FreeBSD 7.1, nvidia-driver, GeForce 8500 GT

Tue Jan 6 14:03:51 PST 2009

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

-- 
Giuseppe Pagnoni
Dip. Scienze Biomediche
Sezione Fisiologia
Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Via Campi 287
I-41100 Modena, Italy
Tel: +39-059-205-5742
Fax: +39-059-205-5363