# VT(vga): resolution 640x480



## balanga (Mar 22, 2017)

I have a ThinkPad X220 on which I'm running FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE. When it boots up it sets the resolution to 640x480. The system has an Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor capable of 2048x1536.

Is there anything I can do to improve the graphics capability under FreeBSD?


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## SirDice (Mar 22, 2017)

Try this:

```
kern.vt.fb.default_mode
             Set this value to a graphic mode to override the default mode
             picked by the vt backend.  The mode is applied to all output con-
             nectors.  This is currently only supported by the vt_fb backend
             when it's paired with a KMS video driver.
```
See vt(4).


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## balanga (Mar 23, 2017)

Is this what you were suggesting?


```
root@Test:/boot # cat loader.conf
fuse_load="YES"
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1024x768"
```

Unfortunately it doesn't make any difference....

```
root@Test:/boot # uname -a
FreeBSD Test 11.0-RELEASE-p8 FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE-p8 #0: Wed Feb 22 06:06:13 UTC 2017     root@amd64-builder.daemonology.net:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
root@Test:/boot #
```


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## xtaz (Mar 23, 2017)

Also put i915kms_load="YES" into loader.conf and see what that does. As it says in the man page it needs to be paired with a KMS video driver.


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## balanga (Mar 24, 2017)

Graphics on FreeBSD is definitely a black art! Loading i915kms definitely changed the resolution but the bootup screen still showed 



> VT(vga): resolution 640x480



Should I expect that to change?

Also Lumina desktop immediately stopped with an error. Not sure what the error was because I removed i915kms_load="YES" from /boot/loader.conf inorder to get back into my desktop.


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## xtaz (Mar 24, 2017)

VT is quite a new thing. I've only used it myself for a few months. I think it starts up in text mode which is where you see the 640x480 message and then it gets to a point where it switches to framebuffer mode at the resolution that you have chosen, but it needs these KMS drivers to be able to use that mode. I don't use X though as I only run it on servers so I can't help with the desktop I'm afraid. Hopefully someone else can!


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## tankist02 (Mar 24, 2017)

I think these days they recommend to use kld_list=i915kms in /etc/rc.conf instead of i915kms_load="YES" in /boot/loader.conf


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## balanga (Mar 25, 2017)

tankist02 said:


> I think these days they recommend to use kld_list=i915kms in /etc/rc.conf instead of i915kms_load="YES" in /boot/loader.conf



Not sure it makes any difference since I get the same result.


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## aht0 (Mar 25, 2017)

order of modules is important perhaps.

I have Asus eeePC which has FreeBSD 11-STABLE on it, loading radeonkms.ko through /boot/loader.conf works properly only when I have modules written down in the exact following order:

```
kern.vty=vt
radeonkmsfw_PALM_pfp_load="YES"
radeonkms_load="YES"
radeonkmsfw_PALM_me_load="YES"
radeonkmsfw_SUMO_rlc_load="YES"
```

If I changed this order of modules, all I would get would be white screwed-up picture with random noise in it. Ordering the modules as specified, it works just fine. As would work loading radeonkms.ko through /etc/rc.conf.

If you are willing to experiment but attempt did not work out - screen becomes un-readable, reboot the machine. Then hit 3 in BSD boot loader, it makes you enter boot prompt, execute `disable-module i915_kms` and then execute `boot`. Thus you can access machine properly again.

Edit: Dell Latitude E6400 (i915kms)
beginning of /boot/loader.conf


```
kern.vty=vt
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1440x900"
kern.vt.kbd.reboot=1
kern.geom.label.disk_ident.enable="0"
kern.geom.label.gptid.enable="0"

zfs_load="YES"
drm2_load="YES"
iicbus_load="YES"
iicbb_load="YES"
iic_load="YES"
i915kms_load="YES"
```

It seems to switch over to 1440x900 (laptop's native resolution) just fine, although few seconds go by it being at 640x480.


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## chrbr (Mar 27, 2017)

balanga said:


> Not sure it makes any difference since I get the same result.


The procedure using /etc/rc.conf is faster compared to the method using /boot/loader.conf. The final result is similar.


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## andrewdarwin (Jan 2, 2021)

i have a laptop (ThinkPad T440P).the livecd show correct resolution (1600X900) which I install FreeBSD 12.2-RELEASE. after rebooting the OS,the defaults resolution( 640x480) show again. I try to find a solution for a long time.finally, i replace the bootx64.efi which come from iso files. you can get this file from img or iso.


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