Zorin OS 15 Core GPU Driver AMD HD4330

Hi all,

I'm new to Zorin OS. I have installed Zorin 15 Core, but i have problem getting GPU to work. I use MSI CX600 laptop with AMD HD4330 (RV710).
I can only boot with 'nomodeset' parameter, no way of booting without it. Do i have to install Open Source AMD drivers or what?
Any help will be appreciated.

If you need any additional info, let me know. I have some knowledge of Linux, not a pro user, but not a newbie.

Have you tried the Radeon driver for Ubuntu 18.04 from the links on this page?

https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/relea ... -lin-18-20

Thank you for you answer, but as I can see HD4330 (or HD4000 series) is not on GPU support list by this driver.

I just use the Xorg drivers on AMD.

Xorg drivers are preinstalled?
If not, do you have any tutorial how to install them?

pana2308 wrote:Xorg drivers are preinstalled?

Yes and undoubtedly what you are using now while having to use nomodeset.
So, your first logical thought would be, "I need to use some other drivers."
While logical- not necessarily.
While Lacking the drivers can cause the necessity of using Nomodeset, having the driver itself generally will not. The problem is caused by something else.
Often, updating the linux headers or kernel and/or re-installing the xorg drivers resolves it.
Thus; I pretty much always use the xorg drivers for intel or AMD.
With Nvidia, nouveau drivers may serve better.
That being said, completely and fully reinstalling xorg drivers can be tricky and even make things worse (I have messed myself up at least a couple times doing so and ended up doing a full wipe and reload) so I would prefer to NOT lead you down that path if it's not necessary and a simple "nomodeset" is nowhere near enough for that...
First; try checking your linux kernel and headers and for patches:

Code:

sudo apt-get update

Code:

sudo apt-get upgrade

...

Code:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

That may fix you up.

If not, and you would like to do a repair of xorg-server, follow below but be sure to do so fully and all at once -don't stop in the middle. This is not the full and complete removal and reinstallation of xorg:

Code:

sudo apt-get remove --purge xserver-xorg

Code:

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Code:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-input-all

That last line is important- without it, you run the risk of going to login and the computer is not recognizing your keyboard and mouse. Be sure to include that last command.

Thank you for the reply.
Did not do the trick.
When I try to remove xorg it says:

Code:

Package 'xserver-xorg' is not installed, so not removed

And then, install xorg says:

Code:

The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libxatracker2 libxvmc1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-input-all xserver-xorg-input-libinput
Suggested packages:
  xfonts-100dpi | xfonts-75dpi
Recommended packages:
  xserver-xorg-video-all xserver-xorg-input-wacom
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  xserver-xorg-core-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-input-all-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-input-libinput-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-input-wacom-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-all-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-ati-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-fbdev-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-intel-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-nouveau-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-qxl-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-radeon-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-vesa-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-vmware-hwe-18.04
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  xserver-xorg xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-input-all
  xserver-xorg-input-libinput
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 15 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

pana2308 wrote:Thank you for the reply.
Did not do the trick.
When I try to remove xorg it says:

Code:

Package 'xserver-xorg' is not installed, so not removed

When you did the install, it said

Code:

The following packages will be REMOVED:
  xserver-xorg-core-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-input-all-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-input-libinput-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-input-wacom-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-all-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-ati-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-fbdev-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-intel-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-nouveau-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-qxl-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-radeon-hwe-18.04 xserver-xorg-video-vesa-hwe-18.04
  xserver-xorg-video-vmware-hwe-18.04

Just to get certainty, can you perform

Code:

sudo apt upgrade

Can you describe all your graphics symptoms aside from having to use nomodeset?

Firstly, i had to install using "Safe graphics", otherwise it would even boot at all. It just get pass 'Zorin' splash screen and then it gets stuck on black screen with white dots.
When i install using "Safe graphics", i could not boot in any way other than 'nomodeset'. Booting with 'nomodeset' gets me weird resolution, and of course no 3D acceleration, CPU is doing all the work.

When i use lscpi to check for GPU it says that it is compatible RV710.

pana2308 wrote:Firstly, i had to install using "Safe graphics", otherwise it would even boot at all. It just get pass 'Zorin' splash screen and then it gets stuck on black screen with white dots.
When i install using "Safe graphics", i could not boot in any way other than 'nomodeset'. Booting with 'nomodeset' gets me weird resolution, and of course no 3D acceleration, CPU is doing all the work.

When i use lscpi to check for GPU it says that it is compatible RV710.

Are you running LiveCD with persistance?

Instead of nomodeset, can you try the following?

Code:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rhgb quiet amdgpu.dc=0"


https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/ ... pu-dc.html
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v4.14/a ... eters.html

Are you running LiveCD with persistance?

Its full install on SSD, from USB drive.

Instead of nomodeset, can you try the following?

Code:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="rhgb quiet amdgpu.dc=0"


I will try and let you know.

I have tried everything, no success. I give up. Now I cant even boot to OS, no matter what.
Thank you so much for your help any way. You are legends.

pana2308 wrote:I have tried everything, no success. I give up. Now I cant even boot to OS, no matter what.
Thank you so much for your help any way. You are legends.

In that case... and it's funny I just said this in another thread...
But you might consider trying Zorin 12.4 LTS or Linux Mint...
Maybe a reinstall would actually resolve the issue if there was a corrupt install no one could have seen until it was too late.

Yes, MAYBE we could try doing a repair but at this point, I think you are likely to do an installation with a hammer and chisel unless you get a "win" first.

In regards to the OP's posts and membership vanishing into the wild blue yonder: Moderator Swarfendor has sent a PM to AZorin to investigate issue.
-EDIT-I posted this in the wrong thread-EDIT-

I think the main problem is that AMD cut off support for HD4330 long time ago. And drivers don't work properly on new versions of Linux. I installed Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and everything works out of the box.
I tried Zorin 12.4, same thing happened. I really wanted to use Zorin, i like it. But it seems I don't have capable hardware on this old laptop.

pana2308 wrote:I think the main problem is that AMD cut off support for HD4330 long time ago. And drivers don't work properly on new versions of Linux. I installed Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and everything works out of the box.
I tried Zorin 12.4, same thing happened. I really wanted to use Zorin, i like it. But it seems I don't have capable hardware on this old laptop.

Hmmm and Zorin 9 or 10 may be too early.
I wonder what the earliest kernel you could roll back to on Zorin 12.
Then set updates from Trusty Tar instead of Xenial, if that worked.

A big maybe- if Ubuntu 14.04 is working properly, you may have that machine up and running and that is good. Can save Zorin for another machine in the future.

Aravisian wrote:A big maybe- if Ubuntu 14.04 is working properly, you may have that machine up and running and that is good. Can save Zorin for another machine in the future.

Yes, that's my logic too. But i will definitely install Zorin again, it's the best looking Linux distro if you ask me.

pana2308 wrote:But i will definitely install Zorin again

Well, be sure to hang around. Or at least come back to see us when you do.
You do not have to actively be USING Zorin to make use of the knowledge available on the forum-- or any forum.
When I moved from M.S. to Linux,
I had wanted Linux Mint. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get it to work or install right. I finally moved to Zorin as a last ditch effort.
I even tried to move away from zorin and did a lot of Distro Hopping. But the performance of Zorin on that machine outshone the others ( I tried ten or more) by far.
The CPU and GPU worked much more efficiently. Who knows...
Now, Zorin populates almost all the computers in the house. For me, I can customize and modify and change just about everything about Zorin. I can add any desktop environment, any theme... I can change out much of the software. I can make it unrecognizable as Zorin on the outside. But in the end, Zorin knows how to assemble an operating system well. That framework is what I rely on, under the hood. I guess it simply cannot be true for every computer out there.