Powerbook G4 ATI 9700 Debian-ports SID GPU driver crashing

[css4]

Howdy,

I've got Debian-ports SID running on my PowerBook G4, and everything works perfectly except for the GPU driver, which crashes instantly when anything 3d accelerated starts, completely locking up the system.

The GPU is a ATI Radeon Mobility 9700 (64 mb)
Driver loads and has the non-free firmware installed (see dmesg paste)
2D acceleration appears to be fine

Tried the radeon.agpmode=-1 parameter floating around the internet, but that didn't work. (and also seems to have been for an older, fixed issue)

I did also try using Debian 8, the last official ppc32, but that has its own different gpu driver issues, and software so old its not really worth using over 10.5.

I would be happy to use a different release of Debian, but I'm not aware of any ppc32 repos besides Debian archive's for 8, and Debian-ports SID repo.

X Logs after crash don't show anything
dmesg output for driver startup: https://paste.debian.net/1283739/

 

[sailorMH]

With Debian SID 32-bit I cannot help, I am using only 64-bit version, and it works OOTB with this snapshot. This one I tested, the newer ones not. You need only install manually linux-nonfree-firmware.

If you still use Debian 8, it had issues with Mesa PPC big endian, so 3D nor works OOTB there.
I am still using Debian 8 on Pegasos 2, with this workaround:
- install Mesa from Debian8 archive repo normally.
- backup original r300.dri.so
- copy r300.dri.so from Debian7.11 ( i.e. from Mesa 8.0.5-4 )
- and 3D works ;-)

I have in plan install Sid to my powerbook, but because of time it will not be soon.

 

[css4]

With Debian SID 32-bit I cannot help, I am using only 64-bit version, and it works OOTB with this snapshot. This one I tested, the newer ones not. You need only install manually linux-nonfree-firmware.

If you still use Debian 8, it had issues with Mesa PPC big endian, so 3D nor works OOTB there.
I am still using Debian 8 on Pegasos 2, with this workaround:
- install Mesa from Debian8 archive repo normally.
- backup original r300.dri.so
- copy r300.dri.so from Debian7.11 ( i.e. from Mesa 8.0.5-4 )
- and 3D works ;-)

I have in plan install Sid to my powerbook, but because of time it will not be soon.

Even thought you've only tested 64, perhaps I'll give that snapshot a try, it's not like it can make it worse.

 

[sailorMH]

Even thought you've only tested 64, perhaps I'll give that snapshot a try, it's not like it can make it worse.

Good idea.
Only thing, make sure that before first boot there is linux-nonfree-firmware installed - Grub needs it now.
Also, if you will use manual partitioning, grub partition should be at least 256 MB. I had at first 128 MB like original grub version with Debian9, and it is not enough.
Automatic installation selects correct sizes.

 

[css4]

Good idea.
Only thing, make sure that before first boot there is linux-nonfree-firmware installed - Grub needs it now.
Also, if you will use manual partitioning, grub partition should be at least 256 MB. I had at first 128 MB like original grub version with Debian9, and it is not enough.
Automatic installation selects correct sizes.

You'll have to forgive me, I haven't spent much time on debian&co distributions, so I'm not very familiar with apt and its repo system; but one thing I'm still not sure about, the ports repos are only the newest SID packages right? So wouldn't the snapshot netinstaller just download the same packages (including the broken driver) anyways?

I could deprive the installer of internet, but does the net installer cd have any of the non-free firmware that I need for grub and the gpu?

 

[sailorMH]

You'll have to forgive me, I haven't spent much time on debian&co distributions, so I'm not very familiar with apt and its repo system; but one thing I'm still not sure about, the ports repos are only the newest SID packages right? So wouldn't the snapshot netinstaller just download the same packages (including the broken driver) anyways?

I could deprive the installer of internet, but does the net installer cd have any of the non-free firmware that I need for grub and the gpu?

Yes, you are right. If you select dpkg archive mirror during installation, it downloads latest packages.
But between different snapshots can be difference in what basic packages it installs. The snapshot I tested not include non-free software.
Some days ago Debian says, that in future they include non-free packages to installation images. I am not sure, if it is today true or not for current powerpc snapshots.

For grub working we need linux-nonfree-firmware installed. On snapshots there are no any non-free packages ( or wasn't if I tested it ). I installed linux-nonfree-firmware this way:

- after successful installation od Debian from snapshot DVD do not remove DVD from computer
- reboot, and select again installation DVD
- in early menu select there "Rescue mode" or similar name. You again start installer, but it not do installation again, ask you again about timezone, hostname, etc, and it stops and ask you about mount the target.
- when you asked, select "run shell in target environment" and select here partition, where you installed your new Debian.
For example, if you have new system on /dev/sdb2, select /dev/sdb2 and installer mounts /dev/sdb2 as /target, and then chroots to /target and runs inside the shell.
From your point of view it looks like you are inside newly installed Debian.
I recommend run "bash" immediatelly, because basic shell is ... basic ;-)
- edit your sourceslist ( nano /etc/apt/sources.list ) and add here the line:
deb [arch=all] http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ unstable contrib non-free-firmware
save and close editor
run commands apt-get update and apt-get install firmware-amd-graphics
- and it is all.
- reboot and select your new installed Debian, grub should work now.

Normally GPU not need special adjustments, but if you ends in commandline without graphics environment, pls post here "dmesg -h" and "cat /var/log/Xorg.log" outputs.