Ubuntu 17.10下Radeon RX 480显卡驱动升级故障：amdgpu启动失败

Hey, let’s work through this AMD GPU driver issue step by step—this is a super common pain point with older Ubuntu releases and proprietary AMD drivers. The core problem here is that Ubuntu 17.10 is end-of-life, and AMD’s official drivers are built for newer system versions, leading to compatibility breaks. Here’s how to fix it:

Step 1: Get Access to a Working Shell #

Since your GUI is messed up, reboot your system and:

• Hold Shift during boot to bring up the GRUB menu
• Pick Advanced options for Ubuntu > Ubuntu, with Linux [your kernel version] (recovery mode)
• Select root to open a root shell (you’ll need to enter your user password)
• If you can reach the login screen, press Ctrl+Alt+F3 to open a TTY terminal instead

Step 2: Uninstall the Broken Proprietary Drivers #

First, remove the AMD drivers you manually installed. If you used the official AMD installer script, run:

sudo amdgpu-uninstall

If that fails (common with mismatched versions), purge all AMD-related packages cleanly:

sudo apt purge amdgpu* mesa-amdgpu*
sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt autoclean

Step 3: Install Stable Open-Source AMDGPU Drivers #

Ubuntu 17.10’s repositories have a tested, compatible open-source amdgpu driver that’s way more reliable for this release. Install it with:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu mesa-vulkan-drivers

Then reconfigure your display server to use the new driver:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Step 4: Upgrade Your Kernel (Critical for AMDGPU Compatibility) #

Ubuntu 17.10’s default 4.10 kernel has known issues with newer AMD GPUs. Upgrade to the latest supported kernel for this release:

sudo apt install linux-image-generic-hwe-17.10 linux-headers-generic-hwe-17.10

Step 5: Verify the Fix & Reboot #

Reboot your system with sudo reboot. Once back in the GUI, confirm everything is working:

• Run lspci -k | grep -A 2 -E "(VGA|3D)"—you should see amdgpu listed under Kernel driver in use
• Run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"—this should show your AMD GPU model, confirming hardware acceleration is active

Bonus: Long-Term Solution #

Ubuntu 17.10 stopped receiving updates in July 2018, so it’s no longer secure or supported. If you can, upgrade to a supported LTS release like Ubuntu 18.04 or newer—this will give you access to newer, better-maintained AMD drivers and eliminate most compatibility headaches for good.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者physiii