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AMD APU and EL

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Does anyone run this game on a Netbook/Notebook running an AMD C50 APU (CPU and GPU on the same chip)? Like an Acer Aspire One? I don't need a great frame rate, just that it runs.

 

If you do. Do you run Linux? Does the game work etc?

 

Thanks in advance

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Thanks.

 

It looks like the open source drivers support OpenGL 2.0 and the ATI proprietary drivers support 4.2.

 

The AMD 50 has a Radoen HD 6250 GPU in. Reviews of the netbook show good graphics in movies up to 1020p, so I suppose it should make EL playable

 

It's on sale in a supermarket. Don't know if they would let me boot Linux and let me check it out.

 

:)

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Just an update. I tried a friend's Acer Aspire One and the most up-to-date AMD driver (downloaded for the C50 from the AMD website) and while booting into Ubuntu this driver reports unsupported hardware in a little pop up window.

 

Further reading, trying to find solutions and I found:

 

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?31961-Notes-on-Acer-Aspire-One-522

 

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne522

 

So, no go. Oh well.

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Maybe try a different distro? Contrary to what most people think, I did not find Ubuntu to be the best distro for laptops. Try Fedora or Mandriva too.

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I have an older Acer Aspire One, the 8.9" with 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor.

 

I removed Windows XP which came on it (the bloat dragged it down) and installed Arch Linux on it.

It runs like a dream now, including EL.

 

I don't know if they are still selling that version anymore or not though but worth a check.

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I bit the bullet and bought a Acer Aspire One 522 with a C60 APU.

 

I installed Ubuntu 10.10 and had no propriety drivers option for the graphics (in System->Additional Drivers). So, I installed the latest stable XOrg (from: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates). This comes with the latest AMD/Intel/NVidia drivers, but still no System->Additional Drivers, and it didn't run EL.

 

I downloaded the latest ATI Catalyst™ Proprietary Display Driver 11.11 (from: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx). Then I uninstalled any current driver before installing the downloaded Catalyst (Using instructions from here: http://www.upubuntu.com/2011/11/how-to-install-amd-catalyst-1111.html)

 

After a reboot the display came up with the correct resolution and no "unsupported hardware" pop up window (as before above) and EL ran fine (with 18-30 fps outside and up to 45 in a store with the EL window set to 1280x640 and default settings).

 

I have had one complete machine freeze and so there maybe more work to do. Particularly, I found some more complete commands for removing the old driver (apparently it does not like being removed) (here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/FglrxInteferesWithRadeonDriver#Problem:%20%20Need%20to%20fully%20remove%20-fglrx%20and%20reinstall%20-ati%20from%20scratch). I may even have to update the Linux kernel

 

That freeze was while walking about in IotF. So far sat in VotD no problem. But not even done much testing outside EL to be honest.

 

I will report back with any further info when I have time to test/change more.

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I installed Ubuntu 10.10 and had no propriety drivers option for the graphics (in System->Additional Drivers).

Did you enable non-free software sources first?

 

So, I installed the latest stable XOrg (from: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates). This comes with the latest AMD/Intel/NVidia drivers, but still no System->Additional Drivers

Xorg doesn't come with proprietary drivers, only open source ones, which performance wise are generally inferior to their proprietary counterparts.

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Two things that sometimes cause trouble are reflections and point particles.

 

I think the person mentioned the non-free software list because sometimes the video drivers are compiled for the kernels and put there with permissions so that a person could have an automatic update of their proprietary video drivers. They may actually be free even, but they don't match the distribution's copyright policy. I think you get the point.

 

Good luck with your video drivers. It has always been my least favorite obstacle to tackle when I install a distribution.

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To Korrode:

 

1) No, I did not enable the non-free software sources first. I've never had to do this before. Ubuntu just pops up and says they are available (just after you reboot after the Ubuntu install)(Well, it does this for NVidia drivers, this is my first Radeon "card").

 

2) I did not know Xorg did not come with proprietary drivers. I will look further

 

To nathanstenzel:

 

As I say above, I will try the latest proprietary drivers.

 

 

Thanks to both for your comments and pointers. I am hopeful Will let you know how it goes (but have limited time) :)

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OK. After much procrastination. I started looking at this problem again. I did some reading of other peoples similar problems (particularly with the Atheros AR9285 wireless chip that is in the Aspire One I have). Some suggested installing Ubuntu 11.10 to get the latest drivers (rather than 10.10 that I was using to avoid Unity).

 

I installed XUbuntu 11.10 (a variant of Ubuntu that does not use Unity) and the latest AMD Catalyst drivers (11.12) and all works so far. This includes wired and wireless LAN and the on board Bluetooth.

 

Some notes:

 

1) You MUST put "Network Boot" as the first boot device in your BIOS boot order settings. This will produce and error as the BIOS tries to boot from it, but will not stop BIOS then booting from the next device in the list. Your thunb drive with the Alternate CD can go second and the hard drive third.

 

2) I had to use the Alternative Installation CD rather than the normal one. I don't know why, but the latter would not get far past the initial menu. The interface is more primative and the installation is slower but that's the only difference.

 

3) I then installed the latest Catalyst drivers from the AMD website using their installer (link in a previous post). I did NOT install the FGLRX graphics drivers that "Additional Drivers" says are required for 3D graphics.

 

-----------

 

The first install worked fine for a couple of boots and then would not boot thereafter. This might have been because of the Network Boot being out of order or editing out "quiet splash" in the Linux kernel call from Grub2.

 

Second complete install is working fine over multiple boots and hours of EL and switching between wired and wireless LANs. I get frame rates between 10 (walking through trees in WS), to 45 inside a house. Sat on IP fast regen watching the sea and sky with shadows on and the sky updating every frame I get 22/23. I could lower these settings (they are for my GTX275) but wanted to push things a bit.

 

I have had one crash (Don't panic type) and one client freeze, but I get the later on the GTX275 now and then. Maybe it was lag and I got impatient.

 

So, I'm happy so far. Will let you know if anything crops up.

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OK. I did try the OpenGL2 client for a very short time before I installed Catalyst during the first install that failed.

 

Do I have to compile it or can I just get it from the PJBroadhead ppa? (which is what I did before)(Sorry,

 

I just installed it from the ppa and it is faster (would compiling it myself make it any faster again?). As I look out to sea from IP, I'm getting 41-2 fps (though sometimes it goes down to 34 on the same scene). Not gone any where else yet. I presume it's using my graphics settings (for the normal client) from my ~/.elc directory?

 

Mind the sea looks a mite different :) And I can't see any shadows despite they being set on in options.

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Do I have to compile it or can I just get it from the PJBroadhead ppa? (which is what I did before)(Sorry,

That PPA version of mine is a little out of date. I'm trying to produce an updated version but I'm having problems with the new client crashing so I can't test properly.

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I am interested in an update on that. My laptop is wearing out the fan and I would like one that could stay cool while playing EL with 2 EL client windows open.....and maybe a streaming video. If one of those laptops with video build into the CPU chip works welll, I think I will go for it.

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