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Noob question about installers / graphics drivers

PostPosted: Jan 5th, '13, 09:29
by Extra
Hello fellow Megeians,

I have happily installed Mageia 2 KDE and it runs fine off the built in VGA graphics port.

When I plug in my old radeon HD 4350 it does not like the card. Ok no prob lets get the drivers.

I go to the AMD site and download the corresponding zip file containing the driver. When I unarchive I see the .run file I try to run it but it opened in a script editor with no way to run. I tried dropping it onto konsole but it says I don't have permission.I researched and tried typing sudo in front of the text but that didn't work either. The Konsole crahed.

2 questions 1- how to install this run file

2- alternatively how to boot with graphics disabled so I can maybe run an update if I could boot into Mageia 2 with the 4350 card pluged in.


Many thanks and my apologies for the amateur question!


Extra

Re: Noob question about installers / graphics drivers

PostPosted: Jan 5th, '13, 10:01
by doktor5000
Please have a look at https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia_2_Err ... rd_drivers and then https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Setup_the_graphical_server
and forget about the .run files and first try with the drivers already packaged for Mageia.

Re: Noob question about installers / graphics drivers

PostPosted: Jan 9th, '13, 08:54
by Extra
Thank you for the reply doktor5000.

Reading those articles you referenced gave me an idea to just use the Live install anyway and it automatically gathered and installed the correct video drivers.

The video issue solved thanks but still I feel unsatisfied.I want to know why I can't install from the .run file supplied from the AMD website? On the other two operating systems I am used to (mac/win) running installer or exe files is pretty straight forward and I suppose implemented at the core level of the operating system. Why do I feel like it is some type of sorcery coding or computer skills needed to use a oem supplied installer file? Not hating on Mageia, but openly questioning the usability of linux in general.

Many thanks


Extra

Re: Noob question about installers / graphics drivers

PostPosted: Jan 9th, '13, 21:00
by doktor5000
Well, as we have exactly those drivers already packaged and integrated in automatic driver installer, i'm asking you what the more efficient and hassle-free choice from your point of view would be here? You're still free to install those, but that may require more manual work, and fiddling with the command line. And most vendors don't pay that much attention or don't support linux properly, due to it's lower market share than say, Microsoft or Apple. Or at least not at the same level of convencience for the user.

For either Nvidia or AMD graphics drivers it's not really that comfortable or straigthforward installing them under linux. Well, at least depending
whether you have done that before on linux - if you have already (which, assuming from your question seems not the case, correct me if i'm wrong with that)
you may not mind the additional steps.

So, to improve the usability of linux, we integrated automatic installation of those into the Mageia tools, so that is the preferred/recommended way.
If you have more questions just shoot :)