# ATI (fglrx) + KMS + XORG [SOLVED: NOT POSSIBLE]

## jimi

gentlemen,

before we start, my goal is to get the whole circus (mentioned in the subject) to work with the ATI propietary drivers.

now the first question is, is this possible at all? seen many people using the "radeon / opensource driver"

im not using xorg.conf as it runs automagically when i disable KMS.

got KMS to work in console with the built-in firmware blobs... the resolution is found and it switches over during kernel boot like it should.

but then things start to go horribly wrong when i

```
startx
```

the screen flashes white once, then turns to black... and the computer is frozen SOLID (no ssh access from other machine as well)

things come back to life after i remove the option:

```
[]     Enable modesetting on radeon by default - NEW DRIVER
```

startx loads xorg/gnome without a hitch and i have direct rendering via the ati/fglrx opengl drivers

i undertook the following steps to get KMS to work:

as per http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xorg-config.xml :

```
Device Drivers --->

  Generic Driver Options --->

  [*]  Include in-kernel firmware blobs in kernel binary

  # RadeonHD 5000, a.k.a Evergreen, and newer cards:

  (radeon/CEDAR_me.bin radeon/CEDAR_pfp.bin radeon/CEDAR_rlc.bin

   radeon/CYPRESS_me.bin radeon/CYPRESS_pfp.bin radeon/CYPRESS_rlc.bin

   radeon/JUNIPER_me.bin radeon/JUNIPER_pfp.bin radeon/JUNIPER_rlc.bin

   radeon/REDWOOD_me.bin radeon/REDWOOD_pfp.bin 

   radeon/REDWOOD_rlc.bin) External firmware blobs

(/lib/firmware/) Firmware blobs root directory
```

found out that this could also be compiled as MODULE, tried that.. made no difference:

```
--- Direct Rendering Manager (XFree86 4.1.0 and higher DRI support)                                             

  <*>   ATI Radeon                                                  

  [*]     Enable modesetting on radeon by default - NEW DRIVER   
```

and i also found out that the framebuffer drivers of the kernel itself should be disabled as it conflicts with the ATI propietary drivers

```

--- Support for frame buffer devices

[*]   Enable firmware EDID

[*]   Enable Video Mode Handling Helpers  
```

the almighty make.conf:

```
INPUT_DEVICES="evdev synaptics"

VIDEO_CARDS="fglrx"

LINGUAS="en nl"

USE="alsa avahi autoipd branding dbus cdr dhcpcd emerald gnome gtk gtk3 java mikmod networkmanager

        openal oss python samba svg udev wifi X xscreensaver xcb -pulseaudio -bluetooth -hal -joystick -kde -qt4 -ipv6"

```

Xorg.0.log gives me nothing, also tried to

```
tail -f /var/log/Xorg.0.log
```

from another machine using SSH while starting x, but to no avail. looks like the machine crashes before xorg even starts?

can anyone tell me what im doing wrong here? im not a debug expert so be gentle  :Wink: 

tx, 

JimiLast edited by jimi on Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:15 pm; edited 2 times in total

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## DaggyStyle

you cannot work with kms and fglrx, they are incompatible.

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## jimi

thanks for the reply!

will look into the performance of the opensource drivers.

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