NetBSD Problem Report #59485

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Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2025 23:03:57 +0000 (UTC)
From: uwe@stderr.spb.ru
Reply-To: uwe@stderr.spb.ru
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Subject: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer resolutions
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>Number:         59485
>Category:       install
>Synopsis:       sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer resolutions
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    install-manager
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Jun 24 23:05:00 +0000 2025
>Last-Modified:  Mon Jul 13 10:10:01 +0000 2026
>Originator:     Valery Ushakov
>Release:        NetBSD 10.1
>Organization:
>Environment:
>Description:
I was trying to install netbsd on an old intel mac mini.  Since x86
doesn't have the usual comforts of a serial console, like most
civilized machines, I had to use a monitor.  I don't have much space
on my table, but luckily I have a cute little 10" monitor that can do
1024x768, so I am using that when I need a monitor for something.

NetBSD install USB boots and attaches intelfb0 and uses it with the
8x16 font for kernel messages.  When it comes to the userland though,
it switches to a font twice as large, b/c of proliferation of hi-res
displays, but at 1024x768 it's only 64x24 terminal and that is not
enough for larger sysinst menus (e.g. paritioning), so sysinst fails
eventually, when you reach one of those.

>How-To-Repeat:
Try to use sysinst on a lower resolution monitor.
>Fix:
May be hi-res workaround in the driver should not be applied if the
resulting terminal will be less than 80 columns?

One can always drop to the shell prompt and do

    wsconsctl -dw font=...

and use either that 8x16 font or may be use appropriately sized
Terminus, so that you get large enough characters, but still at least
80 columns.  So it's not insurmountable for someone familiar with
NetBSD.  But potentially quite confusing to someone new.

>Audit-Trail:
From: mlelstv@serpens.de (Michael van Elst)
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer resolutions
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:19:05 -0000 (UTC)

 uwe@stderr.spb.ru writes:

 >>How-To-Repeat:
 >Try to use sysinst on a lower resolution monitor.
 >>Fix:
 >May be hi-res workaround in the driver should not be applied if the
 >resulting terminal will be less than 80 columns?


 Maybe this:

 Index: sys/dev/wsfb/genfb.c
 ===================================================================
 RCS file: /cvsroot/src/sys/dev/wsfb/genfb.c,v
 retrieving revision 1.92
 diff -p -u -r1.92 genfb.c
 --- sys/dev/wsfb/genfb.c	29 Apr 2025 12:20:36 -0000      1.92
 +++ sys/dev/wsfb/genfb.c	25 Jun 2025 05:15:49 -0000
 @@ -781,12 +781,14 @@ static int
  genfb_calc_cols(struct genfb_softc *sc, struct rasops_info *ri)
  {
  	const int hsize = genfb_calc_hsize(sc);
 +	const int cols = hsize ? hsize / GENFB_CHAR_WIDTH_MM : RASOPS_DEFAULT_WIDTH;

 -	if (hsize != 0) {
 +	if (hsize != 0 &&
 +	    cols > 2 * RASOPS_DEFAULT_WIDTH) {
 		ri->ri_flg |= RI_PREFER_WIDEFONT;
 	}

 -	return MAX(RASOPS_DEFAULT_WIDTH, hsize / GENFB_CHAR_WIDTH_MM);
 +	return MIN(cols, hsize / GENFB_CHAR_WIDTH_MM);
  }

  static int

From: Valery Ushakov <uwe@stderr.spb.ru>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: Michael van Elst <mlelstv@serpens.de>
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2025 02:25:34 +0300

 Thanks.

 This seems to help in my case, the font is not changed and the
 terminal is large enough.  Though from just looking at it I wonder
 ... afaiu it will now return 0 when hsize is 0.  I haven't checked the
 caller to see what it does in that case.

 As an aside - when the font is not changed the visual jitter still
 happens on the monitor.  I wonder if that can be avoided.

 -uwe

From: Valery Ushakov <uwe@stderr.spb.ru>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:22:29 +0300

 On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 23:30:02 +0000, Valery Ushakov via gnats wrote:

 >  ... afaiu it will now return 0 when hsize is 0.  I haven't checked the
 >  caller to see what it does in that case.

 Ah, it becomes wantcols and 0 is the "don't particularly care" value,
 so it's fine.

 -uwe

From: Michael van Elst <mlelstv@serpens.de>
To: Valery Ushakov <uwe@stderr.spb.ru>
Cc: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2025 06:36:22 +0200

 On Thu, Jun 26, 2025 at 02:25:34AM +0300, Valery Ushakov wrote:
 > Thanks.
 > 
 > This seems to help in my case, the font is not changed and the
 > terminal is large enough.  Though from just looking at it I wonder
 > ... afaiu it will now return 0 when hsize is 0.  I haven't checked the
 > caller to see what it does in that case.

 It's passed to rasops_init, which then uses the default.

 	if (wantcols == 0)
 		wantcols = RASOPS_DEFAULT_WIDTH;

 But you are right, genfb_calc_cols should return that itself when
 hsize is zero.


 > As an aside - when the font is not changed the visual jitter still
 > happens on the monitor.  I wonder if that can be avoided.

 Visual jitter is usually caused by a video signal that doesn't
 match what the monitor expects. I also have a system like that,
 but assumed that it's just a bad VGA cable, also because it also
 affects the BIOS/UEFI display.


 Greetings,
 -- 
                                 Michael van Elst
 Internet: mlelstv@serpens.de
                                 "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."

From: Ramiro Aceves <ea1abz@gmail.com>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org, install-manager@netbsd.org,
 gnats-admin@netbsd.org, netbsd-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:16:53 +0200

 El 25/6/25 a las 1:05, uwe@stderr.spb.ru escribió:
 >> Number:         59485
 >> Category:       install
 >> Synopsis:       sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer resolutions
 >> Confidential:   no
 >> Severity:       serious
 >> Priority:       medium
 >> Responsible:    install-manager
 >> State:          open
 >> Class:          sw-bug
 >> Submitter-Id:   net
 >> Arrival-Date:   Tue Jun 24 23:05:00 +0000 2025
 >> Originator:     Valery Ushakov
 >> Release:        NetBSD 10.1
 >> Organization:
 >> Environment:
 >> Description:
 > I was trying to install netbsd on an old intel mac mini.  Since x86
 > doesn't have the usual comforts of a serial console, like most
 > civilized machines, I had to use a monitor.  I don't have much space
 > on my table, but luckily I have a cute little 10" monitor that can do
 > 1024x768, so I am using that when I need a monitor for something.
 > 
 > NetBSD install USB boots and attaches intelfb0 and uses it with the
 > 8x16 font for kernel messages.  When it comes to the userland though,
 > it switches to a font twice as large, b/c of proliferation of hi-res
 > displays, but at 1024x768 it's only 64x24 terminal and that is not
 > enough for larger sysinst menus (e.g. paritioning), so sysinst fails
 > eventually, when you reach one of those.
 > 
 >> How-To-Repeat:
 > Try to use sysinst on a lower resolution monitor.
 >> Fix:
 > May be hi-res workaround in the driver should not be applied if the
 > resulting terminal will be less than 80 columns?
 > 
 > One can always drop to the shell prompt and do
 > 
 >      wsconsctl -dw font=...
 > 
 > and use either that 8x16 font or may be use appropriately sized
 > Terminus, so that you get large enough characters, but still at least
 > 80 columns.  So it's not insurmountable for someone familiar with
 > NetBSD.  But potentially quite confusing to someone new.
 > 

 Hi,

 Just to share my experience.

 The Kingston 250 GB SSD in my little (and rather slow) Acer Aspire One (Atom 
 N455) died after just 3 years and 3 months of relatively light use (what a 
 crappy drive).

 I was updating to 2026Q1 under NetBSD 11.0_RC6 when the kernel started printing 
 lots of disk errors (in green messages), and the system became unresponsive. I 
 rebooted and ran fsck. I tried the update again, and before long the same errors 
 appeared. After another reboot, the SSD had completely died — even the BIOS 
 could no longer detect it.

 I tried to resurrect the drive using the power-cycle method, but after several 
 attempts I had no luck: one hour powered on with tape covering the data pins, 
 then power off for 30 seconds, and repeat... I do not know if it is a silly 
 thing, but I tried it.

 Since I don't think it makes sense to spend money on a new SSD (they cost about 
 twice as is cost before), I reinstalled the original hard drive that came with 
 the laptop.

 I booted the RC6 installer, and sysinst showed the same error about the large 
 font and the limited number of screen columns.

 I solved it with:

 wsconsctl -dw font=Boldface

 if I remember correctly.

 It's a bit tricky for newcomers. For someone trying NetBSD for the first time, 
 this could easily be the point where they give up if they aren't persistent enough.

 Thanks,
 Ramiro






From: Valery Ushakov <uwe@stderr.spb.ru>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:44:03 +0300

 On Mon, Jul 13, 2026 at 09:20:02 +0000, Ramiro Aceves via gnats wrote:

 >  Just to share my experience.

 Please, don't overquote when replying to gnats.  The PR is just one
 big text file, so if people keep quoting the whole thing, it fills the
 PR with N copies of the same text, making it harder to navigate.  This
 is not a mailing list, where the message you are replying to is
 elsewhere.  Here, the text you are replying to is in the same file.

 -uwe

From: Ramiro Aceves <ea1abz@gmail.com>
To: gnats-bugs@netbsd.org, install-manager@netbsd.org,
 gnats-admin@netbsd.org, netbsd-bugs@netbsd.org, uwe@stderr.spb.ru
Cc: 
Subject: Re: install/59485: sysinst unusable on smaller framebuffer
 resolutions
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:08:02 +0200

 Oh, I am sorry Uwe.

 Regards, Ramiro.

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