Change resolution to 1600x1200 on integrated Matrox MGA G200e in D2939 Fujitsu motherboard

Sergei_Shablovsky

Sergei_Shablovsky

Hi, FreeBSD Gurus!

The Fujitsu PRIMERGY server motherboard D2939 have integrated video, exactly Matrox MGA G200e.

Local widescreen monitor have max resolution 1680x1058, 60Hz (D-sub) / 75Hz (DVI-D).

Due needs to remote management and iRMS (built-in server remote management card) requirements, max available resolution must be set equal or below 1600x1200, 60Hz.

So, I ask for suggestion how to set 1600x1200/60Hz in FreeBSD 12 / 13, when graphics environment not needed (this is network server only), and I try to avoid unnecessary system pressure on hardware.

pciconf -lv | grep -A 4 vga

vgapci0@pci0:13:0:0: class=0x030000 card=0x11cc1734 chip=0x0522102b rev=0x05 hdr=0x00
vendor = 'Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd.'
device = 'MGA G200e [Pilot] ServerEngines (SEP1)'
class = display
subclass = VGA
Click to expand...

But looks like kernel not load any mga.ko driver, but i915kms.ko loaded already (I use kldstat command for this)

P.S. I also not find in whole BSD Hardware Database that support for this card exist by default.
 
Sergei_Shablovsky said:
But looks like kernel not load any mga.ko driver
Click to expand...
No such driver exists.
Sergei_Shablovsky said:
but i915kms.ko loaded already (I use kldstat command for this)
Click to expand...
As that driver is for Intel GPUs this does exactly nothing.

Sergei_Shablovsky said:
Due needs to remote management and iRMS (built-in server remote management card) requirements, max available resolution must be set equal or below 1600x1200, 60Hz.
Click to expand...
I've found setting the console to text mode instead of graphics usually works a lot better. In /boot/loader.conf:
Code: 
hw.vga.textmode="1"
 
Usually a setting like this in /boot/loader.conf would allow you to change the resolution.
Code: 
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1440x900"
But vt requires a kms driver to set resolution and there is no Matrox KMS driver.​
Only Intel and Radeon(AMD).
Also the monitor has to support any mode you are trying to use.
 
Phishfry said:
Usually a setting like this in /boot/loader.conf would allow you to change the resolution.
Code: 
kern.vt.fb.default_mode="1440x900"
But vt requires a kms driver to set resolution and there is no Matrox KMS driver.​
Only Intel and Radeon(AMD).
Also the monitor has to support any mode you are trying to use.
Click to expand...

Let’s to note that I use local-attached to server monitor ONLY for next purposes:
- Bpytop (running 24/7/365 on local screen, that give ability to remote see screen (VGA console) output, and which are more important - save last screen output by RMC board into internal memory before server crash or hangs to help investigate the source of problem);
- Smokeping (running 24/7/365, on-screen only when network stuff need to make OS/NIC/hw parameters tuning.

Both apps using pseudo-graphics to display a results of work.
So I not need all linked to graphics mode at all, am I right?
 
SirDice said:
No such driver exists.

As that driver is for Intel GPUs this does exactly nothing.


I've found setting the console to text mode instead of graphics usually works a lot better. In /boot/loader.conf:
Code: 
hw.vga.textmode="1"
Click to expand...

As I note before, looks like I not need all linked to graphics mode at all, am I right?

If so, how to prevent to loading in memory/free resource from unwanted drivers/kernel modules to reduce unnecessary hw loading (memory, interrupts, io operations, etc...)?

I try to keep system as clean as possible. If this possible :)
 
Sergei_Shablovsky said:
I not need all linked to graphics mode at all, am I right?
Click to expand...
Yes you are correct i915kms is only for Intel Graphics.

Sergei_Shablovsky said:
If so, how to prevent to loading in memory/free resource from unwanted drivers/kernel modules to reduce unnecessary
Click to expand...
Look at top for apps and memory and service -e for services.
Figure out what is in use that is unneeded for your use case.
FreeBSD ships with a bare set of services enabled.
Some low hanging ones I pare are vi_recover and mixer.

As for interrupts they are more of a concern on bad acting network cards and storage cards.
You will know when there is a problem with an interrupt storm.
For system health check vmstat( And all its options) and gstat.
Know your kernel environment with kenv.

Unless you really know what you are doing leave kernel modules alone.
They are loaded dynamically (or via kernel inclusion) and really don't eat much RAM.
Only if you are trying to slim an installation for real small storage would I worry about kernel modules.
Their size is insignificant unless building FreeBSD for 1G or less storage.
 
I want to point out that Matrox G200e is usually tied to the Broadband Management Controller via VGA
Sergei_Shablovsky said:
Both apps using pseudo-graphics to display a results of work.
So I not need all linked to graphics mode at all, am I right?
Click to expand...
Probably not.
One way to run several applications at once is to use Virtual Terminals.
You can run top in one Virtual Terminal and gstat in another.
Switching back and forth with <ctrl><alt><F1> and <ctrl><alt><F2> for example.
 
SirDice said:
I've found setting the console to text mode instead of graphics usually works a lot better. In /boot/loader.conf:
Code: 
hw.vga.textmode="1"
Click to expand...
Could a You be so please to explain, is the text mode better than graphics mode for console in case that

- this is server, network router/fw with a huge loading;
- non-UEFI;
- video resolution upper limit are 1600x1200 (because iRMC limitation to save video in internal memory buffer);
- local monitor used only for reference for sysadmin;
- primary remote control/management using Eth connection, and COM connection as backup;

from hardware loading point of view (memory using, cpu using, interrupts using....);
?

P.S. Sorry for may be dumb questions, I'm just newbie in BSD
 
Phishfry said:
I want to point out that Matrox G200e is usually tied to the Broadband Management Controller via VGA
Click to expand...

Please explain how this impact on VGA console settings?

Let’s note, documentation only indicate that iRMC controller (BMC) able to save screenshot up to 1600x1200 resolution, not more.
May be this limitation is due the NVRAM size on iRMC.
 
Sergei_Shablovsky said:
Please explain how this impact on VGA console settings?
Click to expand...
Usually this is a bare bones VGA with small amount video RAM. Limited capacity.
But for console use it works fine. It's meant for system management not gaming.

SuperMicro uses a similar arrangement with AST2400/2500 video chip tied to BMC.
There is even a xorg driver that works with it.
So it can provide a basic desktop. I suspect the matrox driver could be used for the same.
 
Phishfry said:
Usually this is a bare bones VGA with small amount video RAM. Limited capacity.
But for console use it works fine. It's meant for system management not gaming.

SuperMicro uses a similar arrangement with AST2400/2500 video chip tied to BMC.
There is even a xorg driver that works with it.
So it can provide a basic desktop. I suspect the matrox driver could be used for the same.
Click to expand...

Thank You again for patience and passion to help!
Appreciate Your work here!

So, only one way exist to push this pesky “MGA G200e [Pilot] ServerEngines (SEP1)” to work are the installing (and configuring properly) the x11-drivers/xf86-video-mga port to be able to use mga.ko driver?

And in this case the MGA 200e would work only in graphics mode or in text mode?

Also I read this tread and find that I also need proper fonts for desired resolution, isn’t ?
 
Phishfry said:
The Matrox MGA module is for X11. It will do nothing for console use.
Consider trying the sc(4) driver.
Click to expand...

Please, explain me, why I cannot able to see mga.ko loaded (using kldstat), but picconf show the graphics chip correctly ?

Please see this example: user also have G200 but have mga.ko module loaded already.

The difference in both situations are:
a) User no point is this discrete graphics card or not, I vote that his card are discrete;
b) I have embedded some sort of modified chip “MGA G200e [Pilot] ServerEngines (SEP1)”
 
Thanks to Phishfry, ( he running FreeBSD 12.2) is found in /boot/kernel/mga.ko

Loaded by kldload mga, and view in the list of loaded by kldstat, and view in the list of loaded by kldstat.

Sorry my lack of knowledge in FreeBSD, how to make this module at BSD start?
(And unload the i915kms.ko, if it not needed for vt() for my usecase.)

And of course, set the resolution that I want for VGA terminal (see forts post in this tread)?
 
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