Suse 102/ATI PCI video card

[nnjs8sU9]

I have searched for over a month and found some solutions but they didn't work with the following setup.
Intel integrated graphics card (can't disable only change default to PCI external).
Suse runs well on the Intel card but if I install the correct ATI (x1300 radeon) video driver, yast sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx (one of the last command as per instructions) freezes when trying to acces this card.
I have also change the "0" to "1" because sax2 asks to be run with the -p switch to identify the cards.

When I start Suse in its present state, what I believe to be the problem is that the UDEV(D) can't identify the ATI PCI graphics card when it runs, as being the first one or "0" and it freezes.

P.S. Just about any distro will freeze when the video card is set to the external.
Any suggestion would be appreciated. I have been using several flavors of linux succesfully and I'm very comfortable with running scripts installing software, etc, etc.
I have read ATI- OPenSuse and Hacking Suse 10.1 that has a part concerning these ATI cards.

[wildpossum]

Your are correct with udev, as it does handle the ordering of modules via rule base and hence it loads and runs what it believes to be the primary card first.

Run "lspci" to see if SuSE can see it OK, but I am sure your done this.

IMHO/experience, you should be able to use an external card (usually either PCI, PCIe or AGP onboard motherboard) only if the BIOS allows it unfortunately.

You can either:

1> Read all about udev and its rules sets (as I have had the great pleasure of doing too I mght add), and writing your own rule set or;

2> Load the ATIconfigure program from AMD/ATI and try running this for your device (I have played with it for my HD3850 card).
"fglrx" is the correct & default module for ATI cards, but as AMD/ATI support love to remind us all - Is is not supported - but fortunately you can get to the Linux/ATI group on the AMD/ATI web site (takes a little effort to find) and they are helpful, just don't expect blinding speed for any reply

If your expecting 3D capability IMHO forget it - it wouldn't run.

3> If your wanting to run 3D/games in "somewhat" h/w accelerated mode you will have to run with "openGL" - usually if it is supported by the fglrx module, which I found ATI does (because I use exactly this mode in running Mythbuntu (aka MythTV).

Otherwise there is nothing more I can add unfortunately.
Hope your endeavours pay off, let us all know what you discover.

[nnjs8sU9]

thank you for your answer. that is a relief.
I will read about "udevd" but if you can give me a hint e.g can I modify it ? can I add a command, et or should i re-build the kernel?

I was want Suse to use the card no bells or wistle so I can maintain my dual boot with windows otherwise I have to go to the bios change the video to the onboard port and connect the monitor to that port (or to save steps 2 monitors one per port)

[wildpossum]

Well, I can say that with udev you can write your own rule-set, modify another, but its best to model it (cut & paste it) on something that already exists. You can add anything you like because the udev.rules allows execution of a program or script (that is how the udev can load firmware into a device for example). Usually with the rule line containing PROGRAM="file path" it executes the program as part of the mod-probe session.

Enjoy...

You don't need to rebuild the kernel (assuming its got usb/pci devices enabled) just goto /etc/udev/rules to see how it is done, plus there are some good sites around which explain it. I got some info online from LinuxJournal and LinuxMagazine articles.

The good news is if you only want to do the basic stuff, and your distro uses udev (any distro less than six months old should do so), your 85% of the way there.

[nnjs8sU9]

Thank you. I will investigate this UDEV business and see If I can add a rule so that that it sets the video card to be read with the Vesa/FrameBuffer or something similar.

P.S. Since I looked for a solution for Suse I also found solutions for other distros but didn't work either, same problem except for Slackware.
So I downloaded the latest version 12.1, backed my Suse and install Slackware over in the same partition and it works without any problem using the vesa/fb.
This is enough for me so I don't have to go to the bios and change to the onborad video to use Suse at least for now.

Since I am not an expert on Linux I don't know how it will take to make "udevd' work like in slackware.
I might find in the web that someone wrote a rule to solve a problem similar to mine till then thank you for your help.

[nnjs8sU9]

Dear Wildpossum thank you for your help since you are the only one who responded to this.
In reference to my last post about Slackware. I copy the files xorg(vesa)(fb).conf to Suse (i rename suse's).
I also copy all the rules from udev. Suse started with several errors but it worked.
Now I have tried to read the rules but since I am not a programmer I don't understand the statements, variables, etc, to edit the suse rules or just add some of the "slackware rules".
So far I tried 2 options by trial and error and they have not worked.

If you know or you know some else who could illustrate me as what rules to edit that would be great?
take care

[gogalthorp]

Writing udev rules

But it is not easy. Did you save the old file before overwriting it? It would be best to use it as a template and see what is different. Different distro's will require different rules.

[nnjs8sU9]

Yes I did a backup of all the Suse files. Copying alll the rules from the slackware over except for rule 40 (alsa) make Suse work using vesa/fb. Since then I started editing the xorg.conf delete the vesa.conf..., left the xorg.only until it worked with only the xorg.conf.
I have installed now the real ATI driver and the resolution was too high until after hours of digging and by divine inspiration I was able to run aticonfig to reduce the resolution to 1024x768 and evrything looks good.
I just need to clean some of the statements in the udev rules that don't apply to Suse by looking at the log files.

thank you guys.
i considere this case as close.