Ubuntu ATI card workaround

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Ubuntu ATI card workaround

Postby Garland » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:37 pm

I have a powerbook G4 with a ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 card. I am trying to dual boot Ubuntu 8.10 and Leopard on my Mac. Currently, the Linux boot-up works until it goes (I think) where the login should be. However, all tha shows up is a blank screen. I've heard that the graphics card is the problem. Is there a workaround? (besides the obvious measure of replacing the card) The mac boot-up works fine. (although yaboot glitches occasionally with it:sweat:)

Please include instructions.

Thanks in advance!
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

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Postby shooraijin » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:50 pm

Per this,

http://linuxd.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/ubuntu-810-support-dropped-for-ati-mobility-radeon-9700-rv300-chips/

it's a problem with the ATI proprietary driver. I don't know if the steps listed will work for PowerPC, but I can't see why not assuming the .debs are there.
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Postby Garland » Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:47 pm

Do you think that, if I install Ubuntu 8.04, which should work with the card, as per the site, I could make the necessary changes and it would work?

(meaning, does this process sound plausible?)
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

Gruve Nitro's website
Gruve Nitro is a band whose genre is considered (by me) "Christian Funk." It is based off the old Earth Wind and Fire style, and some of the original players play on the album as well as Ray Parker Jr. (from the Ghostbusters theme)

Fortune Cookie:Behind an able man, there are always.
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Postby shooraijin » Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:15 pm

Install *over* 8.10, you mean?
"you're a doctor.... and 27 years.... so...doctor + 27 years = HATORI SOHMA" - RoyalWing, when I was 27
"Al hail the forum editting Shooby! His vibes are law!" - Osaka-chan

I could still be champ, but I'd feel bad taking it away from one of the younger guys. - George Foreman
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Postby Garland » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:28 pm

Well, yeah. Only until I fix the problem. I don't have anything to lose in the overwriting. (since the first time I could potentially get on was when the graphics card problem came up.)
Either that or I could delete the whole partition's data and then install it.
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

Gruve Nitro's website
Gruve Nitro is a band whose genre is considered (by me) "Christian Funk." It is based off the old Earth Wind and Fire style, and some of the original players play on the album as well as Ray Parker Jr. (from the Ghostbusters theme)

Fortune Cookie:Behind an able man, there are always.
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Postby shooraijin » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:41 pm

I guess that might work, but tbh I'm better with *BSD than Linux. Maybe our usual Linux suspects have a better idea.
"you're a doctor.... and 27 years.... so...doctor + 27 years = HATORI SOHMA" - RoyalWing, when I was 27
"Al hail the forum editting Shooby! His vibes are law!" - Osaka-chan

I could still be champ, but I'd feel bad taking it away from one of the younger guys. - George Foreman
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Postby Garland » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:23 pm

Can you refer me to them?
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

Gruve Nitro's website
Gruve Nitro is a band whose genre is considered (by me) "Christian Funk." It is based off the old Earth Wind and Fire style, and some of the original players play on the album as well as Ray Parker Jr. (from the Ghostbusters theme)

Fortune Cookie:Behind an able man, there are always.
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Postby shooraijin » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:25 pm

Rather than name names, we shall let them flock to this thread (if they know or can suggest).
"you're a doctor.... and 27 years.... so...doctor + 27 years = HATORI SOHMA" - RoyalWing, when I was 27
"Al hail the forum editting Shooby! His vibes are law!" - Osaka-chan

I could still be champ, but I'd feel bad taking it away from one of the younger guys. - George Foreman
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Postby Garland » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:26 pm

that's fine with me.:)
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

Gruve Nitro's website
Gruve Nitro is a band whose genre is considered (by me) "Christian Funk." It is based off the old Earth Wind and Fire style, and some of the original players play on the album as well as Ray Parker Jr. (from the Ghostbusters theme)

Fortune Cookie:Behind an able man, there are always.
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Garland
 
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:53 am
Location: Somewhere between a machine's logic and a person's consciousness

Postby Garland » Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:16 pm

Update:I got a Linux manual for my birthday. Suggestions are still wonderful but I may be able to figure it out.

I'll update again if I figure it out.
I, Garland, will knock you all down!-Garland (FF1)

Gruve Nitro's website
Gruve Nitro is a band whose genre is considered (by me) "Christian Funk." It is based off the old Earth Wind and Fire style, and some of the original players play on the album as well as Ray Parker Jr. (from the Ghostbusters theme)

Fortune Cookie:Behind an able man, there are always.
User avatar
Garland
 
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:53 am
Location: Somewhere between a machine's logic and a person's consciousness

Postby Whitefang » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:47 am

When you get to the blank screen, try pressing ctrl+alt+1, to see if you can get a text based log in prompt.

If you can, good, we can move on from here. Go to the manufacturers website for your video card, and look for drivers. If they support Linux drivers, they will provide instructions on how to build and install the module. If not, you can try using a google search, there are many Linux communities out there where questions like this are asked all the time.

If you cannot log in, I cannot imagine rolling back to 8.04 would help, though you may as well try. (Driver support generally gets better, not worse, as the operating system is updated.)

That's about all the general help I can give you. If you find out some more specifics I might be able to help further.

Alright, I read the problem on that webpage, and I would definitely try following those instructions. Very, very strange that the driver is no longer supported. For some reason everyone hates Linux. Still, follow the instructions and see what happens, if you need some specific help with any of them I'll see if I can help you out.
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