How Do I Install Graphics Driver In Mandrake9.?

Hi

I have installed Mandrake9 with dual boot WindowsXP I am trying to figure how to install the ATI graphics drivers for a Radeon 9700.

Also can the GUI screen KDE be made to popup automatically,I am having to type user and password then KDEat the prompts.

I tried RedHat but for the life of me I couldn't get it to see my additional 2 hardisc,but RH did see the radeon as a 9700 and also my philips flat panel.Apart from these so far so good.

I don't play games at my age and mainly use the pc for mp3 playback" all 9000 tracks" via an Audigy feeding an offboard DA converter.Is it my imagination or does mp3 playback via linux sound better than WinXP/Winamp.???

Regards
Peter

If you're using gdm as your display manager, auto-login is possible to setup in gdmsetup. I don't know how to do it in kdm, but then on the other hand, I don't know which one you're using.

How exactly do you mean that your second hard drive cannot be "seen"? Where do you look?

What exactly with the video card driver installation are you having problems with?

What software do you use for MP3 playback? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if playback does sound better in Linux. =) But to be honest, both OSs output the raw PCM data as received from programs directly to the sound card. If anything, your player software might be applying some filter. Anyway, what I was going to say was, that if your main use for your computer is MP3 playback, you might consider some more extended ways of controlling it than using XMMS and stuff. For example, you could build an IR dongle for your serial port (really easy) and use LIRC to control your MP3 playback with a remote control. I'm doing that, and it's very useful. You could also try speech recognition to control your player verbally. I haven't done that myself, but only since I don't have a mic connected to my computer.

By the way, why do you use an external DAC? Is that some home-brew construction?

Hi
Thanks for reply.

I managed to get the login screen to appear with all the options of login reboot dare I say reboot to windows. :-)

With the HD issues in RedHat..Right clicking within XMMS and adding a directory I searched all folders and could not see those 2 other drives no problem with Mandrake though..Also on boot up with RH the info that flies by I could see error status at end of line,left hand colum looked like it referd to HD??.?? or some drive.

Mandrake looks just fine for my needs but having been spoon feeding on windows,not sure where programs install on MD..Windows simple c drive or program files..

From ATI you can download the RPM files for the radeon 8500/9700 where do rpms install to I am not sure the update takes place.Curent driver for the 9700 is vesa clearly not the right one.I do not need intense graphics the card was a gift from my son but I do like the odd visual like milkdrop..

Without bragging here my HiFi is of the upper end my wife out rightly refuses the cd player so born was a mp3 player for none stop random play..I use an Audionote DAC for conversion for better quality...I own a standalone mp3 deck but has proved pretty useless poor shuffle play and appears to stop playback on some files yet will play the same file later on...

Sorry to go on but you did ask )))) and a friend confirms the audio improvement so reasons for or against the argument. of how the 2 OS output the data will remaiin..The same issue of claims winamp3 sounds better than 2 and the outragious hype of foobar...Na folks over their need cotton buds..Output to decent amps speakers then confirm claims not desktop
speakers..

Regards
Peter

If this helps to resolve driver issue,system is a P4@2GHZ Ram 768meg on a gigabyte GA81DX ..Radeon 9700.. Audigy sound .....Plextor 24/1040A..LG DVD..boot drive 20gig 50/50 partition winxp/ 40gig ntfs 20gig fat32..Lian alloy case Zalman coolers...

UPDATE TIME

Well this Linux is fun I must say :lol:

I tried to change drivers in the graphic interface only to find the screen was blank using the test feature.It appears the system reverts to the Vesa selection,I didn't opt for any saves but a box appear to run Kwin of which I cancelled.

Rebooting system gave error of no graphic selected ....ooopps

Nothing ventured nothing gained I used the boot cd and opted for upgrade with no features selected.LO and behold im back online everything as before..

Would be great if this ATI driver can be added..ATI refers to Xfree version compatibility 4.1.0 & 4.2.0 www.ati.com select driver radeon 9700 os linux.

If I have found this correct this version is XFree 4.2.1 patch level 3mdk

Peter

More updates

Tried running the rpm from ATI...Error

<ome/peter/fglrx-glc22-4.1.0-2.5.1.i586.rpm;echo RESULT=$?
file /usr/X11R6/lib/libGL.so.1.2 from install of fglrx-glc22-4.1.0-2.5.1 conflicts with file from package XFree86-libs-4.2.1-3mdk
RESULT=1

Running xf86conf does not have an option for any ATI graphic cards.

Peter

Could you (as root) run this command and see what it returns (concerning your hard drives):

Code:

---

fdisk -l /dev/hda /dev/hdb

---

You see, to use your Windows partitions in Linux, you must first mount them, and in order to do that, you must first know on which partition(s) they reside.

Are you aware that the Radeon 9700 is almost _the_ most powerful graphics card for PCs in existance today? It's almost a waste not using it.

Also, if you're really so much into HiFi, it's almost a shame and a waste of good playback hardware to use a destructive compression algorithm like MP3. There are not always other options, of course, but nevertheless. Anyway, you should check out LIRC like I mentioned in my last post. You might find it worth your trouble.

If you want to know what files were installed by a certain RPM package, just run "rpm -ql packagename" (where packagename, of course, should be replaced by the name of the actual package). I've posted about this a long time ago, but it was a really thorough answer. You can find it here.

HELLO WindowsXP thankyou Norton Ghost. :lol:

Well it's late very late or early depends which way you lool at it. :evil:

I tried and I mean I tried :roll:

X86Free upgrade reload upgrade...it goes on.....

I killed Linux more times than it's been up the Radeon issue won't go away,without the correct drivers visual appearance of Linux is not good.

For now I have gone back to the other side,sound is better under Linux without a shadow of doubt.The Radeon was a gift to replace a flakey Geforce4 MX440 with poor dual out.

This has been fun and educational I certainly didn't just cry for help I have given this my best shot.

I don't know if RedHat would be better to try and fix the problems but I can not get updates anymore run out of demo credits"so the installer says"

Regards
Peter

Ho below is a text capture of AIDA sys info.

Computer
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Service Pack Service Pack 1
Computer Name MUSIC-MACHINE
User Name Pete
Logon Domain MUSIC-MACHINE

Motherboard
CPU Type Intel Pentium 4A, 2133 MHz (4 x 533)
Motherboard Name Gigabyte GA-8IDX (6 PCI, 1 AGP, 1 CNR, 3 DIMM, Audio)
Motherboard Chipset Intel Brookdale i845
System Memory 768 MB (SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award Modular (07/26/02)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1)
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port Printer Port (LPT1)

Display
Video Adapter RADEON 9700 SERIES - Secondary (128 MB)
Video Adapter RADEON 9700 SERIES (128 MB)
3D Accelerator ATI R300
Monitor Plug and Play Monitor [NoDB] ( CX 133939)

Multimedia
Audio Adapter Creative Labs Audigy Platinum Sound Card

Storage
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive
Disk Drive Maxtor 2 B020H1 SCSI Disk Device (20 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Disk Drive Maxtor 2B020H1 (20 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Disk Drive ST340810 A SCSI Disk Device (40 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Optical Drive HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8161B SCSI CdRom Device (16x/48x DVD-ROM)
Optical Drive PLEXTOR CD-R PX-W2410A (24x/10x/40x CD-RW)

Partitions
C: (NTFS) 19539 MB (16933 MB free)
F: (NTFS) 38154 MB (9976 MB free)
G: (FAT32) 19531 MB (8651 MB free)

Input
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse PS/2 Compatible Mouse

Network
Primary IP Address 192.168.0.2
Primary MAC Address 00-C0-26-75-EC-EC
Network Adapter Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC (192.168.0.2)

Hey
Dolda

Never Give Up my motto :lol:

I have RedHat with all upgrades on system,I need to get the new xf86 files to get better support with ATI.Loading the ATI drivers crashed the GUI,after rebuilding the x86cfg the startX I am back.I know have some control over Radeo with an ATI icon for dual output.

Might try to upgrade XF86 within Redhad this X version is compatible with the files posted on X86Free,The Mandrake were modified by mandrake rendering them not suitable for the upgrade...

Regards
Peter

Last Update..

Gone back to windows,clearly people on a global scale are having problems with such graphic cards.Searching all forums for other Linux builds similar stories unfold.Without proper support the screen looks S**T.

Anybody who knows how to get a ATI 9700 working,then let me know.

Peter

If you want me to try and solve it for you, tell me _exactly_ what happens when X starts with the ATi drivers, plus if you can switch to a text mode terminal with CTRL+ALT+F1 when the system is "stable" (ie. when nothing appears to be happening).