Ubuntu 12.04 Unity 2D Stuck Issue

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Ubuntu doesn't load the open-source drivers, Radeon, by default. You NEED to install them manually.

Wait, what is installed then when you first get into Ubuntu?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Like Orange said, it uses a default driver. Similar to what Windows uses before you install the drivers for your GPU.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Interesting, I thought the default driver was the open-source driver.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

The open-source driver is a driver you get from the repositories, not that is installed in Ubuntu ootb.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Well alright.

So what about my problem, all the steps I just followed has solved nothing?

Am I once again out of luck and must re-install? If I were to do that, how do I install the open-source drivers with all things needed?

I don't really want to do that again, quite annoying.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Follow what Orange says in this thread

[Karl L.]

Since the proprietary AMD graphics driver is difficult to get rid of once you installed it outside of the repository, a reinstall is the easiest way to fix your problem. The open-source radeon driver is built into the Linux kernel; it will be installed by default. However, you still may not get accelerated graphics without installing a few support libraries. The basic procedure is below.

1) Install Ubuntu 12.04 or 12.10.

2) Add the additional Ubuntu repositories.

sudo apt-add-repository universe
sudo apt-add-repository multiverse
sudo apt-get update
[/CODE]

[b]3)[/b] Update Ubuntu and install the additional packages necessary for full acceleration with the [i]radeon[/i] driver.

[CODE]
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental libgl1-mesa-glx linux-firmware-nonfree xserver-xorg-video-radeon
[/CODE]

[b]4)[/b] Reboot.

[CODE]
sudo reboot
[/CODE]

[b]5)[/b] Check that you are using the proper driver and have full 3D acceleration.

[CODE]
sudo lshw -c video | awk '{if($1 ~ "^configuration") print $2}'
glxinfo | grep renderer
[/CODE]

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

And you think that will solve my weird problem? Cause it's not really worth my time doing a fresh install if it's just going to happen again.

Of course, I don't really have any more options. lol

[Karl L.]

I think my proposed solution will solve your problem. And so long as you avoid installing software outside of the repository, you shouldn't have any more problems of this magnitude. Installing, removing, and updating software using the repository is drastically simpler anyway.

As I have already said, the radeon driver is generally MUCH more stable than fglrx. In fact, AMD has been providing specs and assistance to the Radeon Project for a few years now, which has dramatically increased the speed of development and featureset of the driver. AMD is planning to phase out fglrx in favour of radeon, although they have not set a specific date for that transition to complete yet. Not only is radeon very featureful and usable, but it is much more stable than fglrx because it can do things the kosher way (unlike fglrx) since it is entirely GPL'd code.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Ok, so I need to learn.

When you say repository, what exactly do you mean?

There are 3 ways I have been installing programs, I either download a file from the programs website (.run or .deb) and install it.

I go to the Ubuntu Software Centre and install something.

Or I add a PPA and run commands in terminal to install something.

[Karl L.]

Installing something from the repository means downloading it from the Ubuntu Software Center (or other APT utilities such as apt-get, aptitude, or synaptic). If you add a PPA or other repository, such as Medibuntu, the packages can be installed with your favorite package management utility (often apt-get, although it could be others) just like packages included in Ubuntu by default, and is considered installed from the repository.

Downloading deb files directly from the Internet and installing them using dpkg, gdebi, or the Ubuntu Software Center (default in Ubuntu) is still installing the packages using APT, but not from the repository. You still get some of the benefits of APT, such as automatic dependency resolution, but not others, such as automatic updates or reasonable assurance that the package's dependencies can be satisfied and the software will work well with your system. However, since APT knows about the package, it will likely make it through distribution upgrades and will be easy to remove at some point in the future, if necessary.

Downloading run files (or any other form of Linux binary) from the Internet should almost always be avoided. Since APT doesn't know this software exists, you will need to install the dependencies yourself (which is often documented in the README that comes with the binary), and you are responsible for making sure you keep the software up-to-date and its dependencies remain installed through distribution upgrades. The recommend way to handle software that must be installed this way is to install it to /opt so that it is easier to manually manage and remove.

For example, I have MATLAB (a piece of technical software often used by engineers for intensive mathematical computations and simulations) installed on my system in /opt/MATLAB/R2008b (I know I have an older version, its expensive!). I then created a launcher (/opt/MATLAB/R2008b/matlab.desktop) and soft-linked it to /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop so that it is displayed properly in my menu. Not only can I easily tell that I have MATLAB installed outside of the repository by listing the contents of /opt, I can also remove it easily by deleting just one directory and one file: /opt/MATLAB and /usr/share/applications/matlab.desktop. However, that installation method is the exception not the rule. Use it as a last resort.

The order of preference for package installation should be repository > deb file > binary installer.

Disclaimer: I made some generalizations to keep the explanation as simple as possible. However, my explanations are valid in almost every case; there are merely some technicalities that I didn't cover for the sake of brevity.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Thanks man, that's awesome information.

Though I am going to assume those generalizations is going to explain my next question, you said a downside of .deb files is there are no automatic updates. Though that is how I install Chrome, but it does get automatic updates.

[Karl L.]

Chrome is actually a special case. The deb has a post-install trigger that checks for the presence of Google's Chrome repository on your computer. If its not found, the repository will be added for you automatically so that you will continue to get updates. Although this is a very elegant solution for third-party software, most packages do not do this because it requires infrastructure to run a separate repository for that package alone. Instead, the authors assume that their package is already included in a repository or that you will keep up-to-date with new version manually. Dropbox is another example of another piece of software whose deb transparently adds a repository. VirtualBox is an example of one that does not (although they do have a repository that you can add manually, including explicit instructions for how to do so on their website).

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

That's what I figured.

Thanks for the clarification.

You have been lots of help :)

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

You think he helped you? whoops... :p

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

You think he helped you? whoops... :p

I am confused by that comment? Yes he helped me.....huh?

[Karl L.]

I think Mindovermaster's last comment was intended to be sarcastic. That's why that emoticon is at the end. Its often really difficult to convey sarcasm on the Internet, though. I understand. In person, people often consider me very sarcastic. Not that there's ANY reason for that, OF COURSE!

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. Orange has helped me on many of my own problems. ;)

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Yea I have noticed that. Both you guys are quite awesome with helping me.

And I figured you were being sarcastic, I still didn't understand it lol

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Since the proprietary AMD graphics driver is difficult to get rid of once you installed it outside of the repository, a reinstall is the easiest way to fix your problem. The open-source radeon driver is built into the Linux kernel; it will be installed by default. However, you still may not get accelerated graphics without installing a few support libraries. The basic procedure is below.

1) Install Ubuntu 12.04 or 12.10.

2) Add the additional Ubuntu repositories.

sudo apt-add-repository universe
sudo apt-add-repository multiverse
sudo apt-get update
[/CODE]

[b]3)[/b] Update Ubuntu and install the additional packages necessary for full acceleration with the [i]radeon[/i] driver.

[CODE]
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental libgl1-mesa-glx linux-firmware-nonfree xserver-xorg-video-radeon
[/CODE]

[b]4)[/b] Reboot.

[CODE]
sudo reboot
[/CODE]

[b]5)[/b] Check that you are using the proper driver and have full 3D acceleration.

[CODE]
sudo lshw -c video | awk '{if($1 ~ "^configuration") print $2}'
glxinfo | grep renderer
[/CODE]

I just entered

sudo apt-add-repository universe

and it gives me Error: universe invalid?

**I just checked out the Software Sources area, and seems like both are already enabled.

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

I am having issue running any games at all, even on low settings.

OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on AMD CYPRESS is what I get with glxinfo | grep renderer.

Is that correct? What is needed?

[Karl L.]

That is the correct string for the radeon OpenGL renderer. If you are running Unity (or Compiz in general), make sure that "Undirect Fullscreen Windows" is checked to get the best performance in full-screen games. (Although the feature was introduced in Ubuntu 12.10, it has been backported to Ubuntu 12.04.2 - its just not default in 12.04.)

[+longgonebn Subscriber²]

Yes that is enabled. I guess these drivers just don't work for 3D gaming. And for what ever reason the AMD drivers hate my system and cause it to have problems. lol

[Karl L.]

Unfortunately the 3D performance of Radeon and Nouveau is not quite up-to-par. Their 2D performance is fantastic, but the drivers are not well optimized at the moment. The Intel graphics driver is much better optimized, but the hardware performance is lacking. I'm hoping that the open-source driver AMD recently released for the Radeon HD 8000 series is a game changer when the hardware arrives!

That said, I am able to run Nexuiz, Minecraft, and Team Fortress 2 acceptably on my Radeon HD 5770 using Radeon and Gallium 0.4.