Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:46:46 -0600 From: Paul Procacci <pprocacci@datapipe.com> To: Giuseppe Pagnoni <gpagnoni@gmail.com> Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: FreeBSD 7.1, nvidia-driver, GeForce 8500 GT Message-ID: <4963ED66.4050309@datapipe.com> In-Reply-To: <92056ebc0901061455r10bc4c53wee01d10e2fb96a7f@mail.gmail.com> References: <92056ebc0901061334o40f37463y84cdfda54e281126@mail.gmail.com> <4963D96E.7090700@datapipe.com> <92056ebc0901061455r10bc4c53wee01d10e2fb96a7f@mail.gmail.com>
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Giuseppe Pagnoni wrote: > Hello, > > well that is interesting. I do have 4 Gigs of RAM but I thought that > the nvidia driver would not work only if the 64 bit version of FreeBSD > was installed. I installed the i386 version, so I assumed that I was > just wasting some memory. In case I would want to use the nvidia > driver, would you suggest to remove 1GB stick of RAM? > > thank you very much > > > > On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 11:21 PM, Paul Procacci <pprocacci@datapipe.com> wrote: > >> Giuseppe Pagnoni wrote: >> >>> Dear all, >>> >>> I have just installed FreeBSD 7.1 Release on a machine with a GeForce >>> 8500 GT (I think this is the card, but more about that later...) and >>> an LCD screen with a native resolution of 1680 x 1050. >>> >>> Xorg works fine with the standard "nv" driver. However, if I try to >>> install the x11/nvidia-driver (which should bring better graphic >>> performance, right?) I get a total system freeze when I start the X >>> server. >>> >>> Here are the details of what I have done: >>> >>> 1) install x11/nvidia-driver >>> 2) add nvidia_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf >>> 3) modify /etc/X11/xorg.conf by substituting "nvidia" to "nv" in the >>> Driver line. >>> >>> At this point (after rebooting), if I start the X server with startx, >>> I get a black screen and the system *completely* hangs (neither >>> ctrl-alt-backspace, nor even ctrl-alt-delete work). The only way to >>> get back the system is to power it off and on (which corrupts the >>> filesystem because it has not been properly dismounted). >>> >>> I also looked at the xorg log file in: >>> >>> /var/log/Xorg.0.log >>> >>> Interestingly it seems to detect the card as a GeForce 9500 GT rather >>> than a 8500 GT (which makes me wonder whether I got the right info >>> from the vendor receipt): >>> >>> (--) Assigning device section with no busID to primary device >>> (--) Chipset GeForce 9500 GT found >>> >>> But this should not be an issue because in the same log file it says >>> that both GeForce 8500 GT and GeForce 9500 GT are supported by the >>> "nv" driver. >>> >>> As for the monitor, the xorg log file says: >>> >>> II) NV(0): Supported additional Video Mode: >>> (II) NV(0): clock: 146.2 MHz Image Size: 473 x 296 mm >>> (II) NV(0): h_active: 1680 h_sync: 1784 h_sync_end 1960 h_blank_end >>> 2240 h_border: 0 >>> (II) NV(0): v_active: 1050 v_sync: 1053 v_sync_end 1059 v_blanking: >>> 1089 v_border: 0 >>> (II) NV(0): Ranges: V min: 56 V max: 75 Hz, H min: 28 H max: 83 kHz, >>> PixClock max 150 MHz(II) >>> >>> NV(0): Monitor name: L226WA >>> (II) NV(0): Supported additional Video Mode: >>> (II) NV(0): clock: 119.0 MHz Image Size: 473 x 296 mm >>> (II) NV(0): h_active: 1680 h_sync: 1728 h_sync_end 1760 h_blank_end >>> 1840 h_border: 0 >>> (II) NV(0): v_active: 1050 v_sync: 1053 v_sync_end 1059 v_blanking: >>> 1080 v_border: 0 >>> >>> Then the log file says: >>> >>> (II) NV(0): Output VGA1 disconnected >>> (II) NV(0): Output DVI0 disconnected >>> (II) NV(0): Output VGA2 disconnected >>> (II) NV(0): Output DVI1 connected >>> (II) NV(0): Output DVI1 using initial mode 1680x1050 >>> (--) NV(0): Virtual size is 1680x1680 (pitch 1792) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1680x1050": 146.2 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 65.3 kHz, 60.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1680x1050"x60.0 146.25 1680 1784 1960 2240 >>> 1050 1053 1059 1089 -hsync +vsync (65.3 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1680x1050": 119.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 64.7 kHz, 59.9 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1680x1050"x59.9 119.00 1680 1728 1760 1840 >>> 1050 1053 1059 1080 +hsync -vsync (64.7 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1280x1024": 135.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 80.0 kHz, 75.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1280x1024"x75.0 135.00 1280 1296 1440 1688 >>> 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync (80.0 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1280x1024": 109.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 63.7 kHz, 59.9 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1280x1024"x59.9 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 >>> 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync (63.7 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1440x900": 136.8 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 70.6 kHz, 75.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1440x900"x75.0 136.75 1440 1536 1688 1936 900 >>> 903 909 942 -hsync +vsync (70.6 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1440x900": 106.5 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 55.9 kHz, 59.9 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1440x900"x59.9 106.50 1440 1528 1672 1904 900 >>> 903 909 934 -hsync +vsync (55.9 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1280x960": 101.2 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 59.7 kHz, 59.9 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1280x960"x59.9 101.25 1280 1360 1488 1696 960 >>> 963 967 996 -hsync +vsync (59.7 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1152x864": 108.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 67.5 kHz, 75.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1152x864"x75.0 108.00 1152 1216 1344 1600 864 >>> 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1152x864": 104.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 67.7 kHz, 74.8 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1152x864"x74.8 104.00 1152 1224 1344 1536 864 >>> 867 871 905 -hsync +vsync (67.7 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1024x768": 78.8 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 60.1 kHz, 75.1 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1024x768"x75.1 78.80 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 >>> 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync (60.1 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "1024x768": 65.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 48.4 kHz, 60.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "1024x768"x60.0 65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 >>> 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (48.4 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "832x624": 57.3 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 49.7 kHz, 74.6 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "832x624"x74.6 57.28 832 864 928 1152 624 625 >>> 628 667 -hsync -vsync (49.7 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "800x600": 49.5 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 46.9 kHz, 75.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "800x600"x75.0 49.50 800 816 896 1056 600 601 >>> 604 625 +hsync +vsync (46.9 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "800x600": 40.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 37.9 kHz, 60.3 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "800x600"x60.3 40.00 800 840 968 1056 600 601 >>> 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "800x600": 36.0 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 35.2 kHz, 56.2 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "800x600"x56.2 36.00 800 824 896 1024 600 601 >>> 603 625 +hsync +vsync (35.2 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "640x480": 31.5 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 37.5 kHz, 75.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "640x480"x75.0 31.50 640 656 720 840 480 481 >>> 484 500 -hsync -vsync (37.5 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "640x480": 25.2 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 31.5 kHz, 60.0 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "640x480"x60.0 25.20 640 656 752 800 480 490 >>> 492 525 -hsync -vsync (31.5 kHz) >>> (**) NV(0): Driver mode "720x400": 28.3 MHz (scaled from 0.0 MHz), >>> 31.5 kHz, 70.1 Hz >>> (II) NV(0): Modeline "720x400"x70.1 28.32 720 738 846 900 400 412 >>> 414 449 -hsync +vsync (31.5 kHz) >>> (==) NV(0): DPI set to (96, 96) >>> >>> >>> After this rather long post (I apologize), I have two simple questions: >>> 1) is there a way to use the "nvidia" driver on this system? >>> 2) is it worthwhile or does "nv" work just as well? >>> >>> Thanks in advance for any help or suggestion. >>> >>> best >>> >>> giuseppe >>> >>> >>> >>> >> How much memory do you have? Freebsd/Nvidia doesn't work with 4Gigs of >> memory OR PAE enabled kernels. Nvidia's forums have lots more information >> regarding this. >> >> > > > > I'm not sure of the internals exactly, but the amount of onboard memory plus the memory that comes with the card can't exceed 4G. (I could be wrong, but I think this is accurate). In this case, assuming you have a 512M card or similar then 3 Gigs of memory should work. I have seen reports of 2Gigs of memory working (i386) and am sure that works without problems. amd64 doesn't work at all, as you have already stated. If you have a requirement to use the nvidia based graphics driver, then you really don't have an alternative at this time, then to remove system memory from your main board. ~Paul
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