Lack of Mir support in AMD fglrx driver

[krishnan sampath]

sudo apt-get install unity8-desktop-session-mir

used the above command to install unity 8 session on my lenovo laptop with AMD Radeon HD graphics card. Upon entering my password, my login screen gets stuck, i'm able to move my mouse around but cant click on anything. Nothing works till i hard reboot and get back to lightdm.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: unity8 7.86+14.10.20140507.3-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.47-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.14.2-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun May 11 16:37:32 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-05-04 (6 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Alpha amd64 (20140503)
SourcePackage: unity8
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

fglrx is not currently supported, you need the free drivers:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Mir/Spec#Mir_on_HW_Supported_By_Closed_Source_Drivers
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Mir/Spec#Mir_on_the_Free_Graphics_Driver_Stack

[Michał Sawicz (saviq)]

Added a Mir task, please re-task as applicable to drivers projects or so.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I don't think it's useful to keep a Mir task open for this. AMD may or may not choose to support Mir directly at some point in the future, but there are no Mir-internal changes for that.

Also note, in the cases like this where an incompatible driver is loaded preventing Mir from working, the solution to avoiding a blank screen is in bug 1118903.

[kevin gunn (kgunn72)]

i agree, we shouldn't keep it open. In the ideal case, when GPU partners produce drivers (closed or open) "it should just work"(tm). However, it might be the case in the future that a GPU partner might produce a driver that "mostly conforms" in which case we will need to decide whether or not to create another platform to support it. But agreed, no need to keep a bug open for what may or may not happen.