CrunchBang Linux

awds

Member

Registered: 2012-03-31

Posts: 25

Non-free Video Drivers for Dell Inspiron M5030 Laptop

Herewith a brief note to report successful installation of the ATI M880G Mobility Radeon HD4200 drivers on my Dell Inspiron M5030 laptop, accomplished by following the instructions at this location:

https://wiki.debian.org/ATIProprietary#Squeeze

My laptop had been exhibiting periodic stalling of the GUI that was distressingly similar to my experience using MS Windows. On pondering the problem, I concluded that the proprietary drivers weren't loaded for my graphics adapter, which proved to be the case. Now the whole system is much more responsive with the GPU doing more of its share of work; the difference between before and after installation is huge. DVD video display is now smooth, whereas it had been unwatchable.

I'm enormously impressed by the underlying software technology that resolves all the dependencies and manages the underlying complexity hidden by the few commands in that wiki entry. The UNIX legacy leading to GNU-Linux is an industrial-strength engineering tour de force.