Fedora_AMD_Graphics_Drivers

The NiCE development team is currently gathering requirements to provide users the functionality needed to create custom geometries, meshes, and material properties. Geometry visualization will be provided through jMonkeyEngine: a free, open source, cross platform java framework that provides the necessary scene-graph to create and manipulate custom geometries. This article describes the steps needed to install the correct ati graphics driver on a Fedora 14 workstation to get jMonkey to function properly.

There are 2 methods: (1) download the proper drivers using the yum software package management system or (2) download an install script directly from the AMD website.

1. YUM

Login as root and reinstall the mesa-libGL package

su -

yum reinstall mesa-libGL

Update the kernel (if needed)

yum update kernel

Install the driver

rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm

yum install kmod-catalyst xorg-x11-drv-catalyst xorg-x11-drv-catalyst-libs

Edit grub.conf

sed -i '/root=\s|$| nomodeset|' /boot/grub/grub.conf

Backup old initramfs and remake initramfs

cd /boot

mv initramfs-uname -r.img initramfs-`uname-r.img-original

dracut -v /boot/initramfs-uname-r.img uname -r

REBOOT

2. AMD Install script

Download the proper driver from AMD. Should be revision 8.85.7.1 posted on August 4 2011.

reboot and log in as root in init 3

make sure the downloaded script is executable:

chmod 755 ati-driver-installer-8.85.7.1.run

Install

./ati-driver-installer-8.85.7.1.run (follow on-screen instructions, accepting all defaults.

Fix xorg.conf

replace all instances of "radeon" with "fglrx" (Should be in Device section(s))

REBOOT