How to use X Window System on NetBSD/alpha?

Best graphic card for NetBSD/alpha to get X running?

I will answer your question below.

The following chipset have been tested.

Tsunami


Titan

DEC Multia UDB May not work :-(

Just for more information.
AlphaStation - Wikipedia

The following graphic card have been tested.

ATI RADEON 7500(HP genuine parts)

See:
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/arch/alpha/conf/GENERIC?rev=1.357&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup&only_with_tag=MAIN
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/dev/pci/radeonfb.c?rev=1.82&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup&only_with_tag=MAIN

ELSA GLoria Synergy(Compaq genuine parts)

See:
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/arch/alpha/conf/GENERIC?rev=1.363&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup&only_with_tag=MAIN
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/dev/pci/pm2fb.c?rev=1.27&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup&only_with_tag=MAIN

3DLabs Oxygen VX1(Compaq genuine parts)

If your alpha station has Oxygen VX1 graphics card, please try this patch!

See:
NetBSD Problem Report #49518: I wrote Permedia3 3Dlabs Permedia 3 framebuffer console driver.(genfb driver doesn't work correct on Proformance 3)

Just for more information.
Graphic Card Compatibility List for Alpha Systems

Building the System from Source.

NetBSD-7.0.2/alpha has wrong(vely old) Xfree driver.
Please don't use it.(At least you want to run X)
The reason is because X cannot access /dev/mem in my opinion.

See:

# uname -a
NetBSD  7.0.2 NetBSD 7.0.2 (GENERIC-$Revision: 1.358.4.2 $.201610210724Z) alpha
# pwd
/usr/X11R6/bin
# ls -l
total 26694
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel       25 Oct 21 08:22 X -> /usr/X11R6/bin/XdecNetBSD
-rws--x--x  1 root  wheel  2142841 Oct 21 08:22 XalphaNetBSD
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  2210822 Oct 21 08:22 XdecNetBSD
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  2274112 Oct 21 08:22 Xdmx

Please try NetBSD/alpha current branch and building the System from Source.

See:
how to build netbsd-current

The following condition is correct.(At least you want to run X)

See:

# pwd
/usr/X11R7/bin
# ls -l
total 15524
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel       19 Nov 13  2016 X -> /usr/X11R7/bin/Xorg
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    27271 Feb 21  2011 Xmark
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  2449912 Nov 13  2016 Xnest
-rws--x--x  1 root  wheel  3481376 Nov 13  2016 Xorg
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  2655728 Nov 13  2016 Xvfb
-r-xr-xr-x  1 root  wheel    14504 Nov 13  2016 appres

System Settings.

NetBSD/alpha current branch has been successfully installed, The system outputted an following dmesg.

ATI RADEON 7500

See:

pci1 at tsp1 bus 0
radeonfb0 at pci1 dev 7 function 0: vendor 1002 product 5157 (rev. 0x00)
radeonfb0: 64 MB aperture at 0x40000000, 64 KB registers at 0x01060000
radeonfb0: display 0: initial virtual resolution 640x480 at 32 bpp
radeonfb0: using 32 MB per display
radeonfb0: port 0: physical 1024x768 60Hz
radeonfb0: port 1: physical 1024x768 60Hz
wsdisplay1 at radeonfb0 kbdmux 1
drm at radeonfb0 not configured
tlp0 at pci1 dev 9 function 0: DECchip 21140A Ethernet, pass 2.0
ELSA GLoria Synergy

See:

usb0 at ohci0: USB revision 1.0
pm2fb0 at pci0 dev 11 function 0: vendor 104c product 3d07 (rev. 0x01)
pm2fb0: no width property
pm2fb0: no height property
pm2fb0: no depth property
pm2fb0: 8 MB aperture at 0x01000000
pm2fb0: pm2 using 1280 x 1024 in 8 bit, stride 1280
wsdisplay0 at pm2fb0 kbdmux 1: console (default, vt100 emulation)
wsmux1: connecting to wsdisplay0
isa0 at sio0
3Dlabs Oxygen VX1

See:

usb0 at ohci0: USB revision 1.0
pm3fb0 at pci0 dev 11 function 0: vendor 3d3d product 000a (rev. 0x01)
pm3fb0: no width property
pm3fb0: no height property
pm3fb0: no depth property
pm3fb0: 16 MB aperture at 0x40000000
pm3fb0: pm3 using 1280 x 1024 in 8 bit, stride 1280
wsdisplay0 at pm3fb0 kbdmux 1: console (default, vt100 emulation)
wsmux1: connecting to wsdisplay0
isa0 at sio0

Next, you have to configure X.

See:
Chapter 9. X

Modify the /etc/X11/xorg.conf settings.

radeon or glint driver does not work.
Please use wsfb driver.

See:
ftp://www.x.org/pub/xorg/X11R7.5/doc/man/man4/wsfb.4.html

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "wsfb"
        BusID       "PCI:0:7:0"
EndSection

Everything is ready!

I hope that a happy X time will come around for you.