Strange graphics issues on G5 with NVIDIA 6600

[Mark Millard]

On 2021-Jan-12, at 08:22, Dennis Clarke via freebsd-ppc <freebsd-ppc at freebsd.org> wrote:

> <snip>
>> 
>> I didn't put any serious effort into resolving the resolution issues, so
>> it might be possible to get it working beyond 640x480. Or maybe there's
>> another card that someone on this list can verify works well?
>> 
> 
> Off topic slightly but exactly what and how did you even do an install
> on this box?  I have four of these units laying around wherein one of
> them is a workable unit with the so-called "quad" PPC64 config. Not
> much runs on them these days and that includes Debian Linux wherein
> the installer is slightly broken. Slightly. There just is not much in
> the way of resources alive and workingout there that cares to debug
> the multitude of issues we face with this architecture. So I have to
> ask you, what did you use to install FreeBSD on this unit? I have not
> seen a workable installer in at least a year.

A possibility:

Jason M. originally specified "iMac G5", so probably 1-socket/1-core-each.
A lot of the operational problems are likely associated with multi-socket
and/or multi-core, per the workarounds of making such systems only use one
cpu (in FreeBSD terms).

I've never had access to a 1-socket/multi-core PowerMac so I do not know
how those behave. I've also never had access to a 1-socket-/1-core-each
G5: always 2 sockets for the G5s. But I do have access to such a G4 and
even a G3.

===
Mark Millard
marklmi at yahoo.com
( dsl-only.net went
away in early 2018-Mar)