# No GUI with 11.3 X64



## dalpets (Oct 27, 2019)

I'm desperate for answers on this. I've spent countless hours reinstalling & about a ream of printer paper over the last 3 weeks trying to get this working. Bizzarely the GUI on one computer worked, virtually OOTB. I've tried everything within my mental grasp on this attempt, but to no avail. I've tried to not sit back, relying on being spoon fed by the forums, but alas, I'm a beaten man. I was hoping to be able to migrate all my computers over to FBSD but that seems to be out of reach now unless I can resolve this. The best I can do is to get a black screen with a seized mouse.
I'll try to briefly summarize my efforts.
        *`pciconf -lv | less` indicates that I do have 610 onboard graphics & accordingly I have installed `drm -kmod` & also loaded  it in */etc/rc.conf* as 
	
	



```
kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"
```
 The load command indicates *Initialised drm 1.1.0_20060810*.
        * have added my user name to the video group with `pw groupmod_video -m username`. The user for gmd is 92.
        * have made numerous attempt to `chmod 644` for read/write permissions but they have all failed. I don't have the requisite knowledge as to whether I need to cd into the etc/groups directory to invoke the command, or if I just need to use a command with some other parameters. I need specific help on this one.
        *the command `uname -K`resolves to *1103000*.
        *the command `pkg_info -x_drm-`resolves to *libdrm=2.4.99,1*
        * the GUI I am attempting is Gnome3 with Xorg (I did see something along the way that said Xorg would be deprecated about October, 2019. I'm not sure what implications, if any, this has on my present problem)
I'm hoping someone  can help me on this last ditch stand, as I don't want to be a quitter. Thank You. Any help will be very much appreciated.


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## kpedersen (Oct 27, 2019)

Gnome 3 is fairly broken by design in my experience. Are you able to use a more standard and cross platform window manager?

First try with the simplest "twm" or just an xterm and see if that starts up.

In your .xsession file (if using XDM) or your .xinitrc (if using startx) just put "xterm" and try to start X.


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## T-Daemon (Oct 27, 2019)

Please install  misc/pastebinit,
execute 
`pciconf -lv | grep -B3 display | pastbinit`
`dmesg | pastbinit`
`pkg prime-list | pastebin`

Every command will return a URL. Please post those URL's.

`kld_list="boot/modules/i915kms.ko`
Unless it's a typo, there is a leading slash missing in front of '`boot`'.



dalpets said:


> The user for gmd is 92.
> * have made numerous attempt to  chmod 644 for read/write permissions but they have all failed. I don't have the requisite knowledge as to whether I need to cd into the etc/groups directory to invoke the command, or if I just need to use a command with some other parameters.


Don't touch anything, above all don't chmod(1) anything.



dalpets said:


> I did see something along the way that said Xorg would be deprecated about October, 2019.


That's nonsens, there is no such situation.


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## kpedersen (Oct 27, 2019)

T-Daemon said:


> That's nonsens, there is no such situation.



I believe Gnome 3 is looking to deprecate *their* support for X11.

Like I said, Gnome 3 is non-standard crapware. FreeBSD losing support for the latest upstream version is potentially a very good thing.


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## dalpets (Oct 28, 2019)

T-Daemon said:


> Please install  misc/pastebinit,
> execute
> `pciconf -lv | grep -B3 display | pastbinit`
> `dmesg | pastbinit`
> ...


The commands you provided give different results before reboot (after installation) & after reboot. The outputs shown below relate to after reboot. Let me know if you need the before reboot outputs. The URL for all three is https://pastebinit.com
pciconf =UP53kdxw
dmesg=TTQn7Zhg
pkg prime=uey1tDVM

Thanks for your help. I look forward to a diagnosis


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## Minbari (Oct 28, 2019)

Add `i915kms_load="YES"` in /boot/loader.conf. That should load the Intel KMS module at boot.


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## T-Daemon (Oct 28, 2019)

Unfortunately no dmesg(8) available, from https://pastebin.com/TTQn7Zhg :

```
This page is no longer available. It has either expired,
been removed by its creator, or removed by one of the Pastebin staff.
```

Please sent again.


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## dalpets (Oct 29, 2019)

Minbari said:


> Add `i915kms_load="YES"` in /boot/loader.conf. That should load the Intel KMS module at boot.


Thanks. Added, but unfortunately doesn't make any difference.
Interestingly, when loading the system it complains that rc.conf: kld is not found, yet kld list=boot/modules/ i915kms. ko is in fact in that file?


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## dalpets (Oct 29, 2019)

Where to from here?
Anyone


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## T-Daemon (Oct 29, 2019)

T-Daemon said:


> Unfortunately no dmesg(8) available, from https://pastebin.com/TTQn7Zhg :
> 
> ```
> This page is no longer available. It has either expired,
> ...



Still waiting.


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## ljboiler (Oct 29, 2019)

dalpets said:


> Interestingly, when loading the system it complains that rc.conf: kld is not found, yet kld list=boot/modules/ i915kms. ko is in fact in that file?


In /etc/rc.conf, the _exact_ line should be
	
	



```
kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"
```
A missing underscore between "kld" and "list" will result in that "kld is not found" error.


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## dalpets (Oct 29, 2019)

T-Daemon said:


> Unfortunately no dmesg(8) available, from https://pastebin.com/TTQn7Zhg :
> 
> ```
> This page is no longer available. It has either expired,
> ...


Please sent again??? meaning


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## dalpets (Oct 29, 2019)

ljboiler said:


> In /etc/rc.conf, the _exact_ line should be
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gets more interesting because this line is absent altogether in my working version of 11.3. Maybe something supernatural is going on here! Critical thinking tells me that can't be so!


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## dalpets (Oct 29, 2019)

What files in the boot directory need to be configured & what file/directory shows which modules have been loaded into the kernel?

Thanks.


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## T-Daemon (Oct 30, 2019)

dalpets said:


> Please sent again??? meaning


The output of dmesg(8) you sent with pastebinit has been removed by pastebin.com. See the note left instead, quoted above in posting #7, or at  https://pastebin.com/TTQn7Zhg

I asumed the note I quoted explaind what happend, and you need to send a copy of dmesg with pastebinit again. Sorry if that was insufficent expressed. But first read the text below.



dalpets said:


> What files in the boot directory need to be configured


Steps to install and configure i915:
1. Install the graphics/drm-kmod package
2. Add the driver module to /etc/rc.conf
`kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"`
3. Ensure your UID is a member of the "video" group.
4. Restart the system
5. Execute `startx` as user, or log in with x11/gdm

The instructions in a broader context at https://wiki.freebsd.org/Graphics#Intel_Integrated_Graphics_.28aka_HD_Graphics.29

If unsuccessful with the initialisation of the driver post dmesg(8), in case of Xorg(1) post /var/log/Xorg.0.log with misc/pastebinit.


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## dalpets (Oct 30, 2019)

ljboiler said:


> In /etc/rc.conf, the _exact_ line should be
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, but that didn't help with getting the desktop working.


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## dalpets (Oct 30, 2019)

T-Daemon said:


> The output of dmesg(8) you sent with pastebinit has been removed by pastebin.com. See the note left instead, quoted above in posting #7, or at  https://pastebin.com/TTQn7Zhg
> 
> I asumed the note I quoted explaind what happend, and you need to send a copy of dmesg with pastebinit again. Sorry if that was insufficent expressed. But first read the text below.
> 
> ...


Thanks. By me asking I hopefully thought I would come up with something I had missed, but all the points you list have been attended to. So frustrating this!


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## ljboiler (Oct 30, 2019)

dalpets said:


> Thanks, but that didn't help with getting the desktop working.


Before running, one must learn to walk.
Question:  has the "kld is not found" gone away?


dalpets said:


> what file/directory shows which modules have been loaded into the kernel?


To see what kernel modules have been loaded, run `kldstat` as root, both on the computer where the GUI works and the one where is does not - let us see what the differences are.


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## dalpets (Nov 3, 2019)

This is the outcome of kldstat for the working GUI machine

```
root@FreeBSD11:/home/Brenton # kldstat
Id Refs Address            Size     Name
1   18 0xffffffff80200000 206c1f8  kernel
2    1 0xffffffff82421000 233b00   zfs.ko
3    1 0xffffffff82655000 7500     opensolaris.ko
4    1 0xffffffff8265d000 2408     ums.ko
5    1 0xffffffff82660000 1760     uhid.ko
6    1 0xffffffff82662000 76cc     tmpfs.ko
```

In respect to the non-working GUI machine when I added the i915kms boot module to /etc/rc.conf I was able to leave the command prompt but the outcome was a black screen with a frozen mouse. This means that I can't apply kldstat at this time unless there is some way I can get back to the command prompt (the system is also set for auto login). 
Will I need to reinstall for kldstat in this circumstance?
Thanks again


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## ljboiler (Nov 4, 2019)

That `kldstat` output above seems to indicate that your machine with the working GUI is *not* using the i915kms driver.

The next thing *I* would do is see if the GUI could be made to work on the other machine _without_ using the i915kms driver as well (should be a simple as commenting out the kld_list line in /etc/rc.conf).

No reinstall should be required if you reboot the machine and go into single-user mode to remove the i915kms driver; you can mount the disks, make the necessary rc.conf edit and then continue into multi-user mode.


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## dalpets (Nov 5, 2019)

There is no kld_list line in /etc/rc.conf for the working GUI. How can it work without it?  To my knowledge the Intel core I3-8100 on this machine has integrated onboard graphics that should be supported by either the old (base) or new (ports) driver. The i915 subject is well covered at the following site;








						How to use the "old" or the "new" i915kms driver for Intel integrated graphics with Xorg..
					

This is a short as possible overview over the "old" and the "new" kms video drivers for Intel integrated graphics and the how and when they should be used.  I wrote this as an attempt to clear up confusion and hopefully reduce the amount of threads with the same questions about that topic on the...




					forums.freebsd.org
				




Another issue I fail to understand is where the zfs.ko came from. I am sure I installed the ufs file system. And what is the solaris.ko referring to? So So I'm thinking that this particular working rendition of 11.3 might have been custom built  (I can't recall the site I downloaded it from).
Is that a possibility? If it is, would it be possible for me to clone the working system for use on another machine (I suspect that success, in any event, would be problematic given different hardwares). Where do you suggest I go from here?
The code for the non performing machine is as follows;

```
Id       Refs              Address                             Size          Name
1          7          0xffffffff80200000                        206c2b0      kernel
2          1          0xffffffff                                2408         ums.ko
3          1          0xffffffff                                1760         uhid.ko
```

Thank you for your forebearance in the matter.


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## ljboiler (Nov 18, 2019)

The log file for the GUI, /var/log/Xorg.0.log, would show which specific driver is being used.  Without a specific driver loaded it's most likely using the VESA graphics driver.

As far as being a custom-built kernel, if `uname -i` doesn't give you GENERIC, then it's definitely custom built.  The opposite does not have to be true, however;  the kernel can be built with custom options and still be named GENERIC.


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## ludensen (Sep 20, 2020)

To others comming here from Google...

You should either use:
`kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"` in /etc/rc.conf (double-check the path! mine is "/boot/kernel/i915kms.ko")
or
`i915kms_load="YES"` in /boot/loader.conf
NOT both! That will likely confuse you later...

In my experience the error in post #8 in the above thread is caused by wrong paht in /etc/rc.conf or the line in loader.conf default looking/using the wrong path. So personally I opted for the line in /etc/rc.conf using the specific path and uncommented the line in /boot/loader.conf.


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