installing fglrx in gentoo

Now the ATI proprietary driver for Linux only supports XServer 1.6.x, or older, so its installation in Gentoo (there is XServer 1.7 in the test branch) is not too obvious at first glance.

1. Preparation

Create the file /etc/portage/package.mask/x11 and enter it with your favorite editor:

> = x11-apps / xinput-1.5.0
= x11-base / xorg-drivers-1.7
> = x11-base / xorg-server-1.7.0
> = x11-libs / libdmx-1.0.99.0
> = x11-libs / libX11-1.2.99.0
> = x11-libs / libXext-1.0.99.0
> = x11-libs / libXi-1.2.99.0
> = x11-libs / libXinerama-1.0.99.0
> = x11-libs / libXScrnSaver-1.2.0
> = x11-libs / libXtst-1.0.99.0
> = x11-libs / libXxf86dga-1.1
> = x11-libs / libXxf86vm-1.0.99.0
> = x11-proto / bigreqsproto-1.1
> = x11-proto / dmxproto-2.2.99
> = x11-proto / fixesproto-4.1
> = x11-proto / inputproto-1.9.99
> = x11-proto / recordproto-1.13.99.0
> = x11-proto / scrnsaverproto-1.2.0
> = x11-proto / xcmiscproto-1.2.0
> = x11-proto / xextproto-7.1.1
> = x11-proto / xf86bigfontproto-1.2.0
> = x11-proto / xf86dgaproto-2.1
> = x11-proto / xf86vidmodeproto-2.3
> = x11-proto / xineramaproto-1.2
> = media-libs / mesa-7.7

Enter in /etc/make.conf:

VIDEO_CARDS = "fglrx"

')
Load the kernel 2.6.32 (fglrx works only on it).
The latest version of gentoo-sources branch 32 is 2.6.32-r8.

emerge "= sys-kernel / gentoo-sources-2.6.32-r8"

Now assemble the core in your favorite way. Be sure to disable the nuclear Direct Rendering Manager (aka drm) .
Then boot from this kernel, removing the xdm service (if used).

2. Installing the ATI proprietary driver

Remove xserver packages: (they didn’t want me to just downgrade like that)
emerge -C `cat /etc/portage/package.mask/x11 | xargs
And rebuild the world:
emerge -uDN world.

Then do:

aticonfig --initial -f

and start X11.