Solved Can't make XFCE start...

[Харбин Хэйлунцзян]

I've just installed FreeBSD on a computer (i5-2400, 8Gb RAM) and am having trouble starting XFCE.
Hope someone will help me out of this.

pkg install xorg
The most recent versions of packages are already installed

pkg install xfce
The most recent versions of packages are already installed

The proc line in /etc/fstab looks as in the handbook

dbus_enable="YES" is in /etc/rc.conf

shutdown -r now
login: root
startx

xauth: file /root/.serverauth.1090 does not exist

...

(EE)
Fatal server error:
(EE) Cannot run in framebuffer mode. Please specify busIDs [about 8 spaces] for all framebuffer devices

 

[Emrion]

You need to install graphics/drm-kmod as instructed there: https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/x11/#x-configuration-intel

Don't start X with the root user. Use another user and add it to the video group.

 

[Харбин Хэйлунцзян]

You need to install graphics/drm-kmod as instructed there: https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/x11/#x-configuration-intel

That certainly brought a change to my position - the screen resolution now is correct. Thank you.

But still I'm not there.

login: sergei

startx

xauth: file /home/sergei/.serverauth.1108 does not exist
xauth: file /home/sergei/.Xauthority does not exist

...

WARNING: Kernel has no file descriptor comparison support: No such file or directory
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning: Could not resolve keysym XF86CameraAccessEnable

about 15 similar warnings

Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server
/home/sergei/.xinitrc: ./usr/local/etc/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc: not found
xinit: connection to X server lost

waiting for X server to shut down (II) Server terminated successfully (0). Closing log file.

 

[Emrion]

Be accustomed with warnings and errors. Have you read the FreeBSD handbook about XFCE4?

 

[Харбин Хэйлунцзян]

Have you read the FreeBSD handbook about XFCE4?

I wouldn't say there's much on that:

https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/desktop/#xfce-environment

But what little there is, yes, I have read.

 

[Харбин Хэйлунцзян]

But what there is, yes, I have read.

Looks like an error in the handbook - wrong string in xinitrc. I have started it with

exec startxfce4

Still wouldn't mind to know the correct string for startx.

 

[Emrion]

If you scroll a little down, two means of starting XFCE are explained. None of them use startxfce4.

Chapter 8. Desktop Environments

This chapter demonstrates how to install numerous desktop environments, including web browsers, productivity software, document viewers, and financial software

docs.freebsd.org

I've just tested the second one and that works.

That said, I use ck-launch-session dbus-launch --exit-with-session startxfce4 in ~/.xinitrc, which works as well.

 

[Харбин Хэйлунцзян]

I've just tested the second one and that works.

That's what I failed to achieve. I've just noticed I had typed the line with an error. If you take a look at my second message you'll see it - there's no space between the dot and the slash:

./usr/local/etc/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc

Now that I've fixed it, it works for me too.

That said, I use ck-launch-session dbus-launch --exit-with-session startxfce4 in ~/.xinitrc, which works as well.

Some extra info won't hurt. Thanks for that too.

 

[dkh]

Unless you only want to use xfce4 now and then it's simpler to just install lightdm

 

[USerID]

Don't start X with the root user. Use another user and add it to the video group.

So what? What could happen? Maybe you can find at least 3 reasons why you can’t run X from root?

 

[Emrion]

Only one: root is for the administration of the system. It's so obvious that I have nothing to add.
Beside that, you do what you want. Make your own experience.