Failed to load module "nvidia-modeset" (module does not exist, 0), Fatal server error: no screens found

[osalbahr]

Hello, I just installed FreeBSD using FreeBSD-14.3-STABLE-amd64-20250710-7a96c75098af-271907-memstick.img (because wifi did not work with FreeBSD-14.3-RELEASE) on a Lenovo Thinkpad W520 and I am failing to start gdm.

I followed the handbook to install Xorg, setup Nvidia drivers, and install GNOME. After I rebooted, I got the login: prompt (instead of gdm) and right after it the following error message:

gdm[1360]: GLib-GIO: g_dbus_proxy_new_for_bus_sync: assertion 'g_variant_is_object_path (object path)' failed

To investigate, I tried going the startx path (also using the handbook) and got the following error:

Fatal server error:
(EE) no screens found
[...]
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused

(see attached screenshot for more)

And in the /var/log/Xorg.0.log:

Failed to load module "nvidia-modeset" (module does not exist, 0)
No drivers available

(see attached screenshots for more)

My Nvidia card is GF106GLM [Quadro 2000M]. I also have another display device: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller. But I would rather use the Nvidia GPU for graphics.

I searched "g_dbus_proxy_new_for_bus_sync" and got the following forum post: https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/help-gdm-issue-stumped-google-ai-anyone-fixed-this.98323

Unfortunately the user resolved it by installing MATE instead.

When searching "Failed to load module nvidia-modeset" I got the following post: https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/drivers-for-nvidia-gtx-970-and-set-up-freebsd-resolution.78428

I installed and ran nvidia-xconfig as root. It seemed all it did was create a basic xorg.conf (as a user suggested) in /etc/X11. I still get the same error messages.

When running kldstat I see the following:

kernel
zfs.ko
cryptodev.ko
acpi_wmi.ko
ichsmb.ko
smbus.ko
ng_ubt.ko
netgraph.ko
ng_hci.ko
ng_bluetooth.ko
ng_l2cap.ko
ng_btsocket.ko
ng_socket.ko

It seems that the Nvidia module is not loaded.

What can I do to troubleshoot this issue?

 

[toddgl]

I think that you are experiencing this bug Bug 287955

 

[osalbahr]

I think that you are experiencing this bug Bug 287955

Thank you for linking this bug. It does mention the same gdm error message. However, I can’t start with startx either, while in the bug report states that “command startx is fine”. So I think my issue might be different. Idk.

 

[T-Aoki]

Your GPU is NOT supported by x11/nvidia-driver, but x11/nvidia-driver-390 according to the supported GPU list.

Assuming you've installed x11/nvidia-driver-390,

• Did you add nvidia-modeset to kld_list variable in your /etc/rc.conf?
• And did you configured as of Chapter 5.2.3 and 5.5.2 of the handbook?

Note that if you are booting via BIOS, not UEFI, and using sc instead of vt as console, scfb wouldn't work. In this case, x11-drivers/xf86-video-vesa would work as fallback when nvidia driver somehow doesn't work.

And you cannot use graphics/nvidia-drm-*-kmod, as they do NOT support legacy [-470|-390|-340|-304] versions of drivers, as they don't have required codes.

 

[osalbahr]

Your GPU is NOT supported by x11/nvidia-driver, but x11/nvidia-driver-390 according to the supported GPU list.

Thank you for pointing that out. I have removed nvidia-drm-kmod and installed nvidia-driver-390. I rebooted and still get the same errors.

Did you add nvidia-modeset to kld_list variable in your /etc/rc.conf?

I did not initially, but now I did. I rebooted and still get the same errors.

And did you configured as of Chapter 5.2.3 and 5.5.2 of the handbook?

Yes.

Note that if you are booting via BIOS, not UEFI, and using sc instead of vt as console, scfb wouldn't work.

Just checked, the boot method is surprisingly BIOS. Quick search shows that my Thinkpad W520 supports UEFI and I don't remember doing anything special to make it boot via BIOS.

I created /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-vesa.conf (I attempted installing xf86-video-vesa and it's already installed), rebooted, and I still get the same gdm error. And I cannot start with startx either. I don't see anything interesting in the logs, but I attached screenshots for startx output and /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

And here is my /etc/rc.conf for reference:

wlans_iwn0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA DHCP"
ifconfig_wlan0_ipv6="inet6 accept_rtadv"
sshd_enable="YES"
moused_nondefault_enable="NO"
# Set dumpdev to "AUTO" to enable crash dumps, "NO" to disable
dumpdev="AUTO"
zfs_enable="YES"
kld_list="nvidia-drm nvidia-modeset"
dbus_enable="YES"
gdm_enable="YES"
ifconfig_em0="DHCP"

 

[osalbahr]

Since all GPU drivers are failing, I am falling back to the Intel graphics driver.

I installed drm-kmod and now I can see a visual improvement in the dimensions of the terminal. I also created 20-intel.conf with the documented content. However, upon rebooting, I still get the same gdm error, and the startx error is:

Fatal server error:
Cannot run in framebuffer mode. Please specify busyIDs for all framebuffer devices

And the same error in xorg logs.

I attached screenshots of both.

Edit: I tried removing the nvidia ones in kld_list (with sysrc kld_list-=[...]) and I still get the same startx error (and the gdm error is still there, too).

 

[nobody]

Modeset driver does not work properly some old computers, but if making an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file which uses vesa driver, GUI desktop is starting. For knowing the hardware install inxi and run

inxi -SMGx

 

[T-Aoki]

Modeset driver does not work properly some old computers, but if making an /etc/X11/xorg.conf file which uses vesa driver, GUI desktop is starting. For knowing the hardware install inxi and run

inxi -SMGx

Some really old GPUs are NOT supported by Production Branch (and New Feature Branch) of drivers.

Note that legacy drivers BEFORE 470 branch would be dissapear at some point (don't know when, only nvidia knows).
At nvidia Unix drivers page, pre-470 drivers, which supports i386, already dissapeared. But fortunately, can still be fetched currently.

nvidia states support timeframes of their legacy Unix drivers here.

 

[nobody]

The easiest way to see what driver is loaded, is to install inxi and run

inxi -Gxx