Only root can use 3D acceleration on Radeon 9700

[Grudge]

I have successfully installed ati-xorg and dkms-ati package from plf repository. 3D acceleration now works for me like a charm but only when running as root. If I try i.e. to run fgl_glxgears or fglrxinfo as normal user I get no 3D acceleration. What is wrong here? And yes, I already tried to add Section DRI mode 0666 and so on at the bottom of xorg.conf.

 

Thanks!

Edited May 13, 2006 by Grudge

[ianw1974]

Check in /etc/X11/xorg.conf for a line:

 

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

 

if the number is not "0666" this will be why only root can use 3D.

 

EDIT: oops sorry, looks like you checked this already, but double check again instead. Also, see if:

 

Load dri
Load glx

 

exists in xorg.conf

[Grudge]

I have checked it again. I have added Section "DRI" before I posted this message, because it didn't help. I also have Load dri and Load glx directives in conf file.

 

What else to try?

 

I get this when running fglrxinfo AS ROOT:

 

display: :0.0 screen: 0

OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.

OpenGL renderer string: MOBILITY RADEON 9700 Generic

OpenGL version string: 2.0.5755 (8.24.8)

 

I get this when running fglrxinfo AS NORMAL USER:

 

Loading required GL library /usr/lib/libGL.so.1

display: :0.0 screen: 0

OpenGL vendor string: Mesa project: www.mesa3d.org

OpenGL renderer string: Mesa GLX Indirect

OpenGL version string: 1.2 (1.5 Mesa 6.4.1)

[Guest wb4ttz]

Do you have more than one Section "DRI" block?

[Grudge]

Do you have more than one Section "DRI" block?

 

Nope. Here is my xorg.conf:

 

# File generated by XFdrake (rev 26707)

 

# **********************************************************************

# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of

# this file.

# **********************************************************************

 

Section "Files"

# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)

# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of

# the X server to render fonts.

#FontPath "unix/:-1"

EndSection

 

Section "ServerFlags"

#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)

AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work

#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)

EndSection

 

Section "Module"

Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension

Load "v4l" # Video for Linux

Load "extmod"

Load "type1"

Load "freetype"

Load "synaptics"

Load "glx" # 3D layer

Load "dri" # direct rendering

EndSection

 

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Keyboard1"

Driver "keyboard"

Option "XkbModel" "pc105"

Option "XkbLayout" "si"

Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"

EndSection

 

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "Mouse1"

Driver "mouse"

Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"

Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"

Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"

EndSection

 

Section "InputDevice"

Identifier "SynapticsMouse1"

Driver "synaptics"

Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"

Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

Option "EdgeMotionMinSpeed" "200"

Option "MaxSpeed" "1.00"

Option "MinSpeed" "0.8"

Option "BottomEdge" "650"

Option "EdgeMotionMaxSpeed" "200"

Option "CircScrollTrigger" "2"

Option "UpDownScrolling" "0"

Option "SHMConfig" "on"

Option "EmulateMidButtonTime" "75"

Option "CircScrollDelta" "0.1"

Option "LeftEdge" "120"

Option "FingerLow" "14"

Option "HorizScrollDelta" "20"

Option "MaxTapTime" "180"

Option "MaxTapMove" "110"

Option "FingerHigh" "15"

Option "VertScrollDelta" "20"

Option "CircularScrolling" "1"

Option "TopEdge" "120"

Option "RightEdge" "830"

Option "AccelFactor" "0.015"

EndSection

 

Section "Monitor"

Identifier "monitor1"

VendorName "Generic"

ModelName "Flat Panel 1400x1050"

HorizSync 31.5-90

VertRefresh 59-75

 

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.

# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync

ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

 

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync

ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_120" 262.44 1400 1520 1672 1944 1050 1051 1054 1125 -HSync +Vsync

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_100" 214.39 1400 1512 1664 1928 1050 1051 1054 1112 -HSync +Vsync

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_85" 179.26 1400 1504 1656 1912 1050 1051 1054 1103 -HSync +Vsync

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_75" 155.85 1400 1496 1648 1896 1050 1051 1054 1096 -HSync +Vsync

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_60" 122.61 1400 1488 1640 1880 1050 1051 1054 1087 -HSync +Vsync

 

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]

ModeLine "1400x1050_50" 99.88 1400 1480 1624 1848 1050 1051 1054 1081 -HSync +Vsync

EndSection

 

Section "Device"

Identifier "device1"

VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc."

BoardName "ATI Radeon (fglrx)"

Driver "fglrx"

Option "DPMS"

 

# === disable PnP Monitor ===

#Option "NoDDC"

# === disable/enable XAA/DRI ===

Option "no_accel" "no"

Option "no_dri" "no"

# === FireGL DDX driver module specific settings ===

# === Screen Management ===

Option "DesktopSetup" "0x00000000"

Option "MonitorLayout" "AUTO, AUTO"

Option "IgnoreEDID" "off"

Option "HSync2" "unspecified"

Option "VRefresh2" "unspecified"

Option "ScreenOverlap" "0"

# === TV-out Management ===

Option "NoTV" "yes"

Option "TVStandard" "NTSC-M"

Option "TVHSizeAdj" "0"

Option "TVVSizeAdj" "0"

Option "TVHPosAdj" "0"

Option "TVVPosAdj" "0"

Option "TVHStartAdj" "0"

Option "TVColorAdj" "0"

Option "GammaCorrectionI" "0x00000000"

Option "GammaCorrectionII" "0x00000000"

# === OpenGL specific profiles/settings ===

Option "Capabilities" "0x00000000"

# === Video Overlay for the Xv extension ===

Option "VideoOverlay" "on"

# === OpenGL Overlay ===

# Note: When OpenGL Overlay is enabled, Video Overlay

# will be disabled automatically

Option "OpenGLOverlay" "off"

Option "CenterMode" "off"

# === QBS Support ===

Option "Stereo" "off"

Option "StereoSyncEnable" "1"

# === Misc Options ===

Option "UseFastTLS" "0"

Option "BlockSignalsOnLock" "on"

Option "UseInternalAGPGART" "no"

Option "ForceGenericCPU" "no"

# === FSAA ===

Option "FSAAScale" "1"

Option "FSAADisableGamma" "no"

Option "FSAACustomizeMSPos" "no"

Option "FSAAMSPosX0" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY0" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosX1" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY1" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosX2" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY2" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosX3" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY3" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosX4" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY4" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosX5" "0.000000"

Option "FSAAMSPosY5" "0.000000"

EndSection

 

Section "Screen"

Identifier "screen1"

Device "device1"

Monitor "monitor1"

DefaultColorDepth 24

 

Subsection "Display"

Depth 8

Virtual 1400 1050

EndSubsection

 

Subsection "Display"

Depth 15

Virtual 1400 1050

EndSubsection

 

Subsection "Display"

Depth 16

Virtual 1400 1050

EndSubsection

 

Subsection "Display"

Depth 24

Virtual 1400 1050

EndSubsection

EndSection

 

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "layout1"

InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"

InputDevice "SynapticsMouse1" "AlwaysCore"

Screen "screen1"

EndSection

 

Section "DRI"

Mode 0666

EndSection

[Grudge]

Nobody knows anything about that?

[SoulSe]

Try moving the DRI section to the top of the file, just before the section where dri is loaded.

 

I am just guessing though....

[Grudge]

Try moving the DRI section to the top of the file, just before the section where dri is loaded.

 

I tried that. No success.

 

Thank you anyway for your suggestion.

[ianw1974]

Before you attempt what I'm about to say below, make sure you have Mesa installed:

 

rpm -qa | grep Mesa

 

if nothing is reported, then install it using:

 

urpmi Mesa

 

it's case-sensitive, so you have to type it exactly how I've typed it above. Then check 3d acceleration. You might have to reboot first just to make sure.

 

However, I have problems with my Radeon 9250 in that I can never use any ATI or DKMS package to get mine working.

 

I would suggest, removing all the dkms-ati stuff, and then once done, also check that an ATI package isn't still installed:

 

rpm -qa | grep fglrx

 

and once definitely clean, I would then go into System/Configuration/Hardware/HardDrake. In here find your video card, select it and run config tool. Make sure ATI (fglrx) is selected.

 

Once this has done, there are a couple of things to do next:

 

urpmi Mesa

 

you need this for the 3d acceleration. If you've already installed this, then no need to repeat this step. Then, edit xorg.conf and make sure it has the lines for "Load dri" in the modules section, usually near "Load glx" and then also make sure you have this section:

 

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

 

as I said, I can never get the ATI/DKMS stuff to work on mine, but doing this works perfectly for me, although glxgears always gives around 1200fps but this isn't a true measure of 3D performance.

[Grudge]

Mesa doesn't support 3D acceleration with Radeon 9700. 3D acceleration with ati drivers already works fine for me, but ONLY as root. That's the problem.

[ianw1974]

Mesa is just a library for opengl stuff mainly, and fallback for opengl if your card isn't configured to use it correctly. If a file is missing, eg: libglx, installing this library helps, and although whilst not always required, can help if you look at the Xorg log file and find errors relating to missing gl library files.

 

What happens is if you're card isn't configured for OpenGL correctly, it will fall back to using Mesa for rendering, which usually always ends up being Mesa Indirect, and thus crappy performance.

 

My ATI Radeon 9250 is using the drivers that came with Mandriva 2006, and Mesa has to be installed to provide the opengl libraries. It's not using Mesa for the 3D rendering, and works perfectly fine.

 

Your issue though is a weird one, but I'd try using what I suggested instead of the DKMS stuff to compare if you get the same permissing issue or not. Yes, you have it working as root, but not as your normal user. As a troubleshooting exercise, I recommend you try what I posted even if to eliminate it as a possible solution. Otherwise, you could be here forever trying to get your existing one to work. This is an ATI configuration problem with xorg. The other thing worth trying is to put a # in front of "Load DRI". Also, there is an option further down about disabling dri, choose this too, and also put a # in front of the config for the "DRI" section with "Mode 0666", etc, etc.

 

Most people have problems configuring ATI cards, and I would never recommend buying one because of this.

 

I bought one a year ago, and found this out the hard way. Never again, nvidia always.