# Question about AMD Radeon HD 6550M



## nden (Jul 27, 2013)

Hello everyone.

I want to install FreeBSD 9.1 as a desktop system at home laptop, previously used Linux based distributions. But there are doubts about the equipment. Will my graphics card support FreeBSD, namely the AMD Radeon HD 6550M, will 3D acceleration? Or AMD Radeon with 3D support and FreeBSD is not compatible stuff?

PS Thanks in advance.


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## wblock@ (Jul 27, 2013)

A KMS Radeon graphics driver is being ported, but is not ready yet.  When it will be available for general testing has not been announced yet.  Until then, unaccelerated VESA may be all that is available on that card.


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## adamk (Jul 27, 2013)

Even more, the M at the end of the model name suggests a mobile GPU in a laptop which is likely a hybrid setup. If that's the case, it's not even supported by the open source drivers in Linux, and having a KMS enabled driver in FreeBSD does not mean it will necessarily work.

If it is a laptop with hybrid graphics, you may only be able to use the Intel GPU.

Adam


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## nden (Jul 27, 2013)

adamk said:
			
		

> Even more, the M at the end of the model name suggests a mobile GPU in a laptop which is likely a hybrid setup. If that's the case, it's not even supported by the open source drivers in Linux, and having a KMS enabled driver in FreeBSD does not mean it will necessarily work.
> 
> If it is a laptop with hybrid graphics, you may only be able to use the Intel GPU.
> 
> Adam



Hm, why did you decide that this card is not supported in Linux based distributions? Debian Wheezy, Ubuntu, Mint are working. But with this version, at least for me. On the Internet it is written that this is the same ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, only the name changed. And Linux is based, for some reason, displayed as 5000, but it still worked.

PS: Yes, it is a hybrid graphics card, but I disabled it in the BIOS and it works only on ATI.


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## zeissoctopus (Jul 28, 2013)

nden said:
			
		

> Hm, why did you decide that this card is not supported in Linux based distributions? Debian Wheezy, Ubuntu, Mint are working. But with this version, at least for me. On the Internet it is written that this is the same ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, only the name changed. And Linux is based, for some reason, displayed as 5000, but it still worked.
> 
> PS: Yes, it is a hybrid graphics card, but I disabled it in the BIOS and it works only on ATI.



Please check this website https://wiki.freebsd.org/AMD_GPU


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## adamk (Jul 28, 2013)

nden said:
			
		

> Hm, why did you decide that this card is not supported in Linux based distributions? Debian Wheezy, Ubuntu, Mint are working. But with this version, at least for me. On the Internet it is written that this is the same ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650, only the name changed. And Linux is based, for some reason, displayed as 5000, but it still worked.
> 
> PS: Yes, it is a hybrid graphics card, but I disabled it in the BIOS and it works only on ATI.



As I said, true hybrid GPUs are not even supported by the open-source drivers in Linux. In a true hybrid setup, the video output is wired to the integrated GPU. The driver you linked to is the proprietary one, not the open-source one. The proprietary driver is not available on FreeBSD.

Adam


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## KARNVORbeefRAGE (Jul 28, 2013)

I will tell you that I am running a Lenovo-Z575 notebook with an AMD A6, AMD Radeon HD 6520G, and VESA runs horribly.  If I were you I would stick with Linux until the driver is available, I love FreeBSD but your machine may run a lot harder without the proper 3D acceleration support.


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## nden (Jul 28, 2013)

KARNVORbeefRAGE said:
			
		

> If I were you I would stick with Linux until the driver is available.


Yes, most likely it will have to do. 

Thank you all for your responses.


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## vinnix (Apr 14, 2014)

Hi guys, how are you doing?

Long time that I do not frequent our forums.
What about support for this kind of chipset Radeon HD 6520G (more likely 6550M - or not)?

Any news about the port of this driver? I just clone the git repository here, but I do not know the status of the project? so.. how I can help?

thanks,
vinnix


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## wblock@ (Apr 14, 2014)

Radeon KMS drivers are working well here on a discrete Radeon 5750 and an integrated (APU) Radeon 6550D.  Intel KMS drivers work also.

See Installing KMS Ports.  Also check the section on vt.  A custom kernel with the vt() device must be installed to get the graphics console.  Otherwise, there is a black screen after leaving X.


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