Xfce New to FreeBSD : xOrg does not start neither xFce4 DE

Hi,
New to FreeBSD ( but not to Linux since 1993 and UnixMan on Engineer School in 1984 ) then ok for script & all if necessary.

I decided to install FreeBSD for fun as I stopped Unix end of 1999 ( iRMX ) and I want to play again Unix to learn it again and to have fun ...
xOrg fails to start...
Not a problem due to Hardware as this PC was running RedHat this Ootpa 8.6 Gnome on xOrg and I installed NomadBSD successfully except little PB with efi ( I need to choose manually the efi boot file )


But as said I want to have fun with FreeBSD and I need for help...


INSTALLATION OF FreeBSD
It is so simple to install ( Slackware-like),
I only don't known how to encrypt Luks the partitions ( created manually ), If you can also me to encrypt the 2 partitions It would be nice...
PartitionsTypeSizeMountpointEncryptions
ada0p1efi500MB/boot/efi
ada0p2freebsd-ufs220GB/to be encrypted help welcomed
ada0p3freebsd-swap18GBswapto be encrypted help welcomed


INSTALLATION OF xFce4 DE ON FreeBSD
What did I made wrong, please ?
pkg update; reboot; pkg install -y nano; pkg install -y xorg; pkg install -y xfce; pkg install -y slim; pkg install -y slim-themes; nano /etc/rc.conf dbus_enable="YES" hald_enable="YES" slim_enable="YES" nano /home/user1/.xinitrc startxfce4 nano /home/user2/.xinitrc exec startxfce4 pkg update; reboot;


WHAT FAILED WITH xFce4 DE
Slim does not start automatically...
startx gives :

Fatal server error (EE) (EE) Cannot run in framebuffer mode. Please secify busIDs for all framebuffer devices .... (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file. xinit: giving up xinit: unable to connect X server . Connection refused xinit: server error



I TRYIED THIS
Xorg -configure X -configure /root/xorg.conf.new
Then
xrandr gives
Can't open display


VERSION OF FreeBSD

cat /etc/os-relase
gives
NAME=FreeBSD VERSION=13.0-RELEASE VERSION_ID=13.0 ID=freebsd ANSI_COLOR="0;31" PRETTY_NAME="FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE" CPE_NAME=cpe:/o:freebsd:freebsd:13.0 HOME_URL=...

( I could not ask for grep with bash ? " cat /etc/os-relase | grep NAME " failed , pkg info bash gives Name : bash and Version : 5.1.16 )
 
This whole step can be avoided on only Intel CPU graphics:
Setting the Video Driver in a File
Just install the correct DRM video driver and this is not needed.
Now if you have a computer with Intel CPU and NVidia graphics you might need to set the video driver.
 
There is no lspci on freebsd but you can report what pciconf -lv |grep -B 4 VGA returns. Most likely you will need
pkg install -y drm-kmod unless you have an nvidia device.

pciconf -lv |grep -B 4 VGA returns 100 lines...
I tried to add | less idem..
But there is :
vgapci00pci0:0:2:0: class=0x030000 rev=0x06 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x1912 subvendor=0x103c subdevice=0x8056 vendor = 'Intel Corporation' device = 'HD Graphics 530' class = diplay subclass = VGA

I've installed neofetch ( as there is no dmidecode and as xrandr does not work )
CPU: Intel i7-6700 (8) # 3.408GHZ
GPU: HD Graphics 530

For info :
The Display is connected at DP-1 ( Display-Port 01)
and the mouse works...
 
Also please use FreeBSD-13.1. There is no sense starting with an old version.

FreeBSD version 13.1 installed now

cat /etc/os-relase.
gives
.NAME=FreeBSD VERSION=13.1-RELEASE VERSION_ID=13.1 ID=freebsd ANSI_COLOR="0;31" PRETTY_NAME="FreeBSD 13.1-RELEASE" CPE_NAME=cpe:/o:freebsd:freebsd:13.1 HOME_URL=...

But nothing changed ...
 
All you need is here:

Sorry that is not the case :

# pkg install xorg; done
# pw groupmod video -m user || pw groupmod wheel -m user done during installation ( wheel + operator + video )
% startx Failed
 
All you need is here:

That is correct.

However, it seems to be a recurring theme, that new users install Freebsd, xorg and a few other packages, and then wonder why it does not all start up like magic.

Does the handbook not have enough emphasis on video cards?
 
Thanks but how ?
OK you established that Intel Video in use. That means i915drm.
pkg search drm
Code:
drm-fbsd13-kmod-5.4.144.g20220223 DRM modules for the linuxkpi-based KMS components
GOTO
pkg install drm-fbsd13-kmod
Pay VERY close attention to the package message. You need to put an entry in /etc/rc.conf for Intel video.
 
% startx Failed
No video driver expect failure..

Plus it don't sound like you followed the handbook correctly.
For Xfce4 there is a section. You need a session. Did you do that?

There is a cheater script installed with Xfce4.
Try this instead after you get your video right.
startxfce4
 
Hi everybody,

First thanks a lot for all your replies...

I found antother solution : DragonFly BSD :
  1. Still on BSD
  2. Very easy partitions encryption
  3. Mate Desktop installed in 5 minutes : I prefer Cinnamon but I like Mate ( 'compiz' ) much better than xFCE4
For info :

pkg update; pkg upgrade; pkg install -y nano; pkg install -y xorg; pkg install -y mate; pkg install -y slim; pkg install -y slim-themes;

Then
nano /etc/rc.conf
I add:
dbus_enable="YES" hald_enable="YES" slim_enable="YES"

Then
nano /home/unixman/.xinitrc
I add:
exec mate-session

Then
reboot;

Here is the results !
Hello Geezer : It it does all start up like magic.... :p Keep It Stupidly Simple ( OK this is for Linux but it worked also for DragonFly BSD )
Thanks again to everybody ! I've really appreciated your help and fast replies...
1656251065982.png
 
After 1 year I'm about to use FreeBSD as my first OS !

Hello,

I'm amazed to see what can do for me FreeBSD !!! Everything I need ! skype ( https://web.skype.com), Teams ( https://www.microsoft.com/fr-fr/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting ), Prime Video, Netflix, Wine, Vivaldi & Brave Browser... and everything is so stable !​
I've abandonned Dragonfly BSD and I've try to installed first FreBSD with Mate DE using the codes show on my reply of Jun 26, 2022 but some drivers were lacking and as a lazy man I've installed NomadBSD instead and it's the paradize ! 😀
I don't mean FreeBSD is as good than some Linux distro ... it is really BETTER !​
For instance on my brand new Laptop : Solus Linux fails to access to the sound card since the last upgrade then instaed of trying to fix it I've installed NomadBSD instead and everything is running ok with NomadBSD ( HP, microphone, camera, wifi, etc... )​


I need now your help for 2 things please

1_ How to encrypt my disk ( I use easely LUKS2 with my RedHat RHEL 9.2 and my SuSE SLED 15.5 ) but I'm quite lost and I really need it​
2_How to find drivers ( no camera detected on my small Aspire One 150x 10" display, x86_64, I set the user as member of webcamd )​

Thanks again for yor help.

( I've dowloaded the FreeBSD Handbook pdf & I've just bought on Amazon the 2 volumes of FreeBSD Handbook version 2015, I've bought also AbsolutBSD but just starting to read it...
But it wil be long as I've stopped using and maintening Unix iNTEL iRMX since it was stopped in 2000 :( then I need to learn again everything as using geom disk list instead of lsblk and so on but I'm really eager to learn it again 😍 )


My desktop : I just had to modify the look of plank everything else it nice
1687613917147.png
 
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