# Startx 'no screen' failure



## jaymax (Mar 19, 2018)

FreeBSD on External HD is double Booted from a HP Notebook - 17-ak013dx platform; Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS

Graphic specs supplied ==>

```
Generic PnP Monitor (1600x900@60Hz)    512MB ATI AMD Radeon R5 Graphics (HP)
```


```
# uname
FreeBSD Machine_a 11.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE #0 r321309: Fri Jul 21 02:08:28 UTC 2017     root@releng2.nyi.freebsd.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  amd64
```

`# xorg -configure` => config file
config file copied to -
/etc/X11/xorg.conf
/usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
and
/usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d


`# startx` output

```
root@Machine_a:/home/jaymax # startx
xauth:  file /root/.serverauth.18604 does not exist

X.Org X Server 1.18.4
Release Date: 2016-07-19
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE-p7 amd64
Current Operating System: FreeBSD Machine_a 11.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE #0 r321309: Fri Jul 21 02:08:28 UTC 2017     root@releng2.nyi.freebsd.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC amd64
Build Date: 08 March 2018  08:16:21AM

Current version of pixman: 0.34.0
        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: Mon Mar 19 07:17:43 2018
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Using config directory: "/usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(EE)
Fatal server error:
(EE) no screens found(EE)
(EE)
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
         at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
(EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
(EE)
(EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
xinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
xinit: server error
```

Have looked in on http://wiki.x.org
This occurs boot as root or as non root user.
But still at a loss of what to do next, perhaps someone here can help.

I have noted too that /root/.serverauth.18604  is missing but not sure if this is installed with the application or not?
Currently there is a /root/.Xauthority and a /root/xorg.conf file there.

Thanks!


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## SirDice (Mar 19, 2018)

jaymax said:


> config file copied to -
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf
> /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
> and
> /usr/local/share/X11/xorg.conf.d


Remove all of them and follow the handbook: Handbook: 5.4. Xorg Configuration


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## xchris (Mar 21, 2018)

BTW Radeon R5 on 11.1 will run just on VESA driver.


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## jaymax (Mar 21, 2018)

SirDice said:


> Remove all of them and follow the handbook: Handbook: 5.4. Xorg Configuration



Deleted the files mentioned, added kern.vty=vt to the boot loader.conf file and restarted.
==> startx then did a scfb trace and probe before giving a fatal server error with a



> Cannot run in framebuffer mode. Please specify busIDs       for all framebuffer devices


*?*​


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## SirDice (Mar 21, 2018)

jaymax said:


> added kern.vty=vt to the boot loader.conf file and restarted.


No need for that, it's been the default for some time now. 

Can you tell us a bit about the hardware? What graphics card does it have for example?


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## xchris (Mar 21, 2018)

jaymax mentioned the R5, belongs to the Sea Islands family.


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## jaymax (Mar 21, 2018)

SirDice said:


> No need for that, it's been the default for some time now.
> 
> Can you tell us a bit about the hardware? What graphics card does it have for example?



Thanks! 
Here is a summary
Specs generated by -
Piriform Speccy v1.31.732 15 Mar 2018 @ 23:38
*
Summary*


> Operating System
> Windows 10 Home 64-bit
> CPU
> AMD A9    27 °C
> ...


_________________________________________


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## SirDice (Mar 21, 2018)

I am completely lost when it comes to chipset numbers for ATI, but if xchris is correct and the R5 is a Sea Island card, then I'm afraid you're out of luck, it's not supported. Not yet at least.

https://wiki.freebsd.org/Graphics#AMD_.2F_Radeon_Graphics


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## jaymax (Mar 21, 2018)

xchris said:


> jaymax mentioned the R5, belongs to the Sea Islands family.



 Thanks for your input
But how does one change the driver [to VESA] without tinkering with the config file, which Handbook: 5.4. Xorg Configuration  seems to advise against? Perhaps, dust pull it down from the ports.


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## SirDice (Mar 21, 2018)

Create a /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver-vesa.conf with this content:

```
Section "Device"
  Identifier "Card0"
  Driver "vesa"
EndSection
```
No other configurations would be needed. It should already be installed but verify if x11-drivers/xf86-video-vesa is indeed present.


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## xchris (Mar 21, 2018)

SirDice said:


> I am completely lost when it comes to chipset numbers for ATI, but if xchris is correct and the R5 is a Sea Island card, then I'm afraid you're out of luck, it's not supported. Not yet at least.
> 
> https://wiki.freebsd.org/Graphics#AMD_.2F_Radeon_Graphics



Even its not Sea Islands is Volcanic Islands but no way an earlier model than S.I.
The specs on HP say that the laptop has an A9-9420, (2017), just imagine I spent a month with older (Kaveri) APUs with R5 (and even R3) and I managed to have a proper display ,only by installing 12-Current or TrueOS (the unstable version based on 12-Current).


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## jaymax (Mar 23, 2018)

Now that you have mentioned TrueOS, is it possible that the use of an emulator can be an effective 'work around'. If feasible would you recommend a few.

Thanks!


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## xchris (Mar 24, 2018)

jaymax said:


> Now that you have mentioned TrueOS, is it possible that the use of an emulator can be an effective 'work around'. If feasible would you recommend a few.
> 
> Thanks!



if you mean visualization under eg win10, then try virtualbox , I bet it will work fine with your specs (the A9-9420 supports virtualization), anyway it will be temporary, as the 11.2-release (drm-next-kmod) should be ready around mid summer, so you won't have to wait for 12-release (next year)


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## jaymax (Mar 24, 2018)

Nope! I was thinking of the FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE workaround but I do see the hardware limitation. I;ll just have to sweat it out.

Thanks again!


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