Frequently Asked Questions about
the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver

1. What features are provided by the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver?
2. Which ATI graphics cards can use this driver?
3. What computer architectures are supported by this driver?
4. Is complete driver source code available?
5. In which formats is the ATI Proprietary Linux driver available?
6. What Linux kernel version is needed for this driver?
7. What versions of XFree86 are supported in this driver?
8. Is v4l video capture supported for ALL IN WONDER cards?
9. What colour modes are currently supported?
10. Where can I get more information about ATI hardware support in Linux?

1. What features are provided by the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver?

   The ATI Proprietary Linux driver currently provides hardware acceleration for 3D graphics and video playback. It also includes support for dual displays and TV Output.

2. Which ATI graphics cards can use this driver?

   The ATI Proprietary Linux driver currently supports RADEON 8500 and later, as well as FireGL 8700 and later products. We do not currently plan to include support for any products earlier than this. Drivers for earlier products should already be available from the DRI Project or Utah-GLX project.

3. What computer architectures are supported by this driver?

   Systems using 32-bit processors from Intel (Pentium III and later) and AMD (Athlon and later) are currently supported. 64-bit drivers are under development, and should be available in a future release. PowerPC, Alpha, and others are not currently supported.

4. Is complete driver source code available?

   Some of the technologies supported in our driver are protected by non-disclosure agreements with third parties, so we cannot legally release the complete source code to our driver. It is NOT open source. We do, however, include source code for the control panel and certain other public segments. We also actively assist developers in the Open Source community with their work, so if you absolutely require an open source driver for your graphics card, we can recommend using drivers from the DRI project, Utah-GLX project, or others.

5. In which formats is the ATI Proprietary Linux driver available?

   Linux drivers available on our website are packaged in RPM format. RPM is useful for delivering binary content, and can be converted to other binary formats using freely available tools such as alien. We are also in discussions with various distribution maintainers to provide our drivers in their formats using their repositories and delivery systems in the future.

6. What Linux kernel version is needed for this driver?

   Version 2.4 of the Linux kernel is required for this driver. This kernel version is installed as standard in many current Linux distributions. Support for the newer version 2.6 kernel is under development and should be available in a future release.

7. What versions of XFree86 are supported in this driver?

Driver packages are available for XFree86 versions 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, which are most common in current Linux distributions. Support for the newer XFree86 version 4.4 is under development and should be available in a future release.

8. Is v4l video capture supported for ALL IN WONDER cards?

   The ATI Proprietary Linux driver does not currently provide video capture functionality. Video capture support for most ALL IN WONDER cards should be available from the GATOS project.

9. What colour modes are currently supported?

   24-bit True Colour is currently the only native colour mode for the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver. 8-bit colour can be achieved using the pseudo-colour visuals feature, but may not work in all applications. 16-bit colour is not supported; if any of your critical applications require 16-bit colour, you should not install the ATI Proprietary Linux Driver.

10. Where can I get more information about ATI hardware support in Linux?

    Please check the Linux and XFree86 FAQ on the ATI website for more information about third party programming projects involving ATI hardware in Linux.