# Video Issue Installing FBSD 11.1 on 20" iMac Early 2008 (iMac8,1)



## decuser (Aug 21, 2017)

I am trying to repurpose my old iMac as a FreeBSD 11.1 workstation and I'm getting a whacked out screen when I boot into the installer from EFI USB after selecting, 1. Boot into Multiuser, in bsdinstall. It looks like the horizontal scan is off on each row and as a result the screen is unreadable. Up until the boot screen, all looks fine, but after I select a boot option or type boot into the loader prompt, and the loader gets past text, data, then syms it goes all screwy.

I tried some boot options like:

kern.vty=vt
hw.vga.textmode=1
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1280x800"

to no effect. and:
kern.vty=sc
hw.vga.textmode=1

which resulted in an error detecting the video fb mode, stride, etc.

Here are the system specs in some more detail:
iMac 20 inch Aluminum, early 2008, iMac8,1
Native Resolution - 1680x1050 32-Bit Color
Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 GHz
6GB 800MHz DDR 2 SDRAM
ATI Radeon HD 2400 PCIe GPU 128MB VRAM

On my Dell 755, which also has a Radeon 2400, I didn't have any issue with the installer, but I enabled radeonkms in loader.conf after installing to get better console resolution. Is there a way to load the kms drivers for the radeon during install and do you think that will fix the problem here or what else can I try?


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## Phishfry (Aug 21, 2017)

What about `gop list` from the loader prompt and some variations of this:
`gop set 0
boot`
and maybe try variations of this:
`mode 0
boot`

Some video loader commands.
https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-October/274051.html



decuser said:


> kern.vty=sc


This won't work with EFI. Has to be vt


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## decuser (Aug 21, 2017)

OK. Sticking with vt. As for
`gop list`

It says
`gop: Graphics Output Protocol not present (error = 14)`

`mode 0`

didn't change the result, neither did modes 1 or 2. The console display changed, but after the syms loaded, same scan issue.


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## decuser (Aug 23, 2017)

I was able to get video working sufficiently to power KDE. Basically, to be able to boot, I followed these steps:

1. Boot from USB
2. At the Welcome to FreeBSD Screen, press 3 for the loader prompt
3. At the loader prompt, enter `boot-conf`
4. Interrupt the boot process by pressing any key after syms load.
5. At the loader prompt (looks the same, but the kernel's loaded this time), enter:
`load /boot/kernel/radeonkmsfw_RV610_pfp.ko
load /boot/kernel/radeonkmsfw_RV610_me.ko
load /boot/kernel/radeonkmsfw_R600_rlc.ko
load /boot/kernel/radeonkms.ko
set kern.vty=vt
boot`

Then, I added the appropriate lines to /boot/loader.conf:
`radeonkmsfw_RV610_pfp_load="Y"
radeonkmsfw_RV610_me_load="Y"
radeonkmsfw_R600_rlc_load="Y"
radeonkms_load="Y"
kern.vty=vt`

when I installed xorg, the pkg line looked like this:
`sudo pkg install xorg virtuoso kde xf86-video-ati`

then /etc/rc.conf
`dbus_enable="Y"
hald_enable="Y"
kdm4_enable="Y"`

reboot and startkde, seems to work. I'm off to figuring out why there isn't any sound!


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## fernandel (Aug 27, 2017)

decuser said:


> I was able to get video working sufficiently to power KDE. Basically, to be able to boot, I followed these steps:
> 
> 1. Boot from USB
> 2. At the Welcome to FreeBSD Screen, press 3 for the loader prompt
> ...


What is your sound card? I have FreeBSD installed on iMac 11,1 and I get just sound through headphones or just spekers (internal) and both at the same time.
I have in /boot/device.hints:

```
hint.hdaa.gpio_config="3=set"
hint.hdaa.1.nid9.config="as=4 seq=0 misc=1"
hint.hdaa.1.nid10.config="as=4 seq=2"
hint.hdaa.1.nid11.config="as=4 seq=4"
```

Search on the forum and you will find more settings for Mac.


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## decuser (Aug 29, 2017)

These settings worked for me:
`hint.hdaa.0.config="ovref"
hint.hdaa.0.gpio_config="0=set"
hint.hdaa.0.nid20.config="as=4 seq=15"`


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## PatMac (Mar 7, 2019)

I'm lost with this, same mac, imac 2008 
iMac 20 inch Aluminum, early 2008, iMac8,1
Native Resolution - 1680x1050 32-Bit Color
Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.66 GHz
4GB 800MHz DDR 2 SDRAM
ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256MB VRAM

As you can see this one is the "Higher up" One the 2.66 with a slightly different video card. I tried the suggestions, but whatever I try I keep booting into a scrambled screen. I'm new to BSD and I don't know most commands in the boot-conf. I've been searching but there doesn't seem to be a clear guide or documentation. Here's what I tried.
Use version 12 RELEASE From DVD and USB
Use Version 13 From DVD and USB
Mode 0 ect. 
GOP doesn't work I get the same error code 14
If I install the BIOS version there is no problem, I also installed os X and linux on this machine and it's been fitted with a brand new 500GB 7200 RPM disk so there is no hardware problem (ASD Tested)
I'm completly at a loss so any help would be appreciated


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## PatMac (Mar 7, 2019)

Update I got it to work, by chance I found a list of AMD drivers, and it turns out the driver for the ati 2600 are the 630 not the 610 so after running the commands from decuser with 630 instead of 610 I finally got into the installer on FreeBSD 11 (Now gonna try 13, I don't see a problem as the problem was the same in all versions)


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## blindbat (Mar 7, 2019)

I have two iMacs of this era and have hit this before but not with FreeBSD.  This video problem exhibits on Linux after suspend/resume cycle if you don't install on MBR disk.

As such, you can't use a GPT disk; use MBR instead (this is how Macs detect Windows).  MBR forces the Mac to use BIOS compatibility instead of their EFI which changes how it interacts with video (the ATI 2600 card).

see also:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/1267150


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## Patrick (Dec 13, 2021)

I'm completely new to FreeBSD. My goal is to have this machine FreeBSD single boot. 
I think my question is answered in this conversation but I may be too new to FreeBSD to recognize it.
I have a 2008 imac ati 2600 video.  I'm trying to install from DVD.  I get to the boot options screen fine but when I continue I get a black screen that looks like old tv static, then I get a blue screen that looks like the horizontal is bad. I have images if they will help. I'll attach them if requested.
Will following decuser's instructions from above work on DVD install?


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## decuser (Dec 14, 2021)

Hi Patrick,

It's been a while, since I had the imac. Here are a couple of sets of notes related to the experience:

Installing FreeBSD 11 on imac 2008 (prolly still about the same for freebsd 13)
https://gist.github.com/decuser/27356ba41d1080267468481d8ab16e73

Audio on FreeBSD 11 on imac 2008
https://gist.github.com/decuser/49a8b5f6269fae9ef1be379de01feba0

Hope this helps.


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## decuser (Dec 14, 2021)

I had a ATI Radeon 2400, I don't recall if it's exactly the same driver. But I think what comes with 13 is more graceful in that regard, anyway.


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## Patrick (Dec 16, 2021)

I'm trying 12.2  my 13 DVD wont even get to the boot options screen, it stops before that. I'll read the github you linked.  


Thank you.


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## grahamperrin@ (Dec 19, 2021)

Patrick said:


> 13 DVD wont even get to the boot options screen,



Can you share a photograph of the last thing that's seen? Thanks.


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