Need help Sapphire ATI Radeon X1650 Pro AGP 512 Mb DDR2 graphics Card Kubuntu

Scorpius Maximus · Oct 5, 2008, 02:38 PM

What is the current recommended installation route to take for ATI drivers on an AMD64 system running Kubuntu 8.04.1 with an Sapphire ATI Radeon X1650 Pro AGP 512 Mb DDR2 graphics Card?
I did this about a year or a year or a year and a half ago with Ubuntu/Kubuntu 7.04 or earlier and it was not easy but I did get it going, on another machine.
I have gone through some changes in the last year and a half and last I remember, ATI driver installation was going to have some changes and revisions with the newer version of Ubuntu/Kubuntu, as it relates to graphics diver installation and the newer ATI Driver versions, as I have read again in this forum and others just the last few months.
I recently built a system for my kids and thought I would go with a straight Debian system but, my experience with the Debian forums was very unpleasant, and after going on two months, I still do not have a working system.
I have searched the forums and have found quite a few guides, several for Debain and several for Ubuntu/Kubuntu, all have at least some subtle differences, if not major ones, but the guides I have found for Kubuntu start with 7.04. I have ruled out ENVY. Considering I could not get the graphics going in Debian Lenny after over a month in the Debian forum, I am a bit reluctant to dive in again without some guidance, up-front.
I have been working on a Linux system for my kids for well over two months now and I would really like to give them a working system.... sometime soon. Would someone knowledgeable please be so kind as to point me in the right direction and/or possibly walk me through to a solution? If there is anyone that would like to work with me to help me get the graphics going on this machine, I would be immensely grateful.
The Restricted Drivers that are available with the Kubuntu 8.04 installation repositories, do not work on my system. I tried to enable the ATI and fglrx drivers. Ether X will not start after enabling them or I still only get 2D Graphics.
The open-source drivers do not support this card. (Well, only in 2D)
I tried the module-assistant method and that did not work either but, to honest, I was not getting helpful guidance at this point. I could have just been doing something simple, wrong.
I guess I am going to have to go with ATI binaries and hope for the best, though, from the posts I have been reading, that's a crap shoot and not looking too good either.
None of these methods, as I implemented them in Debian Lenny, gave me working 3D graphics.
I do have my ATI graphics card showing; lspci:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV535 [Radeon X1650 Series] (rev 9e)
01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV535 [Radeon X1650 Series] (rev 9e)
I'm sayin' I'm scared. I'm tired and, I'm really tired of re-installing.
Your kindness and help would be greatly appreciated.

aaron8x · Oct 13, 2008, 03:59 PM

Same problem here.

RIV@NVX · Oct 15, 2008, 12:11 PM

New Ubuntu and Fedora will support opensource 3D on this card, you might want to give beat a shot.

Scorpius Maximus · Nov 2, 2008, 05:14 PM

Still a "NO GO."
Restricted drivers in Kubuntu Intrepid 8.10 still do not give 3d rendering. Unable to use proprietary drivers. Get a black screen and have to restore backup xorg.conf file. I just don't know enough to manipulate my xorg.conf file to get it to work I suppose. Many other posts on the web about the "recent" ATI divers. It would seem I am not alone.
I am still having a hard time wrapping myself around Display Drivers being so difficult. It seems to me thet this problem would have been worked out LONG ago considering all the difficulties and the time involved. I don't get it.
I read a post about using older ATI drivers. I am goiung to try that. Last I had my drivers working was about April of 2007 and I got it with the binary drivers install using ATI Binary Driver from their web site.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Still open for suggestions and help.

Scorpius Maximus · Nov 5, 2008, 04:23 PM

I stand corrected!!! SOLVED!!!!
I downloaded the FINAL version of Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex, updated all packages and installed the Proprietary Drivers from the Restricted Drivers Module and I have working 3d acceleration and power management on this very difficult Sapphire ATI 1650 Pro 256 DDR2 AGP graphics card.
I was going to try the binary instal once more with the old ATI version drivers but I now that is not neccessary.

RIV@NVX · Nov 19, 2008, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpius Maximus

I stand corrected!!! SOLVED!!!!
I downloaded the FINAL version of Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex, updated all packages and installed the Proprietary Drivers from the Restricted Drivers Module and I have working 3d acceleration and power management on this very difficult Sapphire ATI 1650 Pro 256 DDR2 AGP graphics card.
I was going to try the binary instal once more with the old ATI version drivers but I now that is not neccessary.

Great to hear this. BTW, 3D should also work with this card out of the box without restricted drivers, but if it ain't broken don't fix it