Working trick to bypass PreInitDAL error w/ new ati-drivers!

[rmh3093]

Howto get a working framebuffer and the new ati-drivers working?

To get past the PreInitDAL error with >ati-drivers-8.27.10 run 'vbetool vgamode' right before you start X...

I launch it right before I start gdm... you will see your display get all garbled but once X starts (and it actually does) your framebuffer will go back to looking normal....

I hope this helps you all!!

EDIT: technically I have only tested this with the 8.33.6 driver and a 2.6.19.3 kernel but it should still work for other verisons

[star.dancer]

This worked for me, thanks. What is a good way to have this automatically happen on boot?

EDIT: Well, I am sure there is a neater way to do this but I made my own init script.

/etc/init.d/vbemode

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#!/sbin/runscript

start() {
	ebegin "Starting vbetool to workaround ati-drivers/framebuffer/2.6.22 error"
	vbetool vgamode &
	eend 0
}

make it executable

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chmod +x /etc/init.d/vbemode

and add the following to /etc/init.d/xdm in the depend() function

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need vbemode

and finally:

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rc-update add vbemode default

Yes it is hacky and yes you will need to watch /etc/init.d/xdm in case portage tries to update it but... it works!

ps. this is with ati-drivers 8.38.6 and it works with uvesafb.

[emailer33]

I've been reading through a lot of posts on the cause of this, but none of the fixes have helped me.

I have an AMD64 build, 2.6.23-r3 kernel, ati-drivers 8.443.1-r1 with VIDEO_CARDS="fglrx" (I would like 3d support with my Radeon 9850). I do not have framebuffer support built into the kernel.

When I start X, it errors with

(II) fglrx(0): End of Display2 EDID data --------------------
(EE) fglrx(0): PreInitDAL failed

right after dumping the EDID data. I found that it is my LCD it doesn't like, for when I unplug it X works, but only outputs on the plugged in monitor (LCD is blank once plugged back in).

I've tried using NoDDC and IgnoreEDID options to no avail, I don't know what else to do.

[nixnut]

merged above post here.

[emailer33]

Thank you for merging the posts, but unfortunately for me, the above post did not help me.

After adding keywords for vbetool and libx86, and running vbetool vgamode returns "Function not supported".

While my screen does go black now, I run X while ssh'd in, and i still get
(EE) fglrx(0): PreInitDAL failed

Can anyone else help me with making this LCD work?

[blotto]

Probably same as me , the newest drivers dont like resolutions of 1680x1050 which my 22" LCD uses.

The problem is documented oin the release notes - known problems !!

Have not seen any work arounds yet except go back to 8.40.4'

[Nethemas]

I just discovered the PreInitDAL fun. The Xorg.0.log file claims that the 1680x1050 res is a "Supported Future Video Mode" whatever that's supposed to mean. On my notebook--with a Mobility x1700--the 8.443 variants will force me into 1280x1024 but will still start X. On my workstation my x850PRO gives me the fun PreInitDAL message. Both use DPMS to identify the monitor's supported modes. Has anyone tried to manually configure their monitor rather than relying on autodetect?

In any case you should be able to successfully use x11-drivers/ati-drivers-8.433 I am at least...