FreeBSD Startx Problem

[syedali999]

Dear All,
i am new to FreeBSD....and tends to learnt it by my self....as i didn't found any institute near my location.....

i am got into a little problem....whenever i run StartX...first it displays "cannot open config file"
after that x server starts.....but only mouse and yellow background colour appears and my system hanged....i dont know why....

i am using FreeBSD 5.4
IBM PC 300PL Branded System with 256MB Ram
ATI brands vga...

* i have tested my system with RH 7.2,8,9 FC1,2,3

i am just installed BSD for learning....if any hardware confliction occurs then please let me know any branded P-1 system which is well supported with it...

[lambda]

run the xorg configuration tool first. i don't know what it is (i haven't run it in a long time), but it's probably something as simple as "xorg -configure" or "X -configure".

[ashariqbal]

http://www.pcbsd.org/ is based on FreeBSD but is more of a desktop distro. You may want to try that first.

[lambda]

http://www.pcbsd.org/ is based on FreeBSD but is more of a desktop distro. You may want to try that first.

do you know, for a fact, that pcbsd will work better than freebsd? or will it also require the same x config process?

[Anjum Butt]

i am using FreeBSD 5.4
IBM PC 300PL Branded System with 256MB Ram
ATI brands vga...

Aoa,
The problem you are facing is strictly due to your ATI Card. There are two drivers available for ATI Card on Linux:
1. OpenSoure Drivers which are present in X.org and XFree86. ( for older cards)
2. ATI proprietary drivers which to date exists only for linux kernel 2.4 (for newer cards). Do note that, these drivers do not work for 2.6 kernels even.

Most probably you have a system that requires an ATI proprietary driver, then its the end of the line, at least for now.

If you could, either step down to an older version, or purchase a card from nVidia, since they have provided drivers for latest cards for FreeBSD.

If the above mentioned is false, then you can make the Xserver work by following steps:

# This command will create a xorg.conf.new in /root
X -configure

# test that x server starts, make sure to crash it <ctrl><alt><backspace>
X -config /root/xorg.conf.new

# Perform this step if X worked
cp xorg.conf.new /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xorg.conf

[syedali999]

hi again

somehow i do what the lambda said and its work....

but i cant found any gnome or kde type GUI....

i just found a green screen with three Console namely xterm, login, bash

4 button window is also appearing at the left top of the window.....

left button mouse click displays a menu....

this is now the problem....
kindly tell me how to figure it out....
there is lack of freebsd forums....and all are for system administrators.....
i cant find any wide forum as linuxpakistan .....

[LinuxFreaK]

Dear syedali999,
Salam,

FYI, http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO885 ... 11-wm.html

Best Regards.

[syedali999]

hi,
Thanks Farrukh....nice link...
i will try it when i will on the home...
by the way....
i searched .xinitrc file in my home directory but it was not there...
should i manually create it?

if yes then can ne one send me his sample file.?
or just to type Gnome-Session in .xinitrc and it will run? as the link says?

[lambda]

here's a sample .xinitrc:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

exec /usr/X11R6/bin/gnome-session

create it, then type

Code: Select all

ln .xinitrc .xsession
chmod u+x .xinitrc

and run gdm or startx.

[syedali999]

Hi Lambda,
Thank You very much. i tested that script and it really works...
again thanks to all specially you & farrukh to providing such a great link ....

but if you dont mind ... i wana ask you the same for KDE.

as saw a theme in which all windows are semi-transparent. i liked it and it ...same as below

[lambda]

but if you dont mind ... i wana ask you the same for KDE.

you do realize that farrukh's link has all you need to start kde, right?

(assuming you installed kde.)

[syedali999]

sorry!!!