Archive:SDB:AMD fglrx legacy

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This guide is to help you install the proprietary AMD (formely ATI) proprietary drivers fglrx legacy.

They can't be integrated into the openSUSE distribution because they are not licensed as Free and Open Source Software. Check HCL:AMD video cards to select the driver that suits your graphical hardware best, before you proceed in this article.

Warning: You will install proprietary closed source software on your computer. Although you can find help on the openSUSE forum about the fglrx legacy driver, the Free and Open Source radeon driver is in most cases the best choice. This drivers will NEVER work for 12.3 or 13.1 due to changes in the kernel and xorg.

Procedure for one-click-install

One-click-install is an easy way to have the repository added by YaST and have the recommended package automagically installed.

Identify your architecture

To determine your system architecture you check the terminal output of uname -a like in the example below.

$ uname -a

Sample result:

Linux geeko 3.1.10-1.16-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Jun 27 05:21:40 UTC 2012 (d016078) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

If you see x86_64 on the line you are using a 64bits system. If you see i386/i586/i686 then your system is 32bits.

This method should be safe, if you choose the right architecture. Reports and comments are welcome - ping tigerfoot on irc (#suse on Freenode).

1-click fglrx-legacy install for 32 bits

1-click install 64 bits

Note: 1-click can't be used directly with openSUSE Tumbleweed, due to the lack of a clear way to identity this derivative. See GUI/Yast2 installation way.

Procedure GUI - YaST2

Reference repositories urls list

Version: 12.2 http://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx-legacy/openSUSE_12.2/

Version: 12.1 http://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx-legacy/openSUSE_12.1/

Version: 11.4 http://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx-legacy/openSUSE_11.4/

Version: 11.3 http://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx-legacy/openSUSE_11.3/

Note: This list is also useful for the zypper client install below.

Notice: The openSUSE 12.3 version will be never supported, with xorg 1.13. Tumbleweed is supported until xorg will be updated to last version.

Adding the repository

Start YaST2, with the help of menu
Click Software Repositories in the YaST Control Center
Click Add, select Specify URL and click Next
Enter the repository url and choose a name (FGLRX-LEGACY for example) for the repository
Click OK
Accept the repository gpg key
Ensure its status is "enabled" and "refresh automatically" is also on

Installing the fglrx-legacy package

In the YaST Control Center, click Software Management.
Search for "fglrx" and check the package that matches your architecture.

Note: For example on a 12.1 openSUSE fglrx64_legacy_xpic_SUSE121 is for 64bits and fglrx_legacy_xpic_SUSE121 is for 32bits

Click Accept to confirm your changes

The simplest way to apply these changes is to reboot.

zypper command line

Be safe and blacklist the free radeon driver

Before trying to install the fglrx package it's better to disable free radeon driver.

Start your computer
On the boot line add : radeon.modeset=0 blacklist=radeon 3
Press enter
Let boot your system in console mode, once you see a prompt login, use the root account
Recreate the initrd without the free radeon loaded

# mkinitrd

Reboot in console mode (same flags as before)

zypper adding repository

Once you're again logged as root on console issue the following command with changing $URL$ by one specified above for your opensuse version.

Note: For Tumbleweed use openSUSE_Tumbleweed as version

# zypper ar -n FGLRX-LEGACY -cgf $URL$ FGLRX-LEGACY

zypper installing the rpm

To Install fglrx (do one or the other, not both; replace "121" with your openSUSE version)

for 64bits system

# zypper in fglrx64_legacy_xpic_SUSE121

OR

for 32bits system

# zypper in fglrx_legacy_xpic_SUSE121

Reboot to activate the driver.

Building yourself the rpm

Due to frequent lack of feature, it's recommended to use the makerpm-amd-$VERS$-legacy.sh offered by Sebastian Siebert on his [blog].

Start a terminal or console of your choice and become to root:
# su
Download the script:
# wget http://www.sebastian-siebert.de/downloads/makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh
Download the checksum file:
# wget http://www.sebastian-siebert.de/downloads/makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh.sha1
Let's validate against the script:
# sha1sum -c makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh.sha1
The output should be:
```
# makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh: OK
```
Change the permission of the script:
# chown root:root makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh && chmod 744 makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh
Run the script with the parameter -i. The script generate the RPM package and install/update automatically it.
# ./makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh -i

Important: Reboot the computer after the installation.

If something goes wrong, remove the driver with the parameter -u.
1. Go into the console and log in as super user root
2. Execute the script:
  # ./makerpm-amd-13.1-legacy.sh -u