# Does FreeBSD have trouble with Ryzen support?



## vedantg (Feb 22, 2021)

In my experience as a Linux user, I have had no problem with my rig ( Ryzen 5 2400g, RX 5500 XT) on Arch, Ubuntu, and Gentoo. I am now looking to dual boot with a BSD. I was wondering whether FreeBSD still does not support Ryzen/Navi GPUs, because I know that the BSDs in general are less rolling-release than Gentoo or Arch, for example. I'm also nervous because I have never used a UNIX-like system apart from Linux, so beginner advice and info is welcome. Thanks in advance.


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## SirDice (Feb 22, 2021)

It should work. But you might need to use 13.0 (will be released soon but you can try the beta releases now) for a more up to date DRM support, graphics/drm-fbsd13-kmod.









						FreeBSD 13.0 Release Process
					

FreeBSD is an operating system used to power modern servers, desktops, and embedded platforms.




					www.freebsd.org


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## scottro (Feb 22, 2021)

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer:
I have a T495 with Ryzen 7. I did have to use 13.0 (it was CURRENT when I first got the laptop) to get the drm module working. My experience so far is that you should install the drm-fbsd13-kmod (though I found the normal drm-kmod also worked) and unlike some versions of 12.x, the pkg version is fine, you don't have to build it from ports. Aside from that, it's worked perfectly for me. 

Longer answer if using UEFI--this part isn't limited to Ryzen.
One issue I have had is that Debian style grub has had trouble booting it. I have been able to boot it from a CentOS-8 grub2, and in edition, on this laptop at least, it's added itself to the UEFI menu so that if I hit F12, (this latop's method of choosing a boot loader), FreeBSD is presented as an option. 

If doing multi boot on a UEFI machine, you may find that the installer says, this will not boot without a UEFI partition, should I make one. Choose yes, and it will make a small UEFI partition, separate from the one that Linux is using.


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## bda65 (Feb 22, 2021)

I can confirm the compatibility of the RX5500 XT as i've got one in my workstation (with Threadripper CPU). 13.0 from BETA1 to BETA3 work perfectly. There is a minor problem with 3D. You need to add "LIBGL_DRI3_DISABLE=1" because some OpenGL are slow with DRI3 actually (like main main tool blender). I've got same result with "env vblank_mode=0 blender" but with more tearing.
The power management of the GPU is not finished but it's really fast.
This workstation run FreeBSD 13.0-BETA3 as main OS (i'm freelancer). No problem. It's not as fast as with Obarun (archlinux without systemd) but it's faster than expected. The difference is not important. And, cherry on cake, each update do not broke thing.


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## SirDice (Feb 22, 2021)

scottro said:


> (though I found the normal drm-kmod also worked)


The graphics/drm-kmod is a convenient meta-port, depending on the version of the OS it pulls in graphics/drm-fbsd12.0-kmod, graphics/drm-fbsd13-kmod, graphics/drm-fbsd11.2-kmod or graphics/drm-current-kmod. That way you don't have to worry about the specifics. 


```
.if ${OSVERSION} >= 1103000 && ${OSVERSION} < 1200000
RUN_DEPENDS=    ${KMODDIR}/drm.ko:graphics/drm-fbsd11.2-kmod
.elif ${OSVERSION} >= 1200058 && ${OSVERSION} < 1300000
RUN_DEPENDS=    ${KMODDIR}/drm.ko:graphics/drm-fbsd12.0-kmod
.elif ${OSVERSION} >= 1300000 && ${OSVERSION} < 1300136
IGNORE=         not supported on older 13, no kernel support
.elif ${OSVERSION} >= 1300136 && ${OSVERSION} < 1400000
RUN_DEPENDS=    ${KMODDIR}/drm.ko:graphics/drm-fbsd13-kmod
.elif ${OSVERSION} >= 1400000
RUN_DEPENDS=    ${KMODDIR}/drm.ko:graphics/drm-current-kmod
.else
IGNORE=         not supported for this configuration
.endif
```


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## vedantg (Feb 25, 2021)

Sorry, I have another newbie question. Have any of you guys used Linux before? If so, do you find it any different from FreeBSD? Are there any things I should know before making the jump? Again, I thank you in advance.


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## bda65 (Feb 25, 2021)

My path:
BSD/Unix, NetBSD, Linux (many different distribution, Obarun was the last one) and now FreeBSD. Tried/used other BSD and other OS (never really used windows).
If all important part of your computer is compatible with FreeBSD, try it. In a VM or installed on a HDD/SSD or USB key.
FreeBSD is an OS with a long story since BSD/Unix. Linux is just a kernel. All parts of a Linux based OS are made by different people/team. And many parts evolves in different ways.


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## scottro (Feb 25, 2021)

Unfortunately, that is a rather vague question. Yes, I've used Linux and yes there are differences, some positive, some negative. A lot of this depends upon what Linux you've been using. There's less difference, for example, between VoidLinux and FreeBSD than there is between Ubuntu and FreeBSD. 
For example, at least with Intel cards, Linux's wireless speed is far higher than FreeBSD's.  You may have to configure X--not entirely manually, but perhaps with more user input than say, Ubuntu, which does it out of the box.

The best answer is try it and see, and ask questions when you get stuck.  If you're using MBR BIOS, FreeBSD does require a primary partition. If using efi, when installing it, you need manual intervention to get FreeBSD's loader in the efi partition, but if you don't, it will just give a message, you need an efi partition, should it be created and if you put yes, it will create a small, separate efi partition.  

Again, I think the best answer is try it and see. It may appeal to you and it may not.


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## drhowarddrfine (Feb 25, 2021)

I've used Linux off and on, over the years, to do things for others. The three main issues I had were 

1) Files and libraries and other things were never anywhere I would expect them to be. I don't mean it wasn't the same as FreeBSD. I mean it just didn't make sense or some things were in one directory while other parts were in another when, to me, they should be grouped together.

2) Documentation is confusing and tends to send you off in multiple directions for documentation that also sends you everywhere else.

3) No two distros are the same. A configuration for software on one might not work on another.


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