On Thu, 21 Mar 2002 01:10:29 -0500
"Dillion Klein" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!
> 
> Just a few questions:
> 
> 1.) How do I find out what current version of X is running?

"ls -l /var/log/XFree86.0.log", look at the date.  If the date
corresponds to the time you last started the X server, then look at the
first few lines of the file, it will tell which version wrote the file. 
If the file doesn't exist you're running a version earlier than 4.0 (I
can't remember just now where the log file used to be).  Or, try "X
-version".  X should be a symbolic link to whatever X server is normally
run.

> 2.) Is X11, is X-Windows, is XFree86, is XServer, X11R6? What name is
> what?

"The X Window System" is the name for the whole, generic thing, part of
the MIT Athena project.  The project created a client/server protocol
and a sample implementation.  We've been using version 11 of the
protocol for the last ten years or so, and revision 6 of version 11 for
the last four years or so (don't take my word for the dates, look it
up).  Hence, "X11" and "X11R6".  Ten years or so ago, when SysVr4 became
available for 386 PeeCees, some weren't satisfied with the
implementations that their vendors provided, so they took the Sample
Implementation and started making improvements -- that was the XFree86
project (a pun on X-386).  An X server is the program that provides
keyboard, mouse, and display services to client programs communicating
according to the X protocol.  The server is the program that has to
understand your equipment, the clients don't.  "X Windows" is
discouraged because it collides with a name that a US federal court has
recently declared is a generic term and can't be trademarked (IANAL).

> 3.) So, I do not need to "uninstall" my current version, I just need
> to delete /usr/X11R6 and save my XF86Config file, in order to install
> the latest version of XFree from the .tar file I downloaded as you 
> instructed?

Well, I suppose you really should pkg_delete the version you have so you
don't mess up /var/db/pkg like I always do.  "man pkg_delete pkg_info"

> 4.) I was able to get my resolution up a bit, but was not able to
> centre it very well in /stand/sysinstall. Is it worth it for me to
> upgrade to v.4, besides gaining the experience on how to do so? :)

I think XFree86 4.2.0 is very nice, and very easy to install.  The only
reason I'd hesitate is getting the 60 Megabyte kit over a slow network. 
If you've already done that the hard part is behind you.

> 5.) One last thing, once I am at the stag of successfully having
> the .tar version of v.4 XFree setup, what is the simplest way to
> get KDE going?

The simplest is to put "exec startkde" in your $HOME/.xsession (if you
use xdm) or $HOME/.xinitrc (if you use startx).

-- 
Remember, more computing power was thrown away last week than existed in
the world in 1982.  -- http://www.tom.womack.net/computing/prices.html
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