Problems with ATI graphics cards

[mariane_08]

I have a problem, so far unresolved, which causes my whole PC to freeze up when viewing large PDF files. By large I mean large file size with complex graphics on them. It was sugested to me that this was a driver issue. The other thing I have going on which doesnt really both me is that if I enable a screensaver the pc freezes up when it kicks in. I've just set it to go to blank screen and then its fine

I now find there are other people who have the problem too. The common factor here is that we all have ATI graphics cards. I have the ATI radeon express 200.
and I've read there might be some problems on 9.04 with ATI's too. So I'm reluctant to upgrade until I have a better idea of whats going on

I wonder if there is any fix for these problems?

[b2bwild]

Evince document reader is quite slower in displaying PDFs, than adobe reader.
If you are using evince.
Install acroread package to install adobe reader.

[mariane_08]

Its not slow but after a few scrolls around the doc the PC just freezes up. Then reboot is the only option. I'm just using the default PDF document reader that installs with Ubuntu.

I could try a different reader but thats not the issue here. There are others who can read the same PDF without any problem. And then there are people like me who have the ATI graphics card who experience problems.

Thats why I wondered if there was a fix for the ATI users, like adifferent driver etc.
I've also read that theres some issue with ATI cards in 9.04 and want to find out more about that before I upgrade. Seems to be a thing between ATI and Ubuntu period. Hopefully theres a work around?

[reed9]

Are you using the catalyst driver or the open source driver? The catalyst driver dropped support for older cards with the last release, which is the one included in Jaunty. Unfortunately, the older catalyst driver doesn't work with the new xorg 1.6, which is also included in Jaunty. However, the open source xf86-video-ati driver, should work ok. I think it even supports 3D acceleration. I have an old laptop with that card, and compiz worked ok, though not great.

[mariane_08]

Are you using the catalyst driver or the open source driver? The catalyst driver dropped support for older cards with the last release, which is the one included in Jaunty. Unfortunately, the older catalyst driver doesn't work with the new xorg 1.6, which is also included in Jaunty. However, the open source xf86-video-ati driver, should work ok. I think it even supports 3D acceleration. I have an old laptop with that card, and compiz worked ok, though not great.

I'm just using the driver that was installed by default. I have not updated it. Hardware Drivers list it as ATI accelerated graphics driver. So which one do I have?

[reed9]

I'm not sure what Ubuntu does by default. There would normally be a little pop up that notifies you that restricted drivers are available - you didn't install anything through that?

Open a terminal, type lsmod, and post the output. That should show with driver module is loaded.

[Skooter]

Mariane: I suggest you stop before you break something...

I've tried all of those drivers(I think) and they all crashed my system. Stay away from the ones in package manager, I can tell you that much. They are not good. Jaunty installs two by default, and i think that is the best we ask for until ATI starts allowing 3D support.

The best solution I have found, is to sell you ATI GPU and pick up a Nvidia instead. That's what I will be doing, as I don't see any other option coming any time soon.

I don't know why your having trouble with the PDF documents though. I use a Radeon and I have no trouble with that....

[mariane_08]

Mariane: I suggest you stop before you break something...

I've tried all of those drivers(I think) and they all crashed my system. Stay away from the ones in package manager, I can tell you that much. They are not good. Jaunty installs two by default, and i think that is the best we ask for until ATI starts allowing 3D support.

The best solution I have found, is to sell you ATI GPU and pick up a Nvidia instead. That's what I will be doing, as I don't see any other option coming any time soon.

I don't know why your having trouble with the PDF documents though. I use a Radeon and I have no trouble with that....

Well I'm not going to do anything rash. I want to resolve this slowly and figure out whats what then eventually reinstall with 9:04.

What I did notice was this: In System>Administration>Hardware Drivers the ATI Accelerated Graphics Driver was list but NOT enabled. I enabled it, it did its thing and download and then I rebooted. Now the problem is improved somewhat in that I can scroll around the PDF for quite a bit longer before having trouble. Eventually though the mouse pointer starts to be slow to respond, gets jittery and then as before everything freezes up and had to crash the PC.

From Terminal:

mbdb@M2000:~$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
ipv6 311720 8
af_packet 27272 6
rfkill_input 6528 0
ppdev 11400 0
powernow_k8 16608 0
cpufreq_ondemand 11152 1
cpufreq_stats 8416 0
freq_table 6464 3 powernow_k8,cpufreq_ondemand,cpufreq_stats
cpufreq_userspace 6180 0
cpufreq_powersave 3200 0
cpufreq_conservative 10632 0
dock 12960 0
container 6656 0
sbs 17808 0
sbshc 8960 1 sbs
iptable_filter 4608 0
ip_tables 24104 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 23560 1 ip_tables
parport_pc 41128 0
lp 14916 0
parport 44300 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
joydev 15488 0
pcmcia 45976 0
arc4 3456 2
ecb 5248 2
blkcipher 9476 1 ecb
b43 126760 0
rfkill 10128 3 rfkill_input,b43
mac80211 192532 1 b43
cfg80211 17680 1 mac80211
snd_atiixp 24340 3
led_class 7176 1 b43
evdev 14976 8
input_polldev 6928 1 b43
video 23444 0
output 5632 1 video
snd_seq_dummy 5764 0
battery 16776 0
fglrx 1804800 20
ac 8328 0
snd_atiixp_modem 19724 0
snd_ac97_codec 123224 2 snd_atiixp,snd_atiixp_modem
snd_seq_oss 38912 0
psmouse 46236 0
ac97_bus 3840 1 snd_ac97_codec
yenta_socket 30092 1
serio_raw 9092 0
snd_pcm_oss 47648 0
snd_mixer_oss 20224 1 snd_pcm_oss
rsrc_nonstatic 14080 1 yenta_socket
pcmcia_core 46116 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
snd_seq_midi 10688 0
snd_rawmidi 29856 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_pcm 92168 4 snd_atiixp,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm _oss
snd_seq_midi_event 10112 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
wmi_acer 11076 0
snd_seq 63232 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_mid i_event
snd_timer 27912 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 10644 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq
button 10912 0
pcspkr 4992 0
k8temp 7680 0
snd 70856 18 snd_atiixp,snd_seq_dummy,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_ac97 _codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_r awmidi,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
i2c_piix4 11148 0
soundcore 10400 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 13200 3 snd_atiixp,snd_atiixp_modem,snd_pcm
shpchp 38172 0
pci_hotplug 34608 1 shpchp
i2c_core 28544 1 i2c_piix4
ext3 149264 1
jbd 57000 1 ext3
mbcache 11392 1 ext3
ide_cd 35488 0
cdrom 41512 1 ide_cd
ide_disk 19072 3
pata_acpi 9856 0
ata_generic 9988 0
pata_atiixp 10496 0
8139too 31104 0
libata 176304 3 pata_acpi,ata_generic,pata_atiixp
scsi_mod 178488 1 libata
ssb 37252 1 b43
8139cp 27776 0
mii 7552 2 8139too,8139cp
atiixp 6672 0 [permanent]
ehci_hcd 41996 0
ohci_hcd 27524 0
ide_core 136600 3 ide_cd,ide_disk,atiixp
usbcore 169904 3 ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd
thermal 19744 0
processor 41448 3 powernow_k8,thermal
fan 6792 0
fbcon 46336 0
tileblit 4096 1 fbcon
font 10112 1 fbcon
bitblit 7424 1 fbcon
softcursor 3712 1 bitblit
fuse 56112 1
mbdb@M2000:~$

[b2bwild]

When i installed Ubuntu 9.04, on a machine having ATI gfx card. acceleration drivers were already installed and compiz was on by default.

btw, have you tried adobe reader? its way to go vs evince.

[mariane_08]

When i installed Ubuntu 9.04, on a machine having ATI gfx card. acceleration drivers were already installed and compiz was on by default.

btw, have you tried adobe reader? its way to go vs evince.

No I have not adobe reader..I didnt realize that would work in Linux.

One thing I should point out is that these are not normal run of the mill PDF's. They are maps downloaded from the USGS site and are quite large file size and graphically intensive. That said I just went into Windows and downloaded one and it worked just fine with none of the freeze up probelms described above. Also it seemed like the resolution was a tad better as well.

I have not tried adobe reader in Ubuntu yet. But is this a case that the ATI graphics cards dont interface with linix as well as do with windows? is there any work around or woould another Linux distro be better for this?

Either way the fact that when I enabled the driver as I described earlier it gave me a significant improvement albeit not a resolution indicates to me it is a driver issue.

If anyone want to try looking at the same file I'm having trouble with in linux the link is:

http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea= 2&ctype=areaDetails&carea=$ROOT)/.do

Follow the instructions on the right, get a ballon and click on it. I down loaded the 7 1/2 minute version.