Hello, all, this is my first post. I have been using FreeBSD for a bit, but this is my first attempt running it on bare metal. Installs, boots, and runs mostly just fine, great in fact, but I just cannot get the X11 session to run properly. Hardware is an Alienware 15 R3 with an Intel i7-7700HQ CPU and NVIDIA 1060 6GB GPU. I have one display (built-in, you probably guessed) and two GPUs thanks to the i7's iGPU.
I installed Xorg, xfce, lightdm, drm-kmod (for Intel), and nvidia-drm-kmod-580 (for NVIDIA, obviously). I enabled the Intel and NVIDIA drivers with
The next thing I tried was to run
I ran X with the new config file with
Any help is greatly appreciated!!! <3
I installed Xorg, xfce, lightdm, drm-kmod (for Intel), and nvidia-drm-kmod-580 (for NVIDIA, obviously). I enabled the Intel and NVIDIA drivers with
# sysrc kld_list="i915kms nvidia-modeset", and then the first thing I tried was to start X with no auto or manual configuration with startx. X failed to launch, with the following pulled from /var/log/Xorg.0.log:
Code:
[ 153.678]
X.Org X Server 1.21.1.24
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 153.678] Current Operating System: FreeBSD baklava 15.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 15.1-RELEASE releng/15.1-n283562-96841ea08dcf GENERIC amd64
[ 153.678]
[ 153.678] Current version of pixman: 0.46.4
[ 153.678] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 153.678] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[ 153.679] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Thu Jul 16 22:04:44 2026
[ 153.776] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 153.806] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 153.806] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 153.806] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[ 153.806] (**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[ 153.806] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
Using a default monitor configuration.
[ 153.807] (**) Allowing byte-swapped clients
[ 153.807] (==) Automatically adding devices
[ 153.807] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[ 153.807] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[ 153.807] (==) Automatically binding GPU devices
[ 153.807] (==) Max clients allowed: 256, resource mask: 0x1fffff
[ 153.973] (==) FontPath set to:
/usr/local/share/fonts/misc/,
/usr/local/share/fonts/TTF/,
/usr/local/share/fonts/OTF/,
/usr/local/share/fonts/Type1/,
/usr/local/share/fonts/100dpi/,
/usr/local/share/fonts/75dpi/,
catalogue:/usr/local/etc/X11/fontpath.d
[ 153.973] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/local/lib/xorg/modules"
[ 153.973] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices.
If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevices.
[ 153.974] (II) Module ABI versions:
[ 153.974] X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[ 153.975] X.Org Video Driver: 25.2
[ 153.975] X.Org XInput driver : 24.4
[ 153.975] X.Org Server Extension : 10.0
[ 153.984] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card0)
[ 153.984] (II) Platform probe for /dev/dri/card0
[ 153.984] (--) PCI: (0@0:2:0) 8086:591b:1028:0774 rev 4, Mem @ 0xdb000000/16777216, 0x70000000/268435456, I/O @ 0x0000f000/64
[ 153.984] (--) PCI:*(1@0:0:0) 10de:1c60:1028:07c0 rev 161, Mem @ 0xdc000000/16777216, 0xb0000000/268435456, 0xc0000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x0000e000/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/65536
[ 153.984] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[ 154.013] (II) Loading /usr/local/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[ 154.112] (II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 154.112] compiled for 1.21.1.24, module version = 1.0.0
[ 154.112] ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 10.0
[ 154.113] (==) Matched intel as autoconfigured driver 0
[ 154.113] (==) Matched nv as autoconfigured driver 1
[ 154.113] (==) Matched modesetting as autoconfigured driver 2
[ 154.113] (==) Matched scfb as autoconfigured driver 3
[ 154.113] (==) Matched vesa as autoconfigured driver 4
[ 154.113] (==) Assigned the driver to the xf86ConfigLayout
[ 154.113] (II) LoadModule: "intel"
[ 154.114] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module intel
[ 154.114] (EE) Failed to load module "intel" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 154.114] (II) LoadModule: "nv"
[ 154.114] (WW) Warning, couldn't open module nv
[ 154.115] (EE) Failed to load module "nv" (module does not exist, 0)
[ 154.115] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[ 154.115] (II) Loading /usr/local/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[ 154.132] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 154.132] compiled for 1.21.1.24, module version = 1.21.1
[ 154.132] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 154.132] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[ 154.133] (II) LoadModule: "scfb"
[ 154.133] (II) Loading /usr/local/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/scfb_drv.so
[ 154.152] (II) Module scfb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 154.152] compiled for 1.21.1.23, module version = 0.0.5
[ 154.152] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[ 154.152] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[ 154.152] (II) Loading /usr/local/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so
[ 154.166] (II) Module vesa: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[ 154.166] compiled for 1.21.1.24, module version = 2.6.0
[ 154.167] Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[ 154.167] ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[ 154.167] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
[ 154.167] (II) scfb: driver for wsdisplay framebuffer: scfb
[ 154.167] (II) VESA: driver for VESA chipsets: vesa
[ 154.167] (--) Using syscons driver with X support (version 2.0)
[ 154.167] (--) using VT number 9
[ 154.172] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
[ 154.172] (II) modeset(1): using default device
[ 154.173] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for scfb
[ 154.173] scfb trace: probe start
[ 154.173] (II) scfb(2): using default device
[ 154.173] scfb trace: probe done
[ 154.173] (II) modeset(G0): using drv /dev/dri/card0
[ 154.173] (WW) VGA arbiter: cannot open kernel arbiter, no multi-card support
[ 154.173] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[ 154.173] (II) UnloadModule: "modesetting"
[ 154.173] (EE)
Fatal server error:
[ 154.173] (EE) Cannot run in framebuffer mode. Please specify busIDs for all framebuffer devices
[ 154.173] (EE)
[ 154.173] (EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
[ 154.173] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[ 154.173] (EE)
[ 154.179] (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.The next thing I tried was to run
# Xorg -configure, which produced the following /root/xorg.conf.new:
Code:
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "X.org Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
Section "Files"
ModulePath "/usr/local/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/TTF/"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/OTF/"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/100dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/local/share/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "catalogue:/usr/local/etc/X11/fontpath.d"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/sysmouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
EndSection
Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
### <percent>: "<f>%"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "SWcursor" # [<bool>]
#Option "kmsdev" # <str>
#Option "ShadowFB" # [<bool>]
#Option "AccelMethod" # <str>
#Option "PageFlip" # [<bool>]
#Option "ZaphodHeads" # <str>
#Option "DoubleShadow" # [<bool>]
#Option "Atomic" # [<bool>]
#Option "VariableRefresh" # [<bool>]
#Option "UseGammaLUT" # [<bool>]
#Option "AsyncFlipSecondaries" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card0"
Driver "modesetting"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz",
### <percent>: "<f>%"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option "SWcursor" # [<bool>]
#Option "kmsdev" # <str>
#Option "ShadowFB" # [<bool>]
#Option "AccelMethod" # <str>
#Option "PageFlip" # [<bool>]
#Option "ZaphodHeads" # <str>
#Option "DoubleShadow" # [<bool>]
#Option "Atomic" # [<bool>]
#Option "VariableRefresh" # [<bool>]
#Option "UseGammaLUT" # [<bool>]
#Option "AsyncFlipSecondaries" # [<bool>]
Identifier "Card1"
Driver "modesetting"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 1
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 4
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 8
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 15
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Card1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 1
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 4
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 8
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 15
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSectionI ran X with the new config file with
# X -config /root/xorg.conf.new, which technically produced an X11 session, but it's just a black screen, and the cursor doesn't work ― which is funny because the cursor works in the shell thanks to moused. Any help is greatly appreciated!!! <3
