Help installing ati linux drivers

[Razor]

Ok so i just installed Fedora Core 6 and i need help installing ATI drivers. I should probably
tell you i'm totally new to linux and have no idea what i'm doing lol. I tried to understand the
installation instructions on the ATI/AMD website but i have no clue what their talking about,
please help me.

This is what i'm not getting from the ati website:

Automatic Driver Installation Option

To install the ATI Proprietary Linux driver using the Automatic option, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Terminal Application/Window and navigate to the ATI Proprietary Linux driver download.(no idea how to navigate to the file in terminal window lol)
2. Enter the command sh ./ati-driver-installer-8.34.8.run to launch the ATI Proprietary Linux driver installer. The ATI Proprietary Linux Driver Setup dialog box is displayed.(i
think i can manage this bit just as soon as i know how to navigate in terminal, i think)

So how do i do it?

 

[As I Lay Dying]

http://www.fedorafaq.org/#radeon


ahhh odd how using the resources available for the distro makes things so simple huh?
I really suggest you slow down, inhale, and read some literature about fedora, other wise you are gonna hang yourself and blame linux/fedora for not being like windows, and have an ultimately shitty experience.

 

[eeyrjmr]

yer don't update the drivers manually (well only if you want/need now), let your package manager sort it out (this isn't windows you know ). That way when the driver is updated then you will automatically get it installed (you will need to reboot or stop X remmod... to use the new driver)

 

[Razor]

I guess i must be blind because i did take a look at the fedora website before coming here
but thanks anyway, i got it installed now . Just 1 problem though, Beryl stopped working,
which is the main reason i wanted to try out linux.I guess i'm just going to reinstall Fedora
then the ati drivers then Beryl and hope it works. Unless you guys now a better way lol.

Thanks.

 

[Carlosinfl]

If you plan to make Linux a more permanent home, I strongly suggets you invest in an nVidia card!

 

[Razor]

What nVidia card would you suggest to replace my x700 agp? I think i would want
something quite a bit more powerfull for use in Vista while playing games would not now
what to get though.

*EDIT*
Why are nVidia agp cards so expensive compared to ATI agp?

Anyway how do these 2 look?
nVidia-http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-060-XF&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411
ATI-http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-071-HT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=403

I would love to get the x1950pro but if it's not going to work properly in Fedora Core then i guess it will have to be the other more expensive crappier 6800 GS.

 

[Carlosinfl]

You can have the most expensive and powerful ATI card but the ATI drivers will make the card feel like a ATI TNT. Their Linux driver support is beyond poor. I can't speak on how AGP cards work on Vista but I have 2 Linux machines that run a 6600GT and a 7600GT and they're both amazing. I am not a PC gamer so I can't speak on that behalf.

 

[Razor]

I just wish i could affrod to completely upgrade my whole system but i guess i can live with
what i got right now. My x700 is doing ok in Vista atm, well for the games i play anyway
i dont play anything thats too graphicly intense for the lil ole x700 lol just UT,Enemy Territory
and DOD: Source.

I'm just going to uninstall these ATI drivers and leave it at that so i can just carry on messing
about with Fedora/Kde and Beryl i love how customizable it all is.

 

[As I Lay Dying]

ok the problem is most likely this; with the ati opensource driver you can probably use beryl with aiglx, if fedora 6 uses xorg 7.1, aiglx is built into it already. Ok so then when you user the ati proprietary drivers which are missing the texture_from_pixmap. not letting you use aiglx.

So if you still want to use the ati drivers you need to install and run xgl to use beryl.

 

[eeyrjmr]

ok the problem is most likely this; with the ati opensource driver you can probably use beryl with aiglx, if fedora 6 uses xorg 7.1, aiglx is built into it already. Ok so then when you user the ati proprietary drivers which are missing the texture_from_pixmap. not letting you use aiglx.

So if you still want to use the ati drivers you need to install and run xgl to use beryl.

Thats the one!!!
its not that ATi drivers are (really) bad, I mean they do work and you get pretty good fps from them (not as good as an equiv nvidia mind), its just they are really slow in implementing that extension

I thought nvidia were bad when it took them over a month to release new drivers with the pixmap extension for xorg7.1 (as a gentoo user that is an eternity). it has been a good 6months since xorg provided an interface to the 3d rendering drivers.

glx will work tho (what is better???? )

 

[As I Lay Dying]

wow I just re read my post, holy shit, my grammer is soooo, bad, I blame engineering......

Thats the one!!!
its not that ATi drivers are (really) bad, I mean they do work and you get pretty good fps from them (not as good as an equiv nvidia mind), its just they are really slow in implementing that extension

I thought nvidia were bad when it took them over a month to release new drivers with the pixmap extension for xorg7.1 (as a gentoo user that is an eternity). it has been a good 6months since xorg provided an interface to the 3d rendering drivers.

glx will work tho (what is better???? )

you know what I am not sure.....speed wise I am not sure, I have read from people that XGL is speedier then aiglx, but to me I cannot tell the difference, granted on my 7800GT, at 3200x1200 both run at 200-300FPS+ acctually I have seen aiglx hit 400+FPS with the benchmark tool (with the limiter disabled). But I do not see it. I myself prefer aiglx easier on ram, and XGL has a few quarks with it, like sometimes it does aweful things to my keyboard.

Also I think the nvidia drivers do not acctually use aiglx, they kinda do but at the same time use their own compositor, from what I understand.