ati / intel switchable graphic on notebook

a4z · 08-20-2011, 03:03 AM

I would like to use switchable graphic on my w500

there are 2 cards

Code:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3650

I downloaded the ati-driver-installer-11-8-x86.x86_64.run
build the slackware packages and installed them.

blacklist radeon
is in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

but after running aticonfig --initial
which generates a xorg.conf

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "aticonfig Layout"
        Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
        Option      "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
        Option      "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
        Option      "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
        Driver      "fglrx"
        BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"
        Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
        Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

x fails to start.
logfile says

Code:

[  3921.820] (II) fglrx(0): Invalid ATI BIOS from int10, the adapter is not VGA-enabled
[  3921.820] (EE) fglrx(0): Invalid video BIOS signature!
[  3921.820] (EE) fglrx(0): GetBIOSParameter failed
[  3921.820] (EE) fglrx(0): PreInitAdapter failed
[  3921.820] (EE) fglrx(0): PreInit failed

i have searched the internet but can't find something that helps me.

the command aticonfig --px-dgpu / --px-igpu do something and if i switch to the igpu I can start x if I remove the xorg file, so something seems to work.

does anyone knows how to activate switchable graphics with the ati driver?

adamk75 · 08-20-2011, 07:52 AM

Last I heard, AMD, much like nvidia, does not support hybrid graphics in their linux drivers. Xorg started without an xorg.conf file because, without the config file, the intel driver was being used.

You could try vgaswitcheroo with the open source drivers: http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Vga_switcheroo

You could also check the laptop's BIOS and see if there is an option to disable the onboard GPU.

Adam

a4z · 08-20-2011, 08:14 AM

latest version of ati driver should support switchable gfx

disabling the internal gpu is not an option anymore, I had this setup before, switching via bios and on boot check gfx card and setup the system, but this is a pain with windows and for the current task I also need windows on this laptop.

using the open source radeon is also not an option cause I have to do something with 3d.

meanwhile I am somehow frustrated, spent the whole day with this problem without an working solution