AMD updates Catalyst for Linux

[mascaras]

AMD updates Catalyst for Linux

Anyone who owns an AMD graphics card and runs it under Windows knows that driver updates are complete and frequent. However, change the operating system, and this level of support seems to evaporate. You're lucky to even get a LiveCD to boot if you have an ATI card in your system, and even if you manage to install a version of *nix, good luck getting 3D applications to run bug-free.

Thankfully, AMD decided to listen to their customers. The latest AMD Catalyst for Linux is much cleaner, much more efficient, and much faster than the older version of Catalyst. Classic *nix functions, such as switching between X server and CLI are much smoother/don't freeze the system, and late 3D applications (even simple ones such as Google Earth) actually work now, which couldn't be said for older versions of AMD Catalyst for Linux.

Granted, the Linux version is not as fully featured as the Windows version. However, it is just as functional, and just as stable, as the Windows version, which is a huge step in the right direction for *nix users.

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux01_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux01.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux02_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux02.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux03_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux03.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux04_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux04.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux05_thm.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-07-01/catalystlinux05.jpg)

Source: The Inquirer (http://www.theinq.com/default.aspx?article=40698)


http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=34029



:up:

[xlink]

wow nice.

now if only it had decent performance

f* I might have gone with R600 if i knew they had decent linux drivers.
on another note, i didn't and I'm happy with my 8800GTS.

[BrowncoatGR]

That is BS. And no there are NO R600 drivers available, much less so decent ones

[SaFrOuT]

WOW

finally AMD is on the right track

good news for opensource community

[SaFrOuT]

That is BS

care to clarify ur very helpful and mature reply to knowledge less persons like us ?

[BrowncoatGR]

care to clarify ur very helpful and mature reply to knowledge less persons like us ?

Sorry im just a frustrated fglrx user. here you go: Xvideo doesnt work, Video tearing, no motion compensation for video, terrible performance, no ext_text_from_pixmap support(therefore no AIGLX), no Composite support with dri, TV_out bugs, constant regressions, slow development. You need more? I'm hoping the new OpenGL driver will greatly improve the situation though. And the drivers have come a long way, but clearly a lot needs to improved still. The CCC for linux is a nice touch but without functional drivers what's the point?

[MarlboroMan]

ATI is doing a nice job updating linux drivers, but nowadays those drivers are decades behind nvidia solution.
As a linux user 99.9% of the time, i don't think twice. I just go and buy nvidia solution ;)


maybe it will chance, and i hope so. 'cause ATI has some awesome videocards.

[DataNusse]

Just because you can install CCC on Linux dosent mean that its all stabile and nice. AMD is years behinde having a good, fully functional, stabil Linux driver.

[SaFrOuT]

Sorry im just a frustrated fglrx user. here you go: Xvideo doesnt work, Video tearing, no motion compensation for video, terrible performance, no ext_text_from_pixmap support(therefore no AIGLX), no Composite support with dri, TV_out bugs, constant regressions, slow development. You need more? I'm hoping the new OpenGL driver will greatly improve the situation though. And the drivers have come a long way, but clearly a lot needs to improved still. The CCC for linux is a nice touch but without functional drivers what's the point?

oh didn't know about all of those problems, in linux i am using a 6600 myself

hope AMD will release the opensource driver sooon

[NH|Delph1]

hope AMD will release the opensource driver sooon

We all do.

I was actually quite disappointed when I realized that I had a better graphics card in my laptop than I thought. I have a Radeon 9600-based chip instead of an Intel 915. :(
I namely use it with Ubuntu Linux and thanks to the Radeon chip I can't run beryl or compiz. This sucks.

//Andreas

[bigdaddy25fb]

Well after the acquisition one of AMD's goals was being better on the *nix front with the drivers. It's pretty much safe to assume they are working ahead on the drivers, hopefully to get to a point where Nvidia is at with their *nix drivers which are very robust and stable.

[BrowncoatGR]

Phoronix will have another article on ATi/Linux and I'm hoping its going to be a bit more informative than the last one. That is to say hopefully AMD marketing won't cut out all the useful parts.

[mibo]

AMD needs to release 2x00 linux drivers - NOW!!!

[rogard]

I have 2 radeon laptops both running linux.

Other than a nasty work around for glx/beryl, they work ok.

Im glad they have started to get the linux drivers back on track and competing a little better with nvidia.

I will be more likely to purchase a radeon card now ati are starting to produce (although they have a way to go) proper linux drivers.

Maybe one day we will get open source drivers that dont taint the kernel?
or is that too much to ask? :)

[uOpt]

The quote in the initial post of this thread is an insult to the intelligence of the reader.

Fine, google earth works now - how many months after NVidia's drivers work?

All hardware supported? Right...

[uOpt]

Well after the acquisition one of AMD's goals was being better on the *nix front with the drivers. It's pretty much safe to assume they are working ahead on the drivers, hopefully to get to a point where Nvidia is at with their *nix drivers which are very robust and stable.

No, it's not safe to assume.

Just for example, when AMD bought that shop people like us were hoping for improved cooperation in the drivers department, but for mainboard chipsets, not video cards.

Absolutely nothing has happened since then.

And unlike with the video card drivers, where you could claim they need time to work on them, the chipset documentation doesn't need engineering work. It involves mailing a couple PDF files to the Linux/FreeBSD folks.

All the while, my formerly almost favorite target NVIdia, which wouldn't allow us to have NCQ in the SATA drivers, has no switched the whole hardware interface for their SATA ports in the southbridges to use AHCI, which means Linux and FreeBSD get everything, for free, with an existing driver.

AMD's purchase of ATI has lead to not a single improvement that I could see. Sure, the video drivers improve, but the snail pace is still the same as always.

[[XC] Lead Head]

I would have to disagree with the slow pace of the drivers. ATi's *nix drivers have improved more in the past few months, then they have for the past 3 years. Hell, before AMD bought them, it was a challenge to even get the drivers installed and running. Now they install pretty much every time with no problems.