ATI FireGL V5200 not working at all

[David Balažic]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg

ubuntu 7.04 desktop CD

After booting the CD, I get this error:

Failed to start the X server (your graphical
interface). It is likely that it is not set
up correctly. Would you like to view the X
server output to diagnose the problem?

          <Yes> <No>

(with the crap characters around it, already reported bug)

The alfa and beta versions work just fine. I tested herd 4 just now (I would test a beta too, if someone tells me where to find one)

Versions :
CD : Ubuntu 7.04 "Feisty Fawn" - Release i386 (20070415)

ii xserver-xorg 7.2-0ubuntu11 the X.Org X server

log and conf follows

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Thanks for reporting this problem.

Sounds like another example of the installer failing to detect hardware, as it's trying to use "Generic" for both your video card and monitor. However, judging from the log files it looks like X itself may have correctly detected things. It's possible that if you delete the xorg.conf and restart X it will "just work".

Obviously it's too late to fix this in Feisty, but for Gutsy our plans are to incorporate a Failsafe mode. See BulletProofX linked from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X for details.

I'm marking this a dupe of 3731; we'll recheck once that's fixed.

[David Balažic (xerces8)]

Are you sure ? Bug 3731 is about bad detection of monitor, mine is about a crash.
I don't get a wrong resolution. I don't get anything.

Manually adding VertRefresh and HorizSync doesn't help.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

It looks like the same root cause. The misdetection in 3731 _usually_ just reduces the number of available resolutions to one or two for most people, but it is possible in some rare cases (such as yours) for it to reduce the number to zero.

I believe that the crash is due to it finding no resolutions.

However, normally 3731 is resolved by manually adding VertRefresh and HorizSync, so since that isn't working in your case, I'll de-dupe it. Possibly this has been reported upstream to xorg already...

Did you try moving aside the xorg.conf and restarting X?

[David Balažic (xerces8)]

If I manually add VertRefresh and HorizSync then:
 - it ends (no crash) with "can not find screen(s)" (or similar, I don't remember exactly)

If I widen the frequency range (so I guess now it finds a resolution), then it crashes like described above.

If I remove xorg.conf , it crashes just the same.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Here are a few different things to try:

1. Run "sudo dpkg-reconfe xserver-xorg", and choose only the 640x480 mode (or the 800x600 mode)

2. Install and run displayconfig-gtk
     sudo apt-get install displayconfig-gtk
     sudo displayconfig-gtk

     Use this tool to select the correct graphics card and monitor. Hopefully displayconfig-gtk will auto-detect them, but if not you can select them from the GUI. You might try selecting Plug 'n' Play. note that this is a new program very early in development, so it has bugs and may not work at all. But it would be great if it can do it.

3. Tell me the make and model of your monitor, and the output from these commands, and I'll do some more investigation:
    discover --disable=serial,parallel,usb,ide,scsi --format="%V %M\t%S\t%D\n" video
    sudo ddcprobe
    sudo xresprobe vesa

[David Balažic (xerces8)]

0.) I booted and got no error at all, just dropped to a shell on VT1

1.) "sudo dpkg-reconfe xserver-xorg" : autodetect does not find anything so I choose "vesa". It works fine in 640x480 mode. I tried higher resoutions by editing xorg.conf, but the crash.

2.) "sudo apt-get install displayconfig-gtk" : E: Couldn't find package install displayconfig-gtk

3.)
 $ sudo discover --disable=serial,parallel,usb,ide,scsi --format="%V %M\t%S\t%D\n" video
open_sock(): Permission denied
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
parse error reading X server string `unknown'
ATI Technologies Inc M56P [Radeon Mobility X1600] unknown unknown

$ sudo ddcprobe
vbe: VESA 3.0 detected.
oem: ATI ATOMBIOS
vendor: (C) 1988-2005, ATI Technologies Inc.
product: FGL M56P 01.00
memory: 16384kb
mode: 640x400x256
mode: 640x480x256
mode: 800x600x256
mode: 1024x768x256
mode: 1280x1024x256
mode: 132x25 (text)
mode: 132x43 (text)
mode: 640x480x32k
mode: 640x480x64k
mode: 640x480x16m
mode: 800x600x32k
mode: 800x600x64k
mode: 800x600x16m
mode: 1024x768x32k
mode: 1024x768x64k
mode: 1024x768x16m
mode: 1280x1024x32k
mode: 1280x1024x64k
mode: 1280x1024x16m
mode: 320x200x32k
mode: 320x200x64k
mode: 320x200x16m
mode: 1600x1200x256
mode: 1600x1200x32k
mode: 1600x1200x64k
edid:
edid: 1 2
id: 1279
eisa: LPL1279
serial: 00000000
manufacture: 0 2005
input: analog signal.
screensize: 33 21
gamma: 2.200000
dpms: RGB, no active off, no suspend, no standby
dtiming: 1680x1050@60
monitorid: LGPhilipsLCD
monitorid: LP154W02-B1K

$ sudo xresprobe vesa
id:
res: 640x480 (pitch 640)
freq:
disptype: lcd/lvds

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hmm, for #3, try this:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get install displayconfig-gtk
     sudo displayconfig-gtk

[David Balažic (xerces8)]

You mean #2, right ? ;-)

It still says : E: Couldn't find package install displayconfig-gtk

[Cristóbal M. Palmer (cristobalpalmer)]

Hi. I've got a lenovo ThinkPad T60p here with the FireGL V5250 and I have the same problem.

My workaround was as follows:

(1) boot liveCD, X fails as described.
(2) at shell prompt, sudo -s
(2a) apt-get update
(2b) apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx fglrx-control
(2c) dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
(3) SKIP autodetection
(4) select fglrx, resolution of 1680x1050 @ 75Hz (medium detail)

If the above doesn't work, consult the xorg.conf attached for clues?

HTH. I'd love to hear how I can better deal with this problem, esp. since the T60p is the "official" laptop supported by my uni and I'm trying to get an Ubuntu derivative for my uni started. Also, please let me know if I need to add comments to a new/different bug report.

Cheers,
CMP

[Tormod Hope (tommen)]

My T60p is working "fine".

The installation of ubuntu goes fine. And it works out of the box. But the "restricted drivers" application want me to install a driver for my V5200.
After i install the driver the fglrxinfo says that i have "ATI Radeon x1300".....

br
TommeN

[zour1el (zour1el)]

As with Fiesty Live CD, Gutsy Live has the same issue with FireGL 5250 cards.

So far the only way i have been able to load all the way up is by the way Cristóbal described.... the only difference is I nano into xorg and manually edit

[David Balažic (xerces8)]

With the 7.10 desktop i386 CD, it works fine.
It starts X with the vesa driver.