# Text console missing lines/wrong form factor



## multix (Apr 10, 2020)

Hi!

I boot FreeBSD 11.3 on an older Laptop, Acer, with OpenChrome videocard... and some lines on the console are not displayed, which is pretty annoying, since you don't see the root prompt, the console prompt... 
I get displayed 25 lines of text, but the console "thinks" there are more, something like 30.

I swapped HD's from another laptop, which had the same identical 1024x768 screen but with more standard ATI card and had no issues.

I am not running a graphic framebuffer, /boot/loader.conf has no configuration regarding screen is set.

Interestingly, X11/Xorg do run fine!

I expect than on an odd videocard, maybe vesa is not working... but "classic dumb terminal"

`kldload vesa` fails... and dmesg says:

```
module_register_init: MOD_LOAD (vesa, 0xc6213a60, 0) error 19
sysctl_unregister_oid: failed(22) to unregister sysctl(vesa)
```

`vidcontrol -i mode` shows no modes.
Fine, I can live without fancy console on this older thing, but I need to have a working text console... to have a proper prompt!

Any ideas?


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## SirDice (Apr 15, 2020)

multix said:


> vidcontrol -i mode shows no modes.


This command used to work for the sc(4) console. Recent FreeBSD versions however have switched to vt(4). A few things you could try in /boot/loader.conf:

```
hw.vga.textmode=1 # Switches the graphics card to text mode 
# OR
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1024x768"  #  Switches to a specific (graphical)  resolution
```


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## jb_fvwm2 (Apr 15, 2020)

I solved a problem like that temporarily long ago, by running tmux or screen, but
it was only one line missing, not 5... one can type 'tmux' right after login...


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## multix (Apr 16, 2020)

SirDice said:


> This command used to work for the sc(4) console. Recent FreeBSD versions however have switched to vt(4). A few things you could try in /boot/loader.conf:
> 
> ```
> hw.vga.textmode=1 # Switches the graphics card to text mode
> ...



Thank you. I tried both.
Setting 
	
	



```
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1024x768"
```
 gives me exactly the same appearance I was getting without, so it is the kernel's default. It means... the kernel has some issues with the framebuffer on my card. I suppose the framebuffer needs the vesa kernel module and since it does not load for me, that is the issue?

In any case reverting to vga did work. It looks I fall back to i486 and CRT times, but at least it works and can login and see my command line, that is a good default to have.


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## SirDice (Apr 16, 2020)

multix said:


> the kernel has some issues with the framebuffer on my card.


I suspect the screen may have some odd native resolution and the graphics card simply switches to a 'standard' resolution. Is it a  3:4, 16:9 or 16:10 screen? For 16:9 you may want to try 1280x720.


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## multix (May 22, 2020)

SirDice, I think you have a point... it must be the internal LCD. Internal screen is a classic 4:3 1024x768!

If I attach an external monitor and disable the internal, with same aspect ratio over VGA, then on that one everything is fine!

Strange to have such an issue with the built-in LCD.


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