The "fgrlx" package now installs successfully for me. However, I believe it's not recognizing my chip, the ATI FirePro M7740. This is the chip that Dell uses in the Precision M6500 laptop from about 3 years ago. I have a few reasons for thinking fglrx isn't doing its job for this chip:
(1) When I run "fglrxinfo", I get the following output:
cjc@awesome:~$ fglrxinfo
X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 153 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 12
Current serial number in output stream: 12
(2) When I run "amdcccle", I get a dialog box with this message:
There was a problem initializing Catalyst Control Center Linux edition. It could be caused by the following.
No AMD graphics driver is installed, or the AMD driver is not functioning properly.
Please install the AMD driver appropriate for you AMD hardware, or configure using aticonfig.
(3) When I run "aticonfig", I get this message:
aticonfig: No supported adapters detected
I tested https://launchpad.net/~andrikos/+archive/ppa/+packages?field.name_filter=&field.status_filter=published&field.series_filter=quantal but this did not work.
As per http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/fire/previous/Pages/fire_linux.aspx the newest driver that explicitly mentions ATI FirePro™ M7740 (Dell Precision M6500) is http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/fire/previous/Pages/fire.aspx?os=Linux%20x86&rev=8.911.3.4 as per the Release Notes http://www2.ati.com/drivers/firepro/workstation8.911.3.4.pdf . However, it states that it is not supported in Linux.
As per AMD one would want to download the drivers via http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/Product/precision-m6500 .
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <email address hidden>
Date: Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Subject: AMD Service Notice:{ticketno:[CUT]}
-CUT-
The release notes on http://www2.ati.com/drivers/firepro/workstation8.911.3.4.pdf clearly states that none of the Workstation Mobility prodcuts are supported under Linux. Please check column "Linux" and you will see "No". However that doesn't mean there are no Linux drivers available for these products. The reason we have removed the Linux OS from the drop down menu is that the driver will be offered by the OEM, if at all.
For example for DELL Precision M6500 you can obtain the Linux drivers from the following page: http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/Product/precision-m6500
-CUT-
WORKAROUND: In Quantal 64-bit use the PPA https://launchpad.net/~makson96/+archive/fglrx .
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ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: fglrx 2:9.000-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-16.25-generic 3.5.4
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-16-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Mon Oct 1 11:08:09 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: fglrx, 9.000, 3.5.0-16-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI M97 GL [ATI FirePro M7740] [1002:94a3] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:12ef]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Alpha amd64 (20120913.3)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision M6500
PccardctlIdent:
Socket 0:
no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
Socket 0:
no card
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=en_US:en
TERM=xterm
PATH=(custom, no user)
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-16-generic root=UUID=4bae9a7c-c922-4719-875e-aa122a39f3a7 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: fglrx-installer
UnitySupportTest:
Error: command ['/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test', '-p', '-f'] failed with exit code 1: X Error of failed request: BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
Major opcode of failed request: 153 (GLX)
Minor opcode of failed request: 19 (X_GLXQueryServerString)
Serial number of failed request: 22
Current serial number in output stream: 22
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/27/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A06
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA06:bd01/27/2011:svnDellInc.:pnPrecisionM6500:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Precision M6500
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.2+bzr3377-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0~git20120917.7cfd42ce-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0~git20120917.7cfd42ce-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu5
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu2
Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.