Notebook Asus K55VD. No X and no Wi-Fi.

Hi all!

I have bought an Asus K55VD notebook and have installed FreeBSD 9.1. It's good that the BIOS of this notebook supports MBR. Just GPT installation is not working. I don't know why. Maybe there is a problem with EFI.

But the main questions:

It has an Nvidia GeForce 610M video card. I have downloaded the last version of Nvidia driver for FreeBSD x86_64 from the official site that supports this card. After configuring Xorg using nvidia-xconfig (and also I have many manipulations with xorg.conf by hand), I have this log on starting the X server anyway:

Code:
(II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "nvidia-auto-select"
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initiate mode change.
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to complete mode change
(II) NVIDIA(0): Built-in logo is bigger than the screen

Xorg is started but there is no picture. Google and the README file have no answers for these messages. Has anybody any ideas why this happened and how it may be fixed?

Also it seems there is an Atheros Wi-Fi card installed in this notebook. And the manufacturer named it ath9 for Linux (if I'm not wrong). Is it possible to port this driver to FreeBSD?

Thanks in advance!

Andrey Shestakov
 
Code:
(II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "nvidia-auto-select"
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initiate mode change.
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to complete mode change
(II) NVIDIA(0): Built-in logo is bigger than the screen

I have the same exact issue, and haven't been able to figure out how to fix it. Please let me know if you ever figured out how to fix it.
 
This notebook has both NVidia and Intel video, aka Optimus. Make sure xorg.conf only specifies one Device, not both. Check the BIOS to see if either can be disabled. I would expect it to work with the intel video driver with the NVidia disabled, but have not tested any NVidia systems. Thread 30359 is a year old but may be useful as background.
 
There is no any parameter in BIOS for disabling any video card. I've tried to use vesa and intel video drivers for device vgapci1. Here are logs for both cases.

It's for vesa driver:
Code:
(II) VESA(0): Setting up VESA Mode 0x17F (1366x768)
(II) VESA(0): VBESetVBEMode failed

Fatal server error:
AddScreen/ScreenInit failed for driver 0

For intel driver loading ends on definition device. It seems chip in this notebook is not intel or too new.

In every case I've used Xorg -configure and after that have commented the first device in xorg.conf.
 
Yes, the laptop uses "Optimus technology". I've tried:

  • Specifying one device as you suggested.
  • Two devices as suggested on NVIDIA's website.

The BIOS does not let me disable either of the graphics. I can get the system to boot completely if I don't install NVIDIA's driver. But then the OS is not using the GPU which defeats the whole purpose of having a GPU in the first place.
 
Time to ask NVidia about what should be done for FreeBSD Optimus systems. As far as I know, only the Intel driver is usable, and then only with FreeBSD 9.1 or later and KMS. But I have no systems like that to test.
 
So, it seems any decision will come not soon. Am I wrong? Just I need the notebook working completely. It's a part of my work. And my old laptop is dying.
 
@ornicum,

I have a thread on nVidia's site on this issue here

Based on a response I got, I was able to avoid that "mode change fail" error and finally load X, but it fails to load GLX. How it was done is listed there. I suggest you check it out and explain your situation and maybe we can get a response from nVidia...

Also, I had an issue with the Atheros driver and had to manually install it myself.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@matchcase,

Thank you for post.

Well. I have recompiled my kernel with:
Code:
device drm
device agp
For supporting KMS, new GPU from Intel etc.

After that I've tried to configure my xorg.conf:
Code:
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 319.17  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-06)  Thu Apr 25 20:45:42 PDT 2013

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0"
    Inactive       "Screen1"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/misc/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
    FontPath        "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/sysmouse"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "keyboard"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
    #Option         "UseDisplayDevice" "none"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "modesetting"
    BusID          "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen1"
    Device         "Device1"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

So, here is the log file:
Code:
X.Org X Server 1.7.7
Release Date: 2010-05-04
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE amd64
Current Operating System: FreeBSD  9.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE #8: Tue Jul  9 22:52:27 NOVT 2013     root@:/usr/src/sys/amd64/compile/ornicum amd64
Build Date: 02 July 2013  02:30:56AM

Current version of pixman: 0.24.2
    Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
    to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
    (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
    (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Jul  9 23:33:06 2013
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
Data incomplete in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
    Undefined Device "Screen1" referenced by ServerLayout "Layout0".
Bus error: 10 at address 0x802c138de

Fatal server error:
Caught signal 10 (Bus error: 10). Server aborting


Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
     at http://wiki.x.org
 for help.
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm not sure what it is you're trying to do right now. The error you're getting implies that you probably should modify your xorg.conf as

Code:
Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0"
    Inactive       "[color="Red"]Device1[/color]"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

But I expect after you do that, you'd get the same
Code:
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initiate mode change.
(EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to complete mode change
error.
 
@matchcase,

It's just another identifier for device. You can understand this if you are looking at the whole configuration. Just "Device1" instead of "intel". I think it doesn't matter. The main option is a driver for device at this case.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ok, I think I have almost fixed it. I've tried a thousand different things, but the most recent set of steps I did are as follows:

  1. Booted as runlevel 3, blacklisted nouveau, and installed NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-319.32.
  2. Manually created /etc/X11/xorg.conf file with following contents
    Code:
    Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Layout0"
        Screen      0  "nvidia"
        Inactive	   "intel"
    EndSection
    
    Section "Monitor"
        Identifier     "Monitor0"
        VendorName     "Unknown"
        ModelName      "Unknown"
        HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
        VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
        Option         "DPMS"
    EndSection
    
    Section "Device"
        Identifier     "nvidia"
        Driver         "nvidia"
        VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BusID 	   "PCI:1:0:0"
    EndSection
    
    Section "Device"
        Identifier     "intel"
        Driver         "modesetting"
        BusID 	   "PCI:0:2:0"
    EndSection
    
    Section "Screen"
        Identifier     "nvidia"
        Device         "nvidia"
        Option "UseDisplayDevice" "none"
    EndSection
    
    Section "Screen"
        Identifier     "intel"
        Device         "intel"
        Monitor        "Monitor0"
    EndSection
    In above, you obviously need to use the correct BusID.
  3. Created /root/.xinitrc file and added the contents
    Code:
    xrandr --setprovideroutputsource modesetting NVIDIA-0
    xrandr --auto
    exec mate-session
    See notes below.
  4. Rebooted.
  5. Removed nomodeset from kernel line. This results in having a black screen when booting. It turns out that the screen isn't black, but the backlight is off. If you hold the monitor at a right angle, you might be able to barely see what's going on the monitor. At this point, I think nomodeset is what makes it work.
  6. After boot is complete (guessed when it's complete since I can't see the screen), opened up a tty2 (Alt+Ctl+F2). At this point, the backlight turns on and I can see what's going on.
  7. Logged in as my username, and did startx.

Some notes:
  1. I'm running Fedora 19 at this point.
  2. GNOME3 will crash when I startx. I use MATE instead, and found that it doesn't crash.
  3. I need to figure out a straightforward way to boot now without doing half of these steps.
  4. My monitor resolution is fixed at 1600x900 right now and can't change it.
 
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