fglrx

Fglrx is the proprietary Linux graphics driver once provided by AMD/ATI for Radeon graphics cards as part of the Catalyst software suite. The driver package combined a kernel module with user-space components to deliver 2D and 3D acceleration, OpenGL support, and configuration tools such as the Catalyst Control Center. It was distributed as binary packages from AMD and was not open source, requiring careful alignment with the running kernel, X server, and sometimes Mesa versions.

Historically, fglrx supported a broad range of Radeon hardware across multiple generations, with separate branches for newer GPUs and a legacy track for older hardware. Users typically installed or updated the driver through AMD’s Catalyst releases, and performance varied by GPU, distribution, and kernel compatibility. The driver integrated with X.org and could be sensitive to kernel updates, sometimes necessitating reinstallation after system upgrades.

AMD began phasing out fglrx in favor of the open‑source amdgpu driver for newer GPUs, complemented by the proprietary amdgpu‑pro variant for enterprise needs. In the mid-2010s AMD announced that development of fglrx would end for new hardware, and subsequent Linux releases dropped support for the driver. Today, fglrx is effectively deprecated and no longer maintained, with most current systems relying on amdgpu or the open-source Radeon driver. Its legacy remains in discussions of AMD’s transition from closed-source Linux drivers to open- and hybrid-driver models, reflecting broader shifts in the Linux graphics ecosystem.