FreeBSD 7.1, nvidia-driver, GeForce 8500 GT
Paul Procacci
pprocacci at datapipe.com
Tue Jan 6 15:46:51 PST 2009
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 at 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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