Ubuntu installing AMD R9 290x...

obviouslytom

obviouslytom

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I need some help getting this installed. I am a complete idiot when it comes to linux and I wanted to give it a try to see how it works.

I went thru AMDs website, got the install package and thought I got it installed they terminal, but I am not completely sure.

Any help on how to do this would be appreciated
 
Can you be a little more specific about what you're trying to do? Is something not working?
 
First it would be on how to check if the video card is detected by the OS correctly. If not, how to install the drivers correctly on the system.

I currently have this running on a mid 2010 mac pro 5,1.
 
The video card should be detected by the kernel and the drivers should already be there.

AMD recommends using the open source drivers (AMD contributes code too and employees the open AMD GPU driver teams). Just install and go... don't worry about "drivers" and downloads from AMDs website.

Welcome to Linux... the only hardware you have to install closed source drivers for are Nvidia cards. (and even then the distros all package them for you no need to be downloading spy packages from the hardware mfgs)
 
Well I redid the install. Switched to a faster SSD and everything works now. The system recognizes just about everything from what I can tell and I have been installing things for a similar feel to windows, for the most part.

I was trying to do some work in Libreoffice Calc and its definitely a different feel than office.

Running it all on that dual xeon mac with 32gb of ram is nice
 
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obviouslytom said:
Well I redid the install. Switched to a faster SSD and everything works now. The system recognizes just about everything from what I can tell and I have been installing things for a similar feel to windows, for the most part.

I was trying to do some work in Libreoffice Calc and its definitely a different feel than office.

Running it all on that dual xeon mac with 32gb of ram is nice
Click to expand...

Glad to hear everything seems to be working. The more you use Linux the more the little things will start to make sense. Like any OS it takes some time to learn all the little ins and outs.

Its cool if you want to make it look and feel like windows. But just keep in mind you don't have to do that either. One of the advantages of Linux is being able to use it however you like. Yes their are very windows alike DEs, and Mac alikes... and some people love half and halfs windows like with mac style docks. If you give it a chance though run Gnome... yes I know it gets a lot of hate from all angles. Having said that its the most unique clearly this is its own thing DE around imo. I love Gnome... and after you get use to the Gnome activities screen, and how wonderfully it just stays the F out of your way all the time it can really grow on you. I can't stand using windows style menus ect anymore after using Gnome for so long.

However you set it up though have fun... if you have questions most distros have great forum style support and you can always ask around here.
 
Just keep in mind that the linux drivers offered at the Nvidia/AMD web sites are not intended for consumers to use, they're mainly for distribution packagers. You should always use the drivers provided by your linux distribution - you don't download them like on Windows.
 
B00nie said:
Just keep in mind that the linux drivers offered at the Nvidia/AMD web sites are not intended for consumers to use, they're mainly for distribution packagers. You should always use the drivers provided by your linux distribution - you don't download them like on Windows.
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Don't try to change me! I'm perfect the way I am! Even if I download my drivers directly. And, even if I compile my own kernels! :p
 
B00nie said:
Just keep in mind that the linux drivers offered at the Nvidia/AMD web sites are not intended for consumers to use, they're mainly for distribution packagers. You should always use the drivers provided by your linux distribution - you don't download them like on Windows.
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Good to know.

I am getting a little issue with the system when I had to work on an excel document in Open Office or Libre Office, where it would stutter or lag for a moment. Could it be related to the install of the drivers from AMD? If so, how would I remove them?
 
I cannot believe this is a topic! I came here to post that I was unable to get my 7950 installed in Ubuntu 18. However, I went from an install already to throwing in the AMD card.

If I did lshw it would show me standard VGA adapter. If I ran a separate command (don't recall it now) it would show me the card. I also tried to install from AMD and it gave me a dependancy error that cannot be fixed flgxlr-core or something similar. Sites tell me to just use what Linux provides.

In the end all I was trying to do was run BOINC, but it could never find a usable GPU.

Ugh. I'm sure I'm missing some tiny thing.
 
auntjemima said:
I cannot believe this is a topic! I came here to post that I was unable to get my 7950 installed in Ubuntu 18. However, I went from an install already to throwing in the AMD card.

If I did lshw it would show me standard VGA adapter. If I ran a separate command (don't recall it now) it would show me the card. I also tried to install from AMD and it gave me a dependancy error that cannot be fixed flgxlr-core or something similar. Sites tell me to just use what Linux provides.

In the end all I was trying to do was run BOINC, but it could never find a usable GPU.

Ugh. I'm sure I'm missing some tiny thing.
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Fglrx has been dumped with ubuntu for years already. You can't use the closed source driver. If you try to install it all you do is pork your system. The open source driver is the way to go and Ubuntu should install it automatically upon setup.
 
B00nie said:
Fglrx has been dumped with ubuntu for years already. You can't use the closed source driver. If you try to install it all you do is pork your system. The open source driver is the way to go and Ubuntu should install it automatically upon setup.
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I agree with you. The AMD site isn't really helpful in that regard, however the closed source never actually installed. It gave me the dependancy issue and said it couldn't.

The "on setup" portion is my issue. Does that mean I have to reinstall Linux should I change my card from an Nvidia to AMD or from an igpu to AMD to get it to work properly?

Secondly, is there a way to have an AMD control panel like you would in windows so I can control fans and clock speeds?
 
auntjemima said:
I agree with you. The AMD site isn't really helpful in that regard, however the closed source never actually installed. It gave me the dependancy issue and said it couldn't.

The "on setup" portion is my issue. Does that mean I have to reinstall Linux should I change my card from an Nvidia to AMD or from an igpu to AMD to get it to work properly?

Secondly, is there a way to have an AMD control panel like you would in windows so I can control fans and clock speeds?
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Unfortunately, when AMD shifted to the open source drivers they also killed the Catalyst Control Panel for Linux. It used to be available, but not anymore. Only NVIDIA provides something like that, but they have the issue of not following Linux standards and having a closed source driver. GPU drivers are kind of a sore spot on linux for me. AMD is more compliant with standards, but their drivers aren't as robust or supported as well by applications, but NVIDIA is just NVIDIA. Linus told them "F**K YOU" a few years back for good reason.

 
Once my Ubuntu Solus install got over whatever issue it had with Steam, I was up and gaming on the GTX970.

Use what works...
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Once my Ubuntu Solus install got over whatever issue it had with Steam, I was up and gaming on the GTX970.

Use what works...
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Which is what I did. I was running these systems on their Intel igpu's for months. When given a handful of AMD cards to fold on I installed them and expected them to just install and be useable. After almost a day, I gave up and went with Windows. Sucks, as I have some Linux only projects I was running and now they are all windows 7.
 
auntjemima said:
Which is what I did. I was running these systems on their Intel igpu's for months. When given a handful of AMD cards to fold on I installed them and expected them to just install and be useable. After almost a day, I gave up and went with Windows. Sucks, as I have some Linux only projects I was running and now they are all windows 7.
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Shit, I participated in the Christmas DC event using my Linux workstation, and while that was CPU only, the GPU was the GTX970 that I gamed on.

FOSS'ers can rightly hate on Nvidia for their software policies, but their solutions work.
 
I use Nvidia and find their solution to simply work the best for my needs with little hassle. The lack of any real control panel under the AMD open source drivers is the real deal breaker for me regarding AMD, that and the fact that Nvidia hardware/drivers still hold the edge performance wise.
 
Mazzspeed said:
I use Nvidia and find their solution to simply work the best for my needs with little hassle. The lack of any real control panel under the AMD open source drivers is the real deal breaker for me regarding AMD, that and the fact that Nvidia hardware/drivers still hold the edge performance wise.
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AMD has exposed all the required bits in the kernel driver at this point. You can overclock and all that fun stuff via the terminal... which I agree is not perfect. It means with it exposed though that it shouldn't be long before we have a proper open source control panel. I think the main reason no one has done it yet... is AMD has been saying for around a year now that they are getting ready to open source their Radeon control panel. They had just ported it to the QT frame work before they really started pushing the open source driver. Anyway I think no one has jumped on building a GUI tool... figuring AMD will open source theirs.

Hopefully that happens soon. I would be shocked if its not out before the end of this year and the launch of the vega refresh parts. If it isn't someone will build one... you can terminal all the settings so I mean it wouldn't be a ton of work to build one really. (relatively speaking... I mean a GUI and a few python scripts.)
 
I just started using their control panel on Windows- have an RX560 running extra displays next to the 1080Ti- and I don't find it anything special.

Slick appearance, but operation makes Nvidia's control panel applet look smooth...
 
IdiotInCharge said:
I just started using their control panel on Windows- have an RX560 running extra displays next to the 1080Ti- and I don't find it anything special.

Slick appearance, but operation makes Nvidia's control panel applet look smooth...
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Yeah, the AMD control panel in windows is soooooooooooooooooooooo slow. It's insane.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Wow, really? How do you make a control panel sluggish! :)
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I'm not even kidding. Opening takes forever. Try clicking on the game setting... You have to wait like 20 seconds just to show you "global settings" and then when you select the menus to see clock speeds and fan and it takes 5 seconds to load that menu. Try having it on 3 cards.

I am running this on many different generations of systems. All on new windows 7 installs.

IdiotInCharge said:
I'd ask, 'how do you NOT make it slow?', cause both vendors have failed....
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Nvidia control panel is not even fucking comparable. Like night and day.
 
I mean, Nvidia's is butt ugly, and lags on the game setting stuff, but man has the AMD thing lagged like hell on occasion. Seems to be running well right now but I don't use it to set game settings. Picture for props to AMD's graphics design ;)

upload_2018-9-12_22-39-17.png
 
Perhaps it's because it's what I'm used to after all these years, but I actually don't mind Nvidia's CP design.
 
I think AMDs sluggish windows control panel. Likely has to do with their switch to QT for their UI. I am pretty sure it was the first time they used it for anything and I would bet they will optimize the code as time goes on. lol QT can make some pretty GUIs but if you don't know all the little tricks it can also be slow. The last few years I have read plenty from different developers moving software from GTK and other frameworks to QT complaining and praising QT in the same breath... about how powerful and great it is and also how it can be a breast.

I am pretty sure Nvidia is just using the Microsoft foundation class C libraries for the good ole windows api. It might be ugly as sin but at least it speedy.
 
ChadD said:
It might be ugly as sin but at least it speedy.
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If they gave it a quick reskin so that perhaps it looked like it belonged on Windows 7+, and perhaps put some elbow grease into either optimizing their per-application settings tab or moving that to Geforce Experience (or replicating it to GFE), I think they'd be golden.

Also, make sure to port it all to Linux ;).

I think I'm going to be putting my 27" Predator on my Linux workstation, which has a GTX970 in it- you know if they got G-Sync working yet, ChadD?
 
IdiotInCharge said:
If they gave it a quick reskin so that perhaps it looked like it belonged on Windows 7+, and perhaps put some elbow grease into either optimizing their per-application settings tab or moving that to Geforce Experience (or replicating it to GFE), I think they'd be golden.

Also, make sure to port it all to Linux ;).

I think I'm going to be putting my 27" Predator on my Linux workstation, which has a GTX970 in it- you know if they got G-Sync working yet, ChadD?
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I don't have Gsync or freesync. My understanding is the closed source drivers from both Nvidia and AMD support their solutions. As I say haven't really setup either but I have heard some compositors can be an issue and games need to be launched full screen and not windowed. But I can't say if that is 100% the case or not. Perhaps someone that has it running might reply. :)

On that note AMD did just the other day push a bunch of freesync commits to the AMD open source stack. So freesync should be working with the open stack soonish.
 
ChadD said:
On that note AMD did just the other day push a bunch of freesync commits to the AMD open source stack. So freesync should be working with the open stack soonish.
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Had AMD cards not been a shitshow with respect to availability and pricing, I'd have just tossed an RX580 8GB in my Linux workstation, as I'd picked up a cheap 31.5" 4k VA Freesync monitor for it, but since I made the mistake of putting it on my desktop, it's staying- I just picked up a cheaper MSI ITX-sized RX560 4GB to toss in next to the 1080Ti to run it there and I'm keeping the GTX970 in place for the Linux machine.

So when I swapped the 27" IPS out for the 32" VA 1440p, I just decided to keep the 32" 4k next to it.

In any case, I'll look into it when I get a chance. Gaming isn't really a priority for that box but I'd certainly like to get what Linux-compatible games I have in Steam loaded for my own situational awareness.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
I mean, Nvidia's is butt ugly, and lags on the game setting stuff, but man has the AMD thing lagged like hell on occasion. Seems to be running well right now but I don't use it to set game settings. Picture for props to AMD's graphics design ;)

View attachment 103647
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I actually hate the new design to bits. It has hidden previously available controls. It's the windows 10 of control panels.
 
B00nie said:
I actually hate the new design to bits. It has hidden previously available controls. It's the windows 10 of control panels.
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Yes! Complicated is not better. That AMD control panel hurts me, deep inside.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
It's funny that there are basic UI design guidelines that developers have trouble with like don't fix what ain't broke.
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Well, if this were followed as you suggest, then we'd all still be using the command line with no GUI options at all. The command line was totally functional, and served its purpose well. This whole idea that we shouldn't change crap because it works is absurd to me. We have the telephone because Alexander Graham Bell felt like the telegraph could be improved upon (I'm assuming this was the case. Either way, the telephone replaced the telegraph). We have television even though radio was sufficient for content delivery. Now, I'm not saying we should change everything all the time, but instead of saying don't fix what isn't broke, we should instead set guidelines for human interaction with computers. Oh wait, that already exists. The problem isn't that software changes, it's that developers are choosing to ignore best practices in UI design because the new way looks pretty.

The reason I love the command line so much is because I can do in one command what tends to take many many clicks in a GUI. That doesn't make GUI's inherently bad, sometimes I prefer a GUI. For instance, I have an OpenWRT powered router. Sure I could manage the router via the command line only, but no thanks. In that case I absolutely want a GUI as it makes my life easier because the information is able to be presented in a cleaner fashion, and options can be edited easier than editing 800 config files.

Personally, I think the new AMD control panel looks really nice, but I haven't used it as I don't have an AMD card so I can't comment on it's usability one way or the other. The NVIDIA control panel is a slow and hideous mess that hasn't seen an update in like 15 years. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think there's probably some happy place in the middle where we end up with a nice looking UI that's also fast. Is that too much to ask?
 
Lunar said:
Well, if this were followed as you suggest, then we'd all still be using the command line with no GUI options at all.
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Why?

You can map the functionality 1:1. CLI to GUI, old GUI to new GUI.

What makes the difference is good design. Not just pretty design, but design that actually serves the purpose. That's where AMD is falling short, and many UI updates run into the same issue.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
Why?

You can map the functionality 1:1. CLI to GUI, old GUI to new GUI.

What makes the difference is good design. Not just pretty design, but design that actually serves the purpose. That's where AMD is falling short, and many UI updates run into the same issue.
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That's the point I was trying to make. Not that we shouldn't change things, but rather that when we do make changes, that those changes make sense.
 
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