# sis graphic card problem (Acer Aspire 3000)



## richs-lxh (May 8, 2010)

Hello everybody, this is my first post after a week of Googling and reading up on FreeBSD.

I've managed to do practically everything i need with my new FreeBSD 8 installation on my Acer Aspire 3000 laptop, which is dual-booting with Crunchbang Linux, but one thing has me stumped after Googling and searching I can't find the answer so I thought i'd risk a post here.

I have a Sis graphics card (1200x800) which when using the sis graphics drivers with Xorg leaves the screen with a messed up colour depth in Linux. It's a common problem and there is an easy solution. Just adding video=sisfb to Grub so that the sis framebuffer is used.

I am booting FreeBSD from Grub which is added to /etc/grub.d/40_custom

```
menuentry "freebsd 8.0" {
	set root=(hd0,2)
	chainloader +1
}
```

If anyone can help, I have two possible solutions. Finding where on FreeBSD I add the "video=sisfb" or an alternative to use the sis framebuffer. Or a way to get "vesa" working with a 1200x800 resolution.

I have tried every possible xorg.conf edit I can think of, as well as adding things I found on the forums and other Unix/BSD sites, but all to no avail.

Any help really appreciated.


----------



## graudeejs (May 8, 2010)

FreeBSd doesn't have framebufer like linux

Have you tries simply startx, without configuring anything?


----------



## richs-lxh (May 8, 2010)

It won't work. As I have said, it's a common problem with the sis driver. The only choices are to use the sisfb (Linux), or to find a way to get vesa working with 1200x800. As far as I can see, 800x600 is the maximum with vesa on FreeBSD so it looks like i'm a bit stuck.

I just thought i'd ask, as I have had no joy at all with Google.

I also have FreeBSD on my other 64bit laptop, so it's not as if it's a showstopper for me. 

I just wanted to find a solution for this problem if there was one.

PS: Sorry for posting in the wrong section, this subforum is a bit buried when scouring the frontpage for the right place to post. Hardware seemed the obvious board.


----------



## graudeejs (May 8, 2010)

richs-lxh said:
			
		

> It won't work. As I have said, it's a common problem with the sis driver. The only choices are to use the sisfb (Linux), or to find a way to get vesa working with 1200x800. As far as I can see, 800x600 is the maximum with vesa on FreeBSD so it looks like i'm a bit stuck.



*It won't work*, or *it doesn't work*? There is a difference.
and since FreeBSD != Linux, maybe it'll work.
what do you have to lose.

So did you tried to simply startx?


----------



## richs-lxh (May 8, 2010)

I have tried everything. This is an old laptop that has always had Linux, many distros. The only option to stop the bad colour-depth (blacks have a blue tint, and other colours are grainy), is to use the sisfb.

Just using "startx" as you say, just starts the xserver, which then uses xorg.conf to get it's information. Without xorg.conf specifying vesa, the sis driver is automatically used. The sis driver does not work properly with this card. ie *it won't work*.

Hence the reason I asked if FreeBSD has sisfb available, or if anyone knows a hack to get vesa to 1200x800.

The guys on identica and fossunet have said that vesa won't go above 1024, and as you have said there is no sisfb for FreeBSD, looks like i'll leave the searching.

Maybe if I apply a light theme and a light wallpaper it won't show up so much. As I said, I have a perfect FreeBSD on my other laptop, so it's no big deal. I was just investigating further.

Thanks a lot for your help, it's appreciated.


----------

