Much awaited ATI 8.42.3 drivers are finally available. Here is what you need to do to get them working on openSUSE 10.3.

Step 1. Get all requirements:

wget -c http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/ati-driver-installer-8.42.3-x86.x86_64.run

zypper in kernel-source kernel-syms module-init-tools

Step 2. Build and Install the drivers

sh ati-driver-installer-8.42.3-x86.x86_64.run

follow the on screen instructions, do not create rpm packages from there as it does not list 10.3.

Step 3. Configure xorg.conf

I know you have been told to use sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx please use it if it worked for you last time, if you get a blank screen, try this:

aticonfig –initial –input=/etc/X11/xorg.conf –force

Note: Do not run sax2 after running this command. Also note that there are two dashes - - in front of initial, input and force, wordpress doesn’t like them so you may see it as single.

open /etc/X11/xorg.conf in your favourite editor and add AIGLX and Composite in the relevant sections there. If there already is something else in those sections, leave them as it is and just add the extra bits you do not see there from this example:

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “IgnoreABI” “on”
Option “AIGLX” “true”
EndSection

Section “Extensions
Option “DAMAGE” “true”
Option “Composite” “true”
EndSection

Step 4. Additional tasks

As we are now going to use ATI’s libGL, move the one compiz uses out of the way. (/usr/lib64 for x86_64 systems)

mv /usr/lib/libIndirectGL.so.1.2 /usr/lib/libIndirectGL.so.1.2.old

aticonfig –ovt Xv (Without this I did not have windows refreshing)

If you have installed compiz fusion using 1-click, you will have to add fglrx to the whitelist, open /usr/bin/compiz-manager and add it in there.

WHITELIST=”fglrx nvidia intel ati radeon i810″

rcxdm restart

When you log in you should get compiz running as it did on Xgl.

Performance is not as good as running fglrx with Xgl, YMMV. I am running it on a desktop with X1250 integrated, Athlon 4000+ with 1GB RAM. I would not advise updating if you have working 8.40 or 8.41 with Xgl and Compiz. Do share your experience of running this drivers on your hardware, it may perform better.

Edit: The performance got even worst after initial testing, so back to 8.40 drivers, to revert back, remove ati repository if you have it from zypper and install using ati-legacy.ymp.

Edit2: Some test results after second attempt, performance has improved a bit after running aticonfig –ovt Xv (double dash ovt) . I’ll stay with it for now, will revert back if it tries to eat up my CPU.

Updated -git packages, they have working 3D plugin and and a new plugin called freewins by warlock. After activating, use Ctrl + Click near edges to rotate windows on X axis, Ctrl+Click near center to rotate Z axis, Shift+Click restores the window.

Freewins implement window rotation like Metisse does. Here is a video of the plugin in action.

Unfortunate side effect is ctrl+alt+button1 for cube rotate does not work. Disable freewins to make it work.

Another addition to git is is a work by metastability: a new improved atlantis2 with more natural fish movements and some crabs to complete the scene.

It also contains marex’s simple-ccsm, still under development but has seen a lot of improvement since the last packages.

You can now install -git over X11:XGL repo, there is only one conflict which I have not been able to track “xgl-hardware-list” select “Ignore this generally” when resolver comes up, the packages should install fine. As git is newer than the X11:XGL you would have to manually remove all git packages before installing X11:XGL packages again.

To install click here:

Warning: These are unstable packages meant for developers and testers only, use at your own peril

With the release of Compiz 0.6.2 a quickfix version of 0.6.0 release, Compiz Fusion community has followed it up with a release of Compiz Fusion 0.6.0 .

Packages for openSUSE 10.3 and 10.2 are, as always , available from X11:XGL Build service repository.

openSUSE 10.3 users can click on any one of the following metapackage to install:

Contains KDE and Emerald window decorator

Contains GTK and Emerald window decorator

Both the metapackages installs Compiz, Compiz Fusion Plugins, CompizConfig Settings Manager(CCSM), Fusion Icon and Compiz Manager

Major new improvement in this release is Kristian Lyngstøl’s Compiz Manager - a wrapper script that will launch Compiz automatically with all the relevant optimization parameters if it detects hardware and drivers capable of running Compiz or if the Xgl is activated. It will also launch Christopher Williams’ fusion-icon that sits in the tray bar for easy accessibility to different decorators and settings tool.

Due to addition of Compiz Manager autostart script, addition to gnome session or modification to /usr/bin/gnome-wm is no longer required, so if you have done any of that please revert it before installing these packages. Compiz is enabled by default when you install Compiz Manager, to disable compiz from starting automatically run the following as USER:

touch $HOME/.config/compiz/disable-compiz

If you want to activate it again later, run:

rm $HOME/.config/compiz/disable-compiz

Have a lot of fun!!

Edit: Beryl got moved from X11:XGL to X11:XGL:Legacy all you need is any openSUSE login account and you can carry on building Beryl or watch Compiz packages  building live, you can track progress of the whole openSUSE 11(Factory) there

These drivers are for the users of onboard Radeon Xpress 200 to 1250, All Mobility Radeons, basically all non HD cards that needs version 8.40.4.

Please check if this driver is for you by visiting http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html.

The drivers are not official ATI, so it may work it may not, please do report in either case, if it works you may be able to get all the Compiz Fusion goodness running

cb400f has released his popular opensuse-xgl-settings for openSUSE 10.3, it is a GUI tool for KDE that makes installing and configuring Compiz Fusion painless.

And the friendly installer

Now that openSUSE 10.3 is all installed, Compiz users might want a handy links to 1-click NVIDIA and ATI driver installer, so here they are:

Recent NVIDIA drivers can run compiz without the need for AIGLX/XGL, disable Xgl (gnome-xgl-switch –disable-xgl) , run the following and restart X:

 su
 nvidia-xconfig --composite
 nvidia-xconfig --allow-glx-with-composite
 nvidia-xconfig --render-accel
 nvidia-xconfig --add-argb-glx-visuals

1-Click icon set thanks to FunkyPenguin’s blog. 1-click YMP(YaST MetaPackage) from Francis Giannaros posted on openSUSE wiki pages for NVIDIA and ATI.

Edit: Please check the manufacturer’s links above to find out if your hardware is supported by 1-click installer.

openSUSE 10.3, the most anticipated GNU/Linux distribution is here, read the complete announcement with great screenshots of all the goodies that your Linux brings.

There is going to be free copy of the DVD if you are joining us at openSUSE 10.3 launch party organised for our VGLUG, find a launch party in your town, if it ain’t listed there, host one of your own

The packages in home:cyberorg repository are now synced to 30 Sep git checkout.

3D plugin is back, thanks to maniac and onestone, it is much better now. It doesn’t break windows into two when wrapping around the corners. Finally we can enjoy the unbroken wide screen movie on the edges of the cube again

For all the people who complained that ccsm is too complicated, please carry on using gconf-editor(j/k). There is now a new simple-ccsm configuration tool. The work by marex.

To get all this, compiz packages from X11:XGL repository would need to be uninstalled. The new packages are only for openSUSE 10.2 users using xorg from xorg73 repository and openSUSE 10.3.

1-click install for openSUSE_10.2_xorg73

1-click install for openSUSE_10.3

Enjoy!