# Using ASPEED AST2500 as a desktop graphics card with Xorg



## dnb (Nov 29, 2022)

I'm going to use FreeBSD as the primary operating system on a workstation that will use Supermicro H12SSL-I motherboard with AMD Epyc processor.

This board has ASPEED AST2500 BMC as VGA for BMC Graphics.

My cunning plan is to use this VGA by connecting a monitor to it and starting Xorg with startx with my favorite xmonad. Thus, I am hoping for x11-drivers/xf86-video-ast. Unfortunately, I don't have this hardware yet to test before buying. I currently have a number of reports that this works on some Linux distributions (Ubuntu).

*My question:* can I just start Xorg with the _startx_ command and use the desktop (browsers, editors, etc.) as usual? I am planning to connect a Dell P1917s monitor (IPS, 1280x1024) using VGA and just work.

*P.S.:* I wouldn't want to buy some inexpensive basic graphics card just yet. First, it is money thrown away. Secondly, this is extra hardware in the system, which ceases to make the system conceptual and minimalistic. Thirdly, I'm not sure if some manufacturers' drivers will be diligently supported by them for my favorite FreeBSD as a priority.

By the way, when I used to have Gentoo (2-3 years ago), I used a 4U IBM server as a workstation for a long time, where there was VGA Matrox G200. And everything worked perfectly, except for the fact that some terrain maps slowed down.


----------



## SirDice (Nov 29, 2022)

BMC is IPMI. In other words it's a way to 'remote' control the system. It's not connected to any external interfaces, you access it over the network.






						Intelligent Platform Management Interface - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## dnb (Nov 29, 2022)

The word BMC originated from the wording on the site: _"ASPEED AST2500 BMC graphics"._


			H12SSL-i | Motherboards | Super Micro Computer, Inc.
		


The board has VGA, and I can connect a monitor. People write that they were able to run an Ubuntu Linux graphical desktop, with graphical login and such. I just wanted to know if AST2500 can be used in the same way on FreeBSD. And what will need to be specified in kld_list="".


----------



## SirDice (Nov 29, 2022)

It's not a graphics chip in the traditional sense. It's a server board, it's meant to be put in a case in a 19" rack somewhere and accessed remotely. Not intended to be used as a workstation. It might work with the x11-drivers/xf86-video-ast but again, this board is intended to be used "headless", so graphics performance is going to suck. The 'old' Matrix G200 was/is an actual VGA graphics chip. Heck I even had a Matrox G200 graphics card in my first PC. 



			https://www.aspeedtech.com/server_ast2500/


----------

