# Frame.work laptop



## Jose (Oct 17, 2021)

Just got mine. First the good news. Freebsd 12.2 installs on it flawlessly and yields a text-mode system that is as stable as I've come to expect from Freebsd. However, I found no way of getting the Iris Xe graphics that come with the Intel chip to give me any sort of X screen. I tried drm-kmod. I tried xf86-video-intel. Heck I tried VESA. Nothing worked.

On to 13.0. First, the hilarity:





						259230 – Touching the touchpad on a frame.work laptop causes reboot or poweroff
					






					bugs.freebsd.org
				




The built-in graphics still don't work, but the i915kms module at least seems to find the hardware now. I guess it's missing some firmware:

```
drmn0: could not load firmware image 'i915/tgl_dmc_ver2_04.bin'
drmn0: Failed to load DMC firmware i915/tgl_dmc_ver2_04.bin. Disabling runtime power management.
drmn0: DMC firmware homepage: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/i915
```

It does create a /dev/dri/card0 node, but all the console screen does is flash between black and slightly less black. I tried `hw.vga.textmode=1` in /boot/loader.conf with no effect. This is not too surprising since support for this hardware was added in Linux 5.11, and the latest drm-kmod-devel is only up to 5.5.

I had some weird flakiness with the giant multi-function USB-C dongle I'm using to get network. I bought that thing to make my last Macbook Pro slightly less useless, so I was frankly surprised it worked at all with Freebsd. Anyone got recommendations for USB Ethernet and Wifi sticks to get? Yes, I want both.

I guess I'll try 14-CURRENT on that thing. I suppose they'll accept bug reports on that version if they are for new hardware?


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## grahamperrin@ (Oct 18, 2021)

Jose said:


> … 14-CURRENT … I suppose they'll accept bug reports on that version …



I can't think of any reason to decline a report. 14.0-CURRENT is the basis for development.


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## Jose (Oct 19, 2021)

There's good news: I got  video with 14-CURRENT and graphics/drm-devel-kmod. Touching the touchpad does not cause the poweroff/reboot problem when Xorg is running. Now I'm working on setting up my desktop on it. Work was sped up considerably when I discovered there are precompiled packages for 14-CURRENT which is pretty damn nice.


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## angry_vincent (Oct 19, 2021)

thanks for report, i looking for this brand, though no Ryzen builds yet


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## Jose (Oct 23, 2021)

I discovered that Startech publishes the actual chipset used in their adapters on their website.  AFAICT, everyone else publishes "data sheets" that are just marketing fluff designed to be handed out at trade shows. I ordered one of these








						USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter RJ45 - USB and Thunderbolt Network Adapters | StarTech.com
					

USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet NIC Network Adapter




					www.startech.com
				



And lo and behold, this is what 14-current reports:

```
ugen0.2: <ASIX Elec. Corp. AX88179> at usbus0
```
I also ordered one of these








						Wireless USB WiFi Adapter - Wifi dongle - Wireless Network Adapters | StarTech.com
					

Wireless USB WiFi Adapter - AC600 Dual-Band Nano USB Adapter




					www.startech.com
				




```
rtwn0: MAC/BB RTL8821AU, RF 6052 1T1R
```
Close enough as to make no difference. I'm buying from these guys from now on!


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## gpw928 (Oct 23, 2021)

Jose said:


> I discovered that Startech publishes the actual chipset used in their adapters on their website.


Yes, I have been buying different adapters from them for a while now, and I'm a happy customer...  
I really wish the Framework Laptop had a slightly larger screen.  My eyes are somewhat second hand, and I need all the screen real-estate I can get.


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## Jose (Oct 23, 2021)

gpw928 said:


> Yes, I have been buying different adapters from them for a while now, and I'm a happy customer...
> I really wish the Framework Laptop had a slightly larger screen.  My eyes are somewhat second hand, and I need all the screen real-estate I can get.


Yeah, the native 2256x1504 is crazy tiny and definitely out of the question for my middle-aged eyes. I futzed around with Xft.dpi to no avail, and finally ended up with this in my .xinitrc `xrandr --output eDP-1 --scale 0.6`. Still looks nice and I can actually read things on my screen now.


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## grahamperrin@ (Oct 23, 2021)

Thanks,



Jose said:


> … Startech publishes the actual chipset …



A minor criticism of the web site: anchors don't work. <https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usb433acd1x1#tech--specs> neither opens, nor scrolls to, the _Technical Specifications_ tab. The same problem with <https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usb433acd1x1#technical-tab>. With the required tab open, <https://www.startech.com/en-us/networking-io/usb433acd1x1#tech-specs-title> scrolls too far (makes the title invisible) … and so on.

PDF <https://media.startech.com/cms/pdfs/usb433acd1x1_datasheet.pdf> seems clearer. I can see the chipset without clicking.


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## grahamperrin@ (Nov 7, 2021)

Cross-reference: <https://old.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/qiqjou/framework_laptop/>


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## kpedersen (Nov 7, 2021)

Very useful info. Thanks!

Also, how does it "feel"? Does it feel fairly solid like a ThinkPad T60 or a little bit flimsy like an own-brand Walmart laptop? I.e Is it quite a thick plastic?


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## Jose (Nov 8, 2021)

It feels nice. Not quite as nice as a Macbook pro, but solid and well-constructed. I have pictures. I can upload them just as soon as I find them.


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## Jose (Nov 8, 2021)

BTW it looks like a Freebsd dev got feedback from a Frame.work firmware engineer on my bug:





						259230 – Touching the touchpad on a frame.work laptop causes reboot or poweroff
					






					bugs.freebsd.org
				




I am more and more impressed.


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## hsnyder (Nov 10, 2021)

Thanks for starting this thread - I have a framework laptop arriving soon as well. Please do keep posting your experiences/findings. I'll do the same once mine arrives.


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## yjqg6666 (Nov 21, 2021)

Jose You may check this: https://forums.FreeBSD.org/threads/lenovo-x1-carbon-gen-9.82216/post-543015. It's how I fixed it.


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## hsnyder (Nov 29, 2021)

I just received my framework laptop today, and got FreeBSD 14.0-Current installed on it. As Jose mentioned, the drm-devel-kmod package provides the working driver for the Iris Xe GPU. I'm using wayland with the sway compositor/window manager, and so far it appears to work perfectly.

The only thing(s) that I've noticed don't work are the function keys (i.e. screen backlight, volume control, and so on). Does anybody know of a solution for that?

I haven't tested the mic or webcam yet, so I can't comment on those. (Edit: both work!)


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## Jose (Nov 29, 2021)

hsnyder said:


> The only thing(s) that I've noticed don't work are the function keys (i.e. screen backlight, volume control, and so on). Does anybody know of a solution for that?


Maybe you have "function lock" on?





						How do I enter the BIOS on the Framework Laptop?
					

You can enter the BIOS setup screens to modify boot order, Secure Boot settings, switch the Ctrl and Fn keys, enable and disable internal devices like the ac...




					knowledgebase.frame.work
				











						BIOS guide
					

This wiki post is a community guide to the Framework Laptop BIOS.  Based BIOS product: InsydeH2O UEFI BIOS, Press release  BIOS vendor: Insyde Software - Wikipedia  BIOS Security Advisories (CVEs)  Proprietary BIOS. Framework bought the source code from Insyde Software, and modifies the code to...




					community.frame.work
				




I also had to add `hw.usb.no_boot_wait=1` to /boot/loader.conf. Did it work for you without this?


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## hsnyder (Nov 30, 2021)

I didn't need to add `hw.usb.no_boot_wait=1`... what wasn't working for you without that? Sadly I tried the multimedia keys both with and without the function lock and in neither case does it work. I take it it's working for you, then?


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## Jose (Nov 30, 2021)

hsnyder said:


> I didn't need to add `hw.usb.no_boot_wait=1`... what wasn't working for you without that? Sadly I tried the multimedia keys both with and without the function lock and in neither case does it work. I take it it's working for you, then?


I think it would slow down boot considerably if I had a USB stick in one of the ports.

I haven't messed with the multimedia keys, haha.

One other thing that might be useful. I created the file /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/touchpad.conf with contents:

```
Section "InputClass"
     Identifier "touchpad"
     MatchIsTouchpad "on"
     MatchDriver "libinput"
     Option "Tapping" "on"
     Option "TappingDrag" "True"
EndSection
```
To give myself tap-to-click.


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 1, 2021)

Jose said:


> I think it would slow down boot considerably if I had a USB stick in one of the ports. …



Generally (not specific to Framework hardware): I should expect the time taken to be _negligible_. 

There'll be detection of the device and its characteristics, but (assuming a storage device) no attempt to boot from what's stored.


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## Jose (Dec 1, 2021)

I forget the exact kernel message but it was something about a USB time-out. I'll look into it when I get time.


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 4, 2021)

FreeBSD bug 260161 – usb enumeration stalls on a framework laptop


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## cmoerz (Dec 5, 2021)

If I read this correctly - 12.2 installs fine, X11 appears to work with graphics/drm-kmod? Anyone care to share their battery runtime experience?

If this thing would offer a replaceable battery like in my x260 I'd probably already ordered one.


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## Jose (Dec 6, 2021)

cmoerz said:


> If I read this correctly - 12.2 installs fine, X11 appears to work with graphics/drm-kmod? Anyone care to share their battery runtime experience?
> 
> If this thing would offer a replaceable battery like in my x260 I'd probably already ordered one.


No graphics on 12.2 or 13. You'll need 14-CURRENT for the development version of drm-kmod to get graphics. Battery life was fine for me, but I'm not much of a road warrior. I compulsively charge all my battery-powered devices whenever possible.

The battery (along with everything else) is replaceable. That's the point of these laptops. I think you mean "easily replaceable" like something you could do in an airplane seat. It's not replaceable in that sense.


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 9, 2021)

Jose said:


> You'll need 14-CURRENT for the development version of drm-kmod to get graphics.



Has anyone tried drm-devel-kmod with 13.0-STABLE on this hardware?


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## Jose (Dec 9, 2021)

grahamperrin said:


> Has anyone tried drm-devel-kmod with 13.0-STABLE on this hardware?


"This version is the development version and only works on FreeBSD CURRENT."





						FreshPorts -- graphics/drm-devel-kmod: DRM modules for the linuxkpi-based KMS components (development version)
					

amdgpu, i915, and radeon DRM modules for the linuxkpi-based KMS components. Currently corresponding to Linux 5.5.19 DRM. This version is the development version and only works on FreeBSD CURRENT.  WWW: https://github.com/freebsd/drm-kmod




					www.freshports.org


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 11, 2021)

Jose there's a link from the FreshPorts page to a bug for the description, the question remains: 

has anyone tried drm-devel-kmod with 13.0-STABLE on this hardware?


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## Jose (Dec 11, 2021)

grahamperrin said:


> Jose there's a link from the FreshPorts page to a bug for the description, the question remains:
> 
> has anyone tried drm-devel-kmod with 13.0-STABLE on this hardware?


Not finding it. Got link?


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 11, 2021)

the first of the two bug icons leads to <https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/buglist.cgi?component=Individual Port(s)&list_id=454707&product=Ports & Packages&query_format=advanced&resolution=---&short_desc=graphics/drm-devel-kmod&short_desc_type=allwordssubstr>
one of the two results refers to 260074 – graphics/drm-devel-kmod package description does not express compatibility with stable/13


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## sko (Jan 12, 2022)

I am thinking about ordering a frame.work laptop as soon as a proper ethernet module is available.

I've never messed with STABLE/CURRENT branches, so forgive my ignorance: Are additions/patches to the drm-devel-kmod backported to the RELEASE branch(es)? I.e.: will the Iris Xe driver be available in drm-kmod for e.g. 13.1-RELEASE?

One thing that puzzles me the most is, if the modules can be swapped in and out at runtime without any issues, especially for the DP/HDMI modules (I don't think USB should be a problem...). I've been using XFCE with display profiles for quite some time now which works very well, but this addresses only screens (dis)appearing, not whole ports. How does X handle whole ports being added/removed?


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## freezr (Jan 12, 2022)

Are you guys reporting these issues to the Freme.work folks?

From what I heard in some podcasts they will be happy to help anyone to have his/her laptop fully working with any OS.


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## Jose (Jan 12, 2022)

Not me, but others have, yes:





						259230 – Touching the touchpad on a frame.work laptop causes reboot or poweroff
					






					bugs.freebsd.org
				




And Frame.work has already released a BIOS update that solves the problem:





						259230 – Touching the touchpad on a frame.work laptop causes reboot or poweroff
					






					bugs.freebsd.org
				




I've bought a second one of these for my son. They're a company worth supporting.


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## grahamperrin@ (Jan 13, 2022)

sko said:


> … Are additions/patches to the drm-devel-kmod backported to the RELEASE branch(es)?



<https://cgit.freebsd.org/ports/commit/?id=4519b9e81473444a7a2ac2bffe2158bd2da05b36> (2022-01-10) included `drm-fbsd13-kmod` …



sko said:


> I.e.: will the Iris Xe driver be available in drm-kmod for e.g. 13.1-RELEASE? …



… that, I can't guess.


Not Framework-specific, but maybe of interest, from <https://forums.freebsd.org/profile-posts/comments/6676/>:



> … downgraded. Summary <https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=261166#c5>, …


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## grahamperrin@ (Feb 26, 2022)

FreeBSD bug 262152 – Framework Laptop: Feature support, bugs and improvements

a tracking bug, so see <https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/showdependencytree.cgi?id=262152&hide_resolved=1>


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