# Need non-existent Big Kernel Lock (BKL) for fglrx driver?

## noisymouse

Hi, I've been having an issue for a few months now that has made it impossible for me to have 3d graphics along with a proper portage setup. Basically the problem is that the ati-drivers package checks if the kernel source config has the big kernel lock (CONFIG_BKL) enabled. Unfortunately this is not a config option with newer kernels and as far as I can tell has not been for quite some time now. I personally use git-sources, but even the stable version of gentoo-sources does not have CONFIG_BKL. And what's odd is that older versions of fglrx did support kernels without the BKL. (I think this have changed from the 10.x to 11.x transition.) Anyway, I'm wondering what solutions there might be for this problem. I realize it's more complicated because fglrx is proprietary. For now I'm going to see if I can get an older version working

 :Cool: 

UPDATE: I've been unable to use any older versions of ati-drivers. (I get a different error with the older versions.)

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## aCOSwt

 *noisymouse wrote:*   

> I personally use git-sources, but even the stable version of gentoo-sources does not have CONFIG_BKL.

   :Shocked: 

This is what I get under my gentoo-sources 2.6.37-r4 :

```
Symbol: BKL [=y]

Type  : boolean 

Prompt: Big Kernel Lock

Defined at lib/Kconfig.debug:472

Depends on: SMP [=y] || PREEMPT [=y]   

Location:

 -> Kernel hacking   
```

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## Anon-E-moose

It's there under the 2.6.38 series

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## noisymouse

Hmm so it is. Git's at 2.6.39 at this point and doesn't have the option. I could have sworn I hadn't seen it a while ago when I configured a gentoo-sources kernel. Anyway, I'll probably compile a new kernel based on gentoo-sources until AMD releases a driver that will work with the latest kernel.

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## Yamakuzure

Yes, 2.6.39 is the version that is scheduled to remove BKL completely. 

But *maybe* you find this interesting: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.freedesktop.xorg.drivers.ati/18650

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## Hu

 *noisymouse wrote:*   

> And what's odd is that older versions of fglrx did support kernels without the BKL.

 The Big Kernel Lock has been with us since Linux gained SMP support.  I suspect that the older versions did not check it, because for a long time, it could be assumed that any SMP kernel would have the BKL.  With recent kernels, it became optional, because most of the code using it was changed to use more granular locking.

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