[PlanetCCRMA] [Fwd: Linux drivers, problem compiling drivers]

[Frode Petersen]

I have sent the following mail to ATI support. Since the CCRMA kernel is 
mentioned, I thought it'd be right to inform and maybe ask whether it 
was a hasty move. Do you think this is relevant?

Frode


-------- Original Message --------
To: support@ati.com
Subject: Linux drivers, problem compiling drivers

I have trouble getting the ati fglrx module to compile on my system. The
installer reports that everything is installed, but the module isn't
loaded. Checking the /usr/share/fglrx/fglrx-install.log file reveals
that the module fails to build. By the way, this is an error that I
think the installer should catch, instead of reporting success.

The only reported error in the log file (there are a lot of warnings) is
this (all on one line):

/lib/modules/fglrx/build_mod/2.6.x/firegl_public.c:808: error:
‘SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED’ undeclared (first use in this function)

Further inquiries on the net has led me to believe that
SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED is deprecated, and should be replaced with other
mechanisms (DEFINE_SPINLOCK, as far as I can tell). Here are a couple of
examples pulled from some patches to the kernel issued by Ingo Molnar
that explaines what I mean(, but I found reports regarding this problem
from different parts of the kernel, and from several sources):

-static spinlock_t _thread_lock = SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED;
+static DEFINE_SPINLOCK(_thread_lock);

- np->poll_lock = SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED;
+ spin_lock_init(&np->poll_lock);

This is something you would now more about than I do. But since I have
found information on the net indicating that this causes problems, is it
something you are planning to address?

It seems like I cannot get the fglrx driver to work with my new Radeon
X800 card before this is fixed, which is a shame. I chose the card
partly because it was supposed to work well with Linux.


System:
AMD64 dual core running Fedora Core 4 in i386 mode.
The kernel is 2.6.14-0.10.rrt.rhfc4.ccrma-smp-i686 from the PlanetCCRMA
repository. It is a stock kernel patched only with Ingo Molnar's real
time patches.

I know you wouldn't support nonstandard kernels, but AFAIK this issue
isn't specific to these patches, so my using this kernel shouldn't have
any bearing on your willingness to respond to or address this problem.

I hope you will be able to help me use the Radeon card as planned at
purchase!

Best regards,
Frode Petersen