ATI card requires nomodeset to boot

[David Siegel]

Yeah yeah

ProblemType: Bug
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: david 1818 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0x90400000 irq 22'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9221 A1'
   Components : 'HDA:83847680,106b1e00,00103401'
   Controls : 20
   Simple ctrls : 12
Date: Thu Feb 4 11:52:05 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=e47e99a7-351f-4496-be4b-381644c7b379
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
MachineType: Apple Computer, Inc. MacBookPro2,2
Package: linux-image-2.6.32-12-generic 2.6.32-12.16
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-12-generic root=UUID=ab55ae14-d147-4920-94d8-721a3bde9b1a ro nomodeset quiet nomodeset
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-12.16-generic
Regression: Yes
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.28
Reproducible: Yes
SourcePackage: linux
TestedUpstream: No
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-12-generic i686
dmi.bios.date: 08/13/07
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP22.88Z.00A5.B07.0708131242
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F42187C8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F42187C8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP22.88Z.00A5.B07.0708131242:bd08/13/07:svnAppleComputer,Inc.:pnMacBookPro2,2:pvr1.0:rvnAppleComputer,Inc.:rnMac-F42187C8:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct8:cvrMac-F42187C8:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro2,2
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.

[ARSchmitz (n-launchpad-arschmitz-com)]

This is a very common, and known issue with the ATI video driver. From what I understand, is basically a whole set of Radeon cards (including the ATI Radeon Mobility X1600) have poor performance and various bugs with X drivers (both open source & proprietary). It's a known issue, one that doesn't seem to have a solution beyond what you've already discovered (nomodeset). My suggestion, try another driver and see if it works better, or live with nomodeset.