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[edit] To install the 9.3 ATI fglrx driver in 5.2+

Warning: if you're running snapshot version with Xorg 7.4 you may not be able to install. If you are feel free to fill in with your experience.

To install the ATI driver to Zenwalk Linux 5.2 or later please complete the following steps:

Install your kernelsource:

# netpkg kernelsource

Download the driver installer. As root you have to make it executable, so open terminal and cd to the directory you downloaded the installer to and then issue

# chmod a+x ati-driver-installer-9.3-x86.x86_64.run

Now take note of the following steps, as you need to switch to level 3 in order to complete the installation properly

1. Change to level 3
2. Login as root
3. Move to the directory you downloaded the installer
4. Run the installer
5. Reboot

# init 3
# [root login]
# cd [/your/path/to/installer/]
# sh ati-driver-installer-9.3-x86.x86_64.run --buildandinstallpkg Slackware/All
# reboot

If you have troubles in building the package:

FATAL: modpost: GPL-incompatible module fglrx.ko uses GPL-only symbol '__rcu_read_lock'

take a look at next section.

If everything went right (or you recompiled correctly and then it did) you are nearly done. Now you just have to configure the driver:

# aticonfig --initial

And restart your Xserver by Crtl+Alt+Backspace.

Log in again, open a new terminal and type as root

# fglrxinfo

If you can see something like this (consider you personal device) you are done

OpenGL vendor string: ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: ATI Mobility Radeon X1400
OpenGL version string: 2.1.8395 Release

[edit] GPL symbol troubles

If an error is reported while trying to build the package it is probable you need this workaround.

Before turning to level 3, you need to modify a file in the kernel, probably in order to allow this propietary driver in GPL environment.

# cd /usr/src/linux-`uname -r`/kernel/
# geany rcupreempt.c

Edit

EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(rcu_batches_completed);  ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(rcu_batches_completed);
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__rcu_read_lock);        ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(__rcu_read_lock);
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__rcu_read_unlock);      ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(__rcu_read_unlock);
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(call_rcu);               ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(call_rcu);
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(call_rcu_sched);         ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(call_rcu_sched);
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(__synchronize_sched);    ->   EXPORT_SYMBOL(__synchronize_sched);

Then

# cd ..
# make && make install

Reboot and retry the steps in the previous section

[edit] Old Version

Here you can find the old-version of the tutorial.

1. as root you have to make it executable, so open a terminal and cd to the directory you downloaded the installer to and then issue chmod a+x ati-driver-installer-8.36.5-x86.x86_64.run
   1. After that you can run the installer by issuing ./ati-driver-installer-8.36.5-x86.x86_64.run for Z.44.1
   2. After that you can run the installer by issuing X_VERSION=x710 ./ati-driver-installer-8.36.5-x86.x86_64.run for Z.46
2. After it finishes you'll have to execute the aticonfig program to update your xorg.conf: /usr/X11R6/bin/aticonfig --initial
3. Make sure that xorg.conf has the DRI section in it, so you cd to /etc/X11 and edit your xorg.conf and add (if needed):

Section "DRI"
     Mode 0666
EndSection

Also, ATI drivers do not yet support Composite with DRI, so make sure it is disabled in xorg.conf by adding:

Section "Extensions"
     Option "Composite" "false"
EndSection

Finally, you may also need to add the path to the module by adding the following to the Files section of xorg.conf:

ModulePath "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"

Reboot the pc and when you log back in you should be able to type:

fglrxinfo

in the terminal and see that the driver is running.

To see your new 3d acceleration in action, type in a terminal:

fgl_glxgears

Thanks to veloct for this explanation. More discussion is here.