SDB:AMD fglrx

AMD portal edit

AMD Hardware

Drivers

Open source:

AMDGPU

Radeon

Proprietary:

AMDGPU-PRO

AMD fglrx

Warning: You will install proprietary closed source software on your computer. Although you can find help on the openSUSE forum about the fglrx driver, the Free and Open Source radeon driver is in most cases the best choice.

Version: Leap 42.1 and older The fglrx driver does not work on Leap 42.2+ or Tumbleweed as it has been abandoned by AMD. Currently AMD develops and supports AMDGPU-PRO driver.

Intro

This guide is to help you install the fglrx proprietary AMD (formely ATI) drivers, on Radeon GPU HD 5000 to 300 series only.

fglrx cannot be included and integrated into the openSUSE distribution because it is not licensed as Free and Open Source Software.

RX 4xx (Polaris) chipsets use the new open source AMDGPU drivers included with openSUSE, while older ATI GPUs are supported using the 'radeon' open source drivers.

Check HCL:AMD video cards to select the driver that best suits your hardware first before proceeding.

Procedure GUI - YaST2

Reference repository URL list

Warning: The fglrx driver does not work on Leap 42.2+ or Tumbleweed as it has been abandoned by AMD.

Version: 42.1 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_Leap_42.1/

Version: 13.2 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_13.2/

Version: 13.1 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_13.1/

Version: 12.3 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_12.3/

Version: 12.2 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_12.2/

Version: 12.1 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_12.1/

Version: 11.4 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_11.4/

Version: 11.3 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_11.3/

Version: 11.2 https://geeko.ioda.net/mirror/amd-fglrx/openSUSE_11.2/

Note: This list is also useful for the zypper client install below.

Adding the repository

Start YaST2, with the help of menu
Click Software Repositories in the YaST Control Center
Click Add, select Specify URL and click Next
Enter the repository url and choose a name (FGLRX for example) for the repository
Click OK
Accept the repository gpg key
Ensure its status is "enabled" and "refresh automatically" is also on

Installing the fglrx package

In the YaST Control Center, click Software Management.
Search for "fglrx" and check the package that matches your architecture.

Note: For example on openSUSE 13.2, fglrx64_xpic_SUSE132 is for 64-bit and fglrx_xpic_SUSE132 is for 32-bit

Click Accept to confirm your changes.

The simplest way to apply these changes is to reboot.

zypper command line

Be safe and blacklist the free radeon driver

Before trying to install the fglrx package it's better to disable free radeon driver.

On openSUSE < 12.2

Start your computer
On the boot line add : radeon.modeset=0 blacklist=radeon 3
Press enter
Let boot your system in console mode, once you see a prompt login, use the root account
Recreate the initrd without the free radeon loaded:
# mkinitrd
Reboot in console mode (same flags as before)

On openSUSE >= 12.2

Since openSUSE 12.2 grub2 is the default bootloader. Therefore, if you are using openSUSE 12.2 or superior, please proceed as following:

Start your computer
At boot menu make sure the "normal" grub2 entry for openSUSE is highlighted (it should be since it is the default option; moreover it should be the first item in the list). For example, while running openSUSE 12.3, the highlighted item should be "openSUSE 12.3"
Press "E" key to edit the selected item

While in editing mode, use the arrow keys to navigate to the line starting with "linux /boot/vmlinuz...", e.g.:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-XX-YY-desktop root=UUID=XXXX resume=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-YYYY-partN splash=silent quiet showopts

Always using the arrow keys, go to the bottom of this line

Add at the bottom of this line: radeon.modeset=0 blacklist=radeon 3. E.g., modify the line above like as following:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-XX-YY-desktop root=UUID=XXXX resume=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-YYYY-partN splash=silent quiet showopts radeon.modeset=0 blacklist=radeon 3

While editing those lines, very likely the keyboard layout in use will be the US Keyboard Layout, so be careful while typing non alphanumerical characters.

Press "CTRL-X" or "F10" to boot openSUSE with the custom parameters specified.
Let boot your system in console mode, once you see a prompt login, use the root account
Recreate the initrd without the free radeon loaded:
# mkinitrd
Reboot in console mode (same flags as before)

zypper adding repository

Once you've logged back in as root on the console issue the following command, replacing $URL$ with one of the URLs specified above for your openSUSE version.

# zypper ar -n FGLRX -cgf $URL$ FGLRX

zypper installing the rpm

To install fglrx (do one or the other, not both; replace "421" with your openSUSE version)

64-bit installation

# zypper -v in fglrx64_amdcccle_SUSE421 fglrx64_core_SUSE421 fglrx64_graphics_SUSE421 fglrx64_opencl_SUSE421 fglrx64_xpic_SUSE421

OR

32-bit installation

# zypper in fglrx_amdcccle_SUSE132 fglrx_core_SUSE132 fglrx_graphics_SUSE132 fglrx_opencl_SUSE132 fglrx_xpic_SUSE132

Reboot to activate the driver.

Building the rpm yourself

Due to a frequent lack of features, it's recommended to use Sebastian Siebert's script makerpm-amd-$VERS$.sh available on his [blog].

Start a terminal or console of your choice and become root:
# su
Download the script, on the time of writing:
# wget https://www.sebastian-siebert.de/downloads/makerpm-amd-15.12.sh

Check on this page if this is still the most recent script and use the most recent one.

Download the checksum file:
# wget https://www.sebastian-siebert.de/downloads/makerpm-amd-15.12.sh.sha256

Check on this page if there is an updated script and find the according checksum file if there is one.

Let's validate against the script:
# sha256sum -c makerpm-amd-15.12.sh.sha256
The output should be:
```
# makerpm-amd-15.12.sh: OK
```
Change the permission of the script:
# chown root:root makerpm-amd-15.12.sh && chmod 744 makerpm-amd-15.12.sh
Run the script with the parameter -i. The script generate the RPM package and install/update automatically it.
# ./makerpm-amd-15.12.sh -i

Important: Reboot the computer after the installation.

If something goes wrong, remove the driver with the parameter -u.
1. Go into the console and log in as super user root
2. Execute the script:
  # ./makerpm-amd-15.12.sh -u