[ubuntu-uk] 9.10 with ATI Radeon

[Rob Beard]

Dianne Reuby wrote:
> I've got a PC with an ATI Radeon Xpress 200 video - I know I've seen
> comments in the past ATI isn't very well supported. Looking at the
> forums and the hardware pages, though it seems some people use them OK,
> and I've read https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver
>
>   
I've found some ATI cards work better than others, I have an ATI Radeon 
All In Wonder X800 which has a funny turn with Ubuntu when it's attached 
to both the PC monitor and our LCD TV.  Although I have found some ATI 
cards work great.

It's not just ATI I've had problems with too, I've had real problems 
with NVidia cards too.
> But when I try the LiveCD (9.10) all I get is a flashing cursor on a
> black screen, so I can't try enabling the restricted drivers or checking
> the compatibility anyway. Is there a way round this?
>
>   
When you boot the Live CD, you should be able to choose the option for 
Safe Graphics Mode (I think), it's one of the F keys, you should see 
something at the bottom of the screen where you can select to try Ubuntu 
or run the installation program.
> And is this an "on board" chip, rather than an actual card which can be
> changed? (I get that impression from looking at it, and from reading
> stuff on line.)
>   
Yes, I have a feeling it is.  However it may be possible to fit a 
graphics card.  I don't suppose you know the make and model number of 
your motherboard do you, or if it's a branded PC (say a Dell, HP etc), 
what the make and model number is?

It is possible that your motherboard may have an AGP slot for an 
external graphics card, or a PCI Express slot (or two).  As a minimum it 
should have a PCI slot (assuming it's a desktop PC and not a laptop).

Rob