Does anyone have a clue?  I am not considering Vista yet. My aim is to get HDMI output. I assume I do really need this driver.
Please let me know...

Thanks again,  keep you posted....

[Zaerc]

update:

skipped further install of linuxmce (DVD version.) now I will try installing kubuntu 7.10 and MCE on it. Yesterday I was able to generate a pakage for my ATI Radeon HD 3200 and install this. When I rebooted Te system was working and I could see the ATI driver was installed and no longer Vesa driver. I was, however, forgotten to run a config command. The manual said I should do this. So I did. And then after the kubuntu splash screen there was nothing. Complete blackness. I will try once more, installing the driver but not vonfiguring it. Maybe??

Does anyone have a clue?  I am not considering Vista yet. My aim is to get HDMI output. I assume I do really need this driver.
Please let me know...

Thanks again,  keep you posted....

Try going through the AVWizard again, chances are the wrong output is selected.

[colinjones]

Also, perhaps post your xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log file and we can take a look...

[karels]

Installed Kubuntu 7.10 again. rebuild packages and tried installing ATI Radeon driver for Ubuntu/gutsy since last time this seemed to work. Now I could, even after this driver is installed -or, at least, attempted to-- , that the vesa driver is still actually installed and selected. Installation seems to be unsuccesfull.  Selectiing ATI radeon from the K-menu of "monitor and screen" and then testing it did not work. Completely black screen.

There are 2 conf files :
xorg.conf from  usr/share/xresprobe  (changed in 2007)
xorg.conf in etc/X11  (change on install date)

content is attached to this post
Hopefully You have a clue.
Please let me know any suggestions.

Thank You for Your time and effort in helping me.

by the way: did not install alternate version of linux mce just yet; figured installing the driver in Kubuntu is big enough hurdle for me...

[colinjones]

Karels

The xorg.conf in /etc/X11 is the relevant config file - I note that this one still has "vesa" in the driver option, so X11 is correctly loading that driver as indicated in the Xorg.0.log file. After you have installed the driver, you then need to update "vesa" to "<somethingelse>" which will be specified in the driver README file.

Then reboot your machine. Once it has definitely failed to load X (ie give it quiet a few mins just to make sure you capture everything in the log file), then pull out the log file again and repost it. That should then log it attempting to load the new driver and why it failed.

[karels]

after install and configuring the driver (acc to install doc)  I did a reboot: it didn t work. Had to use  live CD  to use firefox on this PC again. However, therefore I am unable to attach theXorg.0.conf file from my harddrive!

exact screen-output after reboot:

loading, please wait
kinit: name_to_dev_t (/dev/disk/by-uuid/3724e535-f294-4583-89a9-a85ce3882226) = sda5(8.5)
kinit: trying to resume from /dev/disk/by-uuid/3724e535-f294-4583-89a9-a85ce3882226
kinit: no resume image, doiing normal boot...

Ubuntu 7.10 karel-desktop tty1

karel-desktop login:



kernel alive
kernel direct mapping  tables up to 1330000000 @ 8000-e000


I am able to login. Do nnot know what to do afterr that; no kubuntu GUI.

tried rebootiing again. But after Kubuntu-splashscreen (1 sec) same story

[colinjones]

OK, you really do need to do a little research on some of the basic steps, esp getting to a command line via ssh. But some basic steps to get you going.

Reboot the machine, let it "fail" for a period to ensure you capture the logging.
From another PC use an ssh session to connect to the core (Putty is a good program for this, and is a free download)
Login (linuxmce/linuxmce by default)
Type: less /var/log/Xorg.0.log then use normal cut and paste within putty to grab the contents

You can also hit <ESC> during the GRUB loader screen immediately after the power on self test and choose the recovery console. This will give you a command line as well, in which you can access the log file. But you would need some further commands then to get it off the core....

[karels]

I have tried some workarounds others then the ones You tipped, since I am not able to do them in Linux. It's really above my head. I am not able to mount the harddisk when I am in live-CD. I am not able to get you this log-file.

My nest steps will be:

Install kubuntu 7.10 (automatically installs vesa-driver)
then linux MCE (I hope that my Gigabyte MA78GM-S2H mainboard (with the onboard ATI-Radeon HD3200) and vesa driver will be able to generate HDMI output. Otherwise I must first consider other free media-center solutions.

Having said this, I started this topic with my wish to get knowledge of Linux, so I hope the first option will work and I will automatically train myself in the use of Linux.

Thank You all for your help. I am sorry to say that I lack the skills.... (for now!)

[colinjones]

Please read my instructions carefully, or I can't really help you any further! You do not need the live CD, drop it now as you are confusing matters.

Have you another PC on your (internal) network? If so, (now read and execute these instructions carefully, don't just jump to conclusions, and keep your damn hands off that damn live cd! )

On your PC, Google "putty download" -> download and install putty.
Start putty and point it at 192.168.80.1, accept the cypto question, it will connect to your core
Now login as user:linuxmce password:linuxmce

Now you have access to the log file.

If you do not have another PC, reboot your core after the "failure" and when it starts up again,
wait for the BIOS to finish its Power On Self Test (POST), then you will see a message that GRUB is loading with a countdown of about 3 seconds.
Hit ESC and choose the recovery console. This will give you a command line that you can access the log file through.

From a linux command line you can use the "less" command to display a text file:

less /var/log/Xorg.0.log