Solved Install FreeBSD on laptop

Vctrsnts

Vctrsnts

Good morning.

I installing FreeBSD on Dell XPS LX502 with Nvidia + Intel connected to a monitor with mini-display. Before installing, search information about hardware compatibility and all supported. That if I have to say it has two graphics cards. Nvidia and Intel.

Also I have to say that I come from have long user of GNU/Debian Unstable.

I performed the installation of FreeBSD-Current, Stable 10.3 and Release 10.3 with very different results with each of them.

Then I explain what has happened with each of them and see if I'm doing something wrong.

Release 10.3: When Xorg -config make xorg-server.conf.new, black screen and the only way it gets, it is to change console and kill the process. I looked at the log file, but do not see any remarkable error.

Stable 10.3: Perfect installation and configuration of Xorg. The only thing that worries me is the volatility of applications. For example, last week try to install Thunar, but it was impossible, because the package was not. Instead, this week is available.
Try installing from sources, but the laptop temperature reset issue. What I see is that with Stable in fan is always on at full capacity, never "quite". I have also activated the "powerd_enable" option in /etc/rc.conf

Current 11.0: If I was amazed about the volatility of applications, here I do not say as I left. Xfce was available one day and the next no longer. I know what I can compile, but ...

This is what happened to me when installing the different "versions". Which recomendais you?

Thanks if you can clear my doubts I have.

PD: Sorry for my English
 
A few ideas:

  1. Hybrid graphics is not an option. If you have the option, turn off either the Nvidia or Intel chip in the UEFI setup menu. It looks like your machine has a Haswell series Intel chip, so you would need to user 11-CURRENT to get that working---otherwise the Nvidia chip should work with the official Nvidia driver. Having both chips active might be what's causing your heat problem.
  2. You do not need to create a Xorg configuration. That process has been obsolete for a few years now.
  3. All releases of FreeBSD use the same ports tree. It doesn't matter which version you choose---you'll get the same ports. Meanwhile, all minor versions of the same major version use the same package repository as well, so 10-STABLE and 10.3 have the same package repository. Sometimes a new version of a package does not build with the settings its ports has; it has to happen once in a while. At the same time, things are expected to occasionally break on -CURRENT, including the ABI that the packages rely on. That is the price of having a rolling-release model.
 
ANOKNUSA said:
All releases of FreeBSD use the same ports tree. It doesn't matter which version you choose---you'll get the same ports.
Click to expand...
Only one small addition: there are two (main) branches in ports tree (see here) and packages: the latest and the quarterly. The latest ports tree (and package repository) contains fresh, newest packages and the quarterly contains a little bit old (max. some months) packages.
 
Vctrsnts said:
I performed the installation of FreeBSD-Current, Stable 10.3 and Release 10.3 with very different results with each of them.
Click to expand...
Vctrsnts said:
This is what happened to me when installing the different "versions". Which recomendais you?
Click to expand...
FreeBSD-CURRENT is the "beeding-edge" version, and is primary aimed at developers.

FreeBSD-STABLE is more... stable than -CURRENT, but it's still a development branch, so you can find some bugs here and there, because new features and changes are merged rapidly (even if not so rapidly as in -CURRENT), so it's aimed at experienced FreeBSD users that are able to solve them.

FreeBSD-RELEASE is the production ready development branch. So if are more interested in stability than new features, I would suggest you -RELEASE. For more info about differences between development branches look here.

Note, however, that how ANOKNUSA said, if you have Haswell graphics you need FreeBSD 11. So, or you wait until FreeBSD 11-RELEASE come out, or you can install 10.3 and try with vesa drivers in the meantime.
 
Vctrsnts said:
When Xorg -config make xorg-server.conf.new, black screen
Click to expand...
Please stop using that. See the Handbook: Xorg Configuration.

Vctrsnts said:
Xfce was available one day and the next no longer.
Click to expand...
As uzsolt says, package availability can change with the repository. And compiling from ports is always an option. A Haswell machine would not take long to build xfce.

Maxnix: thanks to -CURRENT being used on the FreeBSD cluster, the situation is different than it was in the past. It is . The major disadvantage for inexperienced users is building a custom kernel to disable WITNESS and get better performance. It runs very nicely on a Haswell notebook here, with suspend and graphics support.

-STABLE refers to the ABI, meaning that programs compiled for 10.1 will continue to run on 10.2 or any of the 10.X line. In terms of reliability, it compares favorably to pretty much anything.
 
Thanks ANOKNUSA, uszolt, Maxnix, wblock. Thanks a lot
  • Its impossible to dissabled. I like, but my BIOS ( no UEFI ) dont have this option.
  • Dont have Haswell, have SandyBrige and is supported by FreeBSD ( I search in FreeBSD hardware supported ).
  • Xorg configuration is not necessary, OK. But how in HandBook ( 5.4.8 ) put the manual configuration... I think... NO PROBLEMO.
  • I prove with STABLE and if not "stable" for me, change to RELEASE.
Thanks a lot...
 
wblock@ said:
Maxnix: thanks to -CURRENT being used on the FreeBSD cluster, the situation is different than it was in the past. It is . The major disadvantage for inexperienced users is building a custom kernel to disable WITNESS and get better performance.
Click to expand...
I knew from an article on BSD Magazine that -CURRENT was usable for daily tasks, but thought that, however, it was harder to manage for less skilled users. Glad to know that the major disadvantage is disabling WITNESS! :)
wblock@ said:
It runs very nicely on a Haswell notebook here, with suspend and graphics support.
Click to expand...
I have not a Haswell PC, but I'm glad to hear good news for suspend and graphics support. :)
wblock@ said:
-STABLE refers to the ABI, meaning that programs compiled for 10.1 will continue to run on 10.2 or any of the 10.X line. In terms of reliability, it compares favorably to pretty much anything.
Click to expand...
I didn't know that -STABLE referred to the ABI. Thank you for clarifying it :)
 
On my Dell E6430's the Nvidia firmware option is called 'Optimus' under Video. Turn it off. This will use the HD4000 graphics on the CPU instead.
 
It should also be possible to just ignore the Nvidia hardware, either by not referring to it, or by having a Device entry which has a Option Enabled Off (or something like that).
 
Thanks a lot.

Is impossible to disable in BIOS.

I tried with the script...

Another question, with message about ANOKNUSA, yesterday testing RELEASE 10.3 and run Xorg without file configuration and see this message:
Code: 
no screens found
Today testing with RELEASE 10.3 with script that Phishfry...

If not work testing STABLE with script and...

Thanks a lot that people help me.

Thanks
 
Hi everything.

This weekend testing STABLE without xorg.conf.new and the result is bad. Very bad...
Code: 
Fatal server error:
(EE) no screens found(EE)

In my case, is necessary a file. Ok, no problem... Create a file, and run.

The other question is the fan. In /etc/rc.conf put on powerd_enable="YES" and everytime, the fan is working on at full capacity.

I test https://wiki.freebsd.org/TuningPowerConsumption,, compile and all ok, but I dont see any different between before and after.

Any idea with the fan. Is my principal problem.

Thanks a lot.
 
I'm not sure that it's enough to just enable powerd. You will have to set some flags to tell powerd how to behave. The powerd(8) man page details all the available runtime options.

For a more concrete example (not necessarily fan-related) check out this link. Or you could search for other examples in these forums using the strings 'powerd_enable' or 'powerd_flags'.
 
Hi.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Install FreeBSD ( STABLE ) without problem. And perfect. Using with Xfce and no problem..

Now I have two problems:
  • High temperature ( 64º ) when not working and when working the normal is 75º.
    • Sorry for this example, but in Debian, working ( virtualbox, firefox, etc ) normally 54º - 65º )
  • Compile Kernel error. Is a stupid problem. Not space in HD :oops:
But open in the other thread.

Thanks a lot..

The adventure begins now... ;)
 
Vctrsnts said:
Hi.


Now I have two problems:
  • High temperature ( 64º ) when not working and when working the normal is 75º.
    • Sorry for this example, but in Debian, working ( virtualbox, firefox, etc ) normally 54º - 65º )
  • Compile Kernel error. Is a stupid problem. Not space in HD :oops:
;)
Click to expand...

Hi. I also have problems with the temperature on the laptop. You found a solution to this problem?
 
Hi.

Solution, Solution :), I thinking yes, but...

I use this :

In file /etc/rc.conf
Code: 
powerd_enable="NO"
performance_cx_lowest="Cmax"
economy_cx_lowest="Cmax"
In file /boot/loader.conf
Code: 
hint.p4tcc.0.disabled=1
hint.acpi_throttle.0.disabled=1
drm.i915.enable_rc6=7
coretemp_load="YES"

And this https://wiki.freebsd.org/TuningPowerConsumption, NVIDIA Optimus. But in this point I have a problem. Download the script, execute the script and working, but I dont how put the instruccion for using in the next boot

This is my last problem? How disable GPU ( Nvidia ) for next boot.

I hope help you.

Bye
 
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