Re: How do I get into GUI?
Hi, my name is Claude, and I'm new to FreeBSD. I've installed it on a hard drive by itself, and I get it to boot. The install seemed to have completed without a glitch. My problem is that I expected the booting process to finish in the graphical user interface. Instead, it stops at a CLI prompt. Maybe I did something wrong. I tried re-configuring by booting off the CD, and I selected KDE as my user interface. But something in the configuration goes wrong, and it tells me to select a simpler interface. I've tried a couple of the others, with the same result. No, generally X is not set up to start automatically on boot. Check out startx(1) and all its related configuration files and possibilities of what it will start up. Then, after you have it set up, when you boot your machine, then log in with your working account (preferably not root) and type 'startx' and voila you have it. FreeBSD makes fewer assumptions about what you want. That means you have to do a little more to get things set up the way you want, but it also means you aren't stuck with what someone else thinks you ought to want. Most of us are really down on someone in the northwest doing our thinking and decision making for us which is _one_ of the big things that brings us to FreeBSD. jerry I did not modify anything in the kernel. Is that the problem? My computer has a Soho P4X400 Dragon Lite MB, an Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor, 256 MB of DDR400 memory, an Nvidia GeForce2 video card, and otherwise runs Win2000 and WinXP Pro flawlessly. I've read all sorts of help files, but am still pretty lost. Can you advise me as to how to proceed from here? Is there a forum I can post this to? Thank you very much! Claude ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: How do I get into GUI?
Hi Claude, FreBSD takes a minimalistic approach to installing applications in the default install. By default, XWindows is not installed. Read the handbook section on XWindows: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x11.html It describes XWindows installation, config and usage as well as working with some window managers and desktops. You can also install X through /stand/sysinstall - Configure - Packages. In closing, on a personal note, I might suggest that you try a lighter windows manager (Blackbox, WindowMaker) over a full-blown desktop manager (KDE, Gnome) as they are much quicker. They require a little more leg work up front as you will have to install your X apps on your own. Again, this is sticking with the minimalistic approach of only installing what you need. HTH, Christopher Hollow Claude Martin wrote: Hi, my name is Claude, and I'm new to FreeBSD. I've installed it on a hard drive by itself, and I get it to boot. The install seemed to have completed without a glitch. My problem is that I expected the booting process to finish in the graphical user interface. Instead, it stops at a CLI prompt. Maybe I did something wrong. I tried re-configuring by booting off the CD, and I selected KDE as my user interface. But something in the configuration goes wrong, and it tells me to select a simpler interface. I've tried a couple of the others, with the same result. I did not modify anything in the kernel. Is that the problem? My computer has a Soho P4X400 Dragon Lite MB, an Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor, 256 MB of DDR400 memory, an Nvidia GeForce2 video card, and otherwise runs Win2000 and WinXP Pro flawlessly. I've read all sorts of help files, but am still pretty lost. Can you advise me as to how to proceed from here? Is there a forum I can post this to? Thank you very much! Claude _ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Christopher Hollow - Technical Consultant Infrastructure Technology Support ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: How do I get into GUI?
On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:21:13 + Claude Martin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my name is Claude, and I'm new to FreeBSD. I've installed it on a hard drive by itself, and I get it to boot. The install seemed to have completed without a glitch. :) My problem is that I expected the booting process to finish in the graphical user interface. Instead, it stops at a CLI prompt. Yup, that's the way it work around here ;) do as user: $ echo 'exec startkde' ~/.xinirc $ startx Maybe I did something wrong. I tried re-configuring by booting off the CD, and I selected KDE as my user interface. But something in the configuration goes wrong, and it tells me to select a simpler interface. I've tried a couple of the others, with the same result. What failed, X configuration or adding KDE ? Give us the errors, we cannot guess them. I did not modify anything in the kernel. Is that the problem? My computer has a Soho P4X400 Dragon Lite MB, an Intel Celeron 2.2 GHz processor, 256 MB of DDR400 memory, an Nvidia GeForce2 video card, and otherwise runs Win2000 and WinXP Pro flawlessly. It should work. -- IOnut Unregistered ;) FreeBSD user ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: How do I get into GUI?
Claude Martin wrote: My problem is that I expected the booting process to finish in the graphical user interface. Instead, it stops at a CLI prompt. Maybe I did something wrong. No, although you were probably asked during the install whether you wanted to configure X Windows. Not everyone wants a GUI for every machine. I don't install X Windows on mail or web servers, for example, except (rarely) as a dependency of some other program. Assuming you're completely new to all this, there are two stages to running a GUI. The first is to get a running X server. The second is to select your preferred window manager (such as KDE or, as another poster suggested, Windowmaker). Nothing can happen without a properly configured X server. The choice of window manager is arbitrary and you can switch between them if you want. The easiest way to get a running X server is, as root, to type: /stand/sysinstall Then go Configure--Mouse and get your mouse working. Having configured the mouse, you should be prompted to go to the next stage and configure the XFree86 system - aka your X server. If not, go back to the previous menu and select XFree86, then select option 2, xf86cfg, a graphical setup tool which might just get your graphics card right unaided. If not... an Nvidia GeForce2 video card, ...you need to tell it which graphics card you have and, possibly, which chipset it uses. If you're having problems and need to drop into a lower-level configuration tool, you'll need to know suitable vertical and horizontal sync ranges for your monitor. In addition to the information and links given to you here by other posters, you might find it helpful to look at: http://www.xfree86.org where you'll find detailed information about how to configure X for different graphics cards. PWR. PWR. ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
