Configuring X on FreeBSD 5.4

**GNU_man** · 09-02-2005

Hi, i just installed 5.4 and the commands for configuring X on previous versions don't seem to work anymore. All i can get is a logon screen, when i log on it just restarts the logon screen ??? wtf?

**George Harrison** · 09-02-2005

hmm.. odd. Well you might need to know that FBSD is all xorg now (legacy still uses xfree though). So.. what display manager are you using? IMO, this is the first problem, display managers are annoying but it's your choice. Moving along, try to see if X will boot - just X. No display managers. I dunno why it would boot you back into the login prompt unless the password wasn't correct or if you were trying to login as root and do not have wheel permissions. Do

Code:

X -Configure

I believe and that will create a base xorg file for you. Now try running X with the startx command. If you really need a display manager you might want to Google the problem a bit or try editing your .xsession by hand.

**Mandeep** · 09-02-2005

for configuring FreeBSD in lastest versions you need following steps
1. install xorg-server, kdm
2. install some WM (kde,etc) i am using kde
configure xorg server with command xorgconfig
change /etc/ttys from
ttyv8 "/usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -nodaemon" xterm off secure
to
ttyv8 "/usr/X11R6/bin/kdm -nodaemon" xterm on secure

put following in ~/.xsessions
------------------------------
#!/usr/local/bin/bash

export PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/X11R6/bin
export KDEDIR=/usr/local/
startkde
------------------------------
and execute kill -1 1

i think this will help you.

**GNU_man** · 09-04-2005

I ran xorgconfig but I get a mouse error now Grrr

even though the mouse works fine when I'm in console mode. I'm thinking of switching back to 4.7

What's the deal with xorg anyway, like what is the difference from XFree86?

**chopin1810** · 09-04-2005

It's easier to configure.

**anomie** · 09-04-2005

I'm thinking of switching back to 4.7

Or you could go for 4.11 - prod legacy. It has behaved nicely for me.

What's the deal with xorg anyway, like what is the difference from XFree86?

Xfree86 has changed their license such that very few Linux / BSD communities are continuing to do business with them.

**GNU_man** · 09-04-2005

Well I have a book on FreeBSD that came with a 4-disk set of 4.7 so it's a safe bet... bugs me though, this mouse thing.

EDIT: oops, that's 4.6 not 4.7...

**chopin1810** · 09-06-2005

BSD doesn't really like GUIs, I've run Gnome on 3 BSD systems and every time it kept giving me problem after problem after problem...

**techieMoe** · 09-06-2005

Originally Posted by chopin1810

It's easier to configure.

How so? XFree86 and Xorg use identical configuration files. Are you talking about xf86config versus xorgcfg?

**George Harrison** · 09-06-2005

1. If you feel safer with legacy then go a head, 4.11 is the latest version.

2. What is wrong with CLI? A *BSD system feels out of place when you are using GUI on it, imo. If I desperately need to use X I will use Blackbox or Ratpoison. Even then I never create an x config or anything, X can start without a config file and that's what I use because I very rarely use X. If I am feeling frisky then the default X -Configure and it works great.

3. If you are a bit picky about the GUI thing then I would just use PC-BSD as it does a lot of stuff for you and thus takes a bit of fun out of it.

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