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    X Windows Problem

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by Bog, Apr 23, 2007.

  1. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    I posted a thread a short time ago about my Kubuntu 6.10 install freezing, whether running KDE or Beryl. In fact, my problems are the same as this one, and he's running a similar laptop with the same video card:

    http://community.netscape.com/n/pfx...essages&webtag=ws-laptop&tid=75726&redirCnt=1

    In short I'd like to know if Ubuntu or it's variants have particular problems with my video card; and if there is something I can do about it, such as install a video driver. Currently I am running Kubuntu 7.04, using the "ati" driver. Any suggestions are welcome.
     
    Bog, Apr 23, 2007
    #1
  2. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    Unfortunately, Kubuntu 6.10 had some bugs for a while with Konqueror freezing up while browsing, and Beryl hasn't ever been very stable. Add to that ATI's less than stellar Linux support, and you have some icky stability issues. Is the problem still happening in 7.04? If you do it quickly, ctrl+alt+backspace will reset the X server (any work you're doing currently will be lost) and sometimes make the system responsive again, but not always. I've had the same issues with the NVIDIA drivers, but again (cross my fingers) things seem a lot better under 7.04, even running 64bit like I am.
     
    Pitabred, Apr 23, 2007
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  3. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Yes, the problem is still with 7.04; freezes happen more often, in fact. If it's a problem that I can't fix, then I guess I can live with it.
     
    Bog, Apr 23, 2007
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  4. Mr. Foolish

    Mr. Foolish Notebook Guru

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    I had similar problems with my Gateway laptop when using the open-source "ati" driver and found that disabling EXA (the newer 2d acceleration method) helps a lot. Do you have EXA enabled, e.g. by a line like 'Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"' in the Device section of your xorg.conf? If so, disable it by changing this to "XAA", or if the line is not there add an Option "AccelMethod" "XAA"' line to the Device section, then restart X, and see if that helps.
     
    Mr. Foolish, Apr 23, 2007
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  5. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    Unfortunately, Beryl is still beta. It's pretty, but it's not stable in many cases. Best bet is to avoid it, or turn it off when you're doing important work. I have also heard that forcing the AIGLX rendering path if you have an NVIDIA card will help the stability, but I haven't tested that out.
     
    Pitabred, Apr 23, 2007
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  6. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    I don't have EXA or XAA as an option. Here is my device section:

    Section "Device"
    Identifier "ATI Technologies Inc RS300M AGP [Radeon Mobility 9100IGP]"
    Driver "ati"
    BusID "PCI:1:5:0"
    EndSection

    Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Generic Monitor"
    Option "DPMS"
    EndSection
     
    Bog, Apr 23, 2007
    #6