freebsd 7.2 startx gnome crashs

Hello,
im new to freebsd.

after installation I updated freebsd and then used portsnap to update and extract the lastest ports.

I then installed gnome2 using pkg_add -r gnome2

I then edited /etc/rc.conf and added gdm_enable="yes"

i rebooted as per instructions and got back to commandline like before. gdm does start at bootup thou.
I tryed startx and said the command doesnt exist. to i then installed xorg using Pkg_add -r xorg
I typed startx and xterm started. i then edited the .xintrc and then typed startx and gnome starts but crashes.

what other information do you need to help me sort this out?
i didnt want to write down everything the console outputted when gnome crashed.

thanks in advance
Lodore
 
I wish this forum had a post edit button. i still dont know why x doesnt start automatically since gdm does say starting.
 
lodore said:
gdm does start at bootup thou.
I tryed startx and said the command doesnt exist. to i then installed xorg using Pkg_add -r xorg
I typed startx and xterm started. i then edited the .xintrc and then typed startx and gnome starts but crashes.

Let's clarify things. Are you using GDM or startx to start Gnome? You say that GDM starts at boot but a couple phrases latter you said that you've use startx. So which is it?

Do you boot to a graphical GDM and are able to select your session?
 
tangram said:
Let's clarify things. Are you using GDM or startx to start Gnome? You say that GDM starts at boot but a couple phrases latter you said that you've use startx. So which is it?

Do you boot to a graphical GDM and are able to select your session?

Hello,

I added enable_gdm="YES" to /etc/rc.conf and rebooted.
at startup i see the line gdm starting but I dont get a graphical login screen. all i get is the console login. thats why i tryed to startx manually. so i want to know 2 things at this time
1. why gdm isnt starting properly at startup and what to do. if i sort that out and gnome works i dont need to worry about question 2.
2. when I startx manually why it crashes and what to do.
 
tangram said:
Can you paste the contents of /etc/rc.conf and /var/log/gdm?

Hey,
on the commented lines i shortened some sections such as date and time since commented sections dont do anything anyway.
/etc/rc.conf:
Code:
# sysinstall genarated deltas
# date and time
# created thursday september 10th
# enable network daemons for user convenience
# please make all changes to this file and not /etc/defaults/rc.conf
#this file contains just the overrides of /etc/defaults/rc.conf
hostname="lodore.home"
ifconfig_msk0="dhcp"
ipv6_enable="YES"
keymap"uk.iso"
nfs_client_enable="YES"
gdm_enable="YES"

i couldnt open /var/log/gdm with vi /var/log/gdm it said this isnt a regular file. how do i open that log file?
 
Your problem is probably not caused by this, but keymap"uk.iso" doesn't seem right. There should be an = sign after keymap.
Also remove all the sysinstall junk.

I don't use GNOME so I don't know for sure, but the vi error shows /var/log/gdm is a directory. So cd to this directory and post the log(s) it contains.
 
Hello,

first off the uk.iso keymap line was generated by sysinstall so im pretty sure its correct but i do see your point since it looks different from the other lines.
I have disabled gdm by putting a hash symbol to the left of it in the config file.
I have installed kde4 and enabed kdm.
I have added the lines hald_enable="yes" and dbus_enable="yes" to /etc/rc.conf and rebooted.
keyboard and mouse now work with X

KDM starts gnome successfully.
 
ale said:
Please, read again char by char the post #2, the first by tangram in this thread.
Read also the link he added in the same post.

here is the current file:
Code:
# -- sysinstall generated deltas -- # Thu Sep 10 23:58:53 2009
# Created: Thu Sep 10 23:58:53 2009
# Enable network daemons for user convenience.
# Please make all changes to this file, not to /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
# This file now contains just the overrides from /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
hostname="lodore.home"
ifconfig_msk0="DHCP"
ipv6_enable="YES"
keymap="uk.iso"
nfs_client_enable="YES"				
#gdm_enable="YES"
hald_enable="YES"
dbus_enable="YES"
# -- sysinstall generated deltas -- # Fri Sep 11 18:33:07 2009
moused_port="/dev/mse0"
moused_type="mouseman"
moused_enable="YES"
# -- sysinstall generated deltas -- # Fri Sep 11 18:34:50 2009
moused_flags="-3"
moused_port="/dev/mse0"
moused_type="auto"
moused_enable="YES"
btw im kinda confused about something.
my installed programs are old for example firefox 2,kde 4.2 etc.
i installed using for example Pkg_add -r gnome2
how do i update them to the lastest versions?

are the current packages im using the ones that shipped with freebsd 7.2?
 
I still can't see what tangram posted.
Anyway what happens now after uncommenting the line about gdm?

Did you installed packages from cd? Usually packages are old at release time, and now many time have passed.
 
If you're using a RELEASE FreeBSD, # pkg_add -r <package> will default to RELEASE packages. You should set the PACKAGESITE variable to a stable repository.

Check the handbook. It's in the note.

EDIT: as for Firefox 2.x, it may be needed as a dependency. If you want to use FF for browsing you may have to install both version 2 (as a dependency) and a newer version, e.g. version 3.5.
 
lodore, your /etc/rc.conf doesn't have [cmd=]gnome_enable="YES"[/cmd].

From Gnome's FAQ #2:
"In order to make the most of your new GNOME Desktop, you will want to start all of the GNOME-related services at boot-time. If you wish to take full advantage of GNOME, add the following to /etc/rc.conf:

gnome_enable="YES"


This will enable services such as GDM, HAL, D-BUS, and Avahi on system startup. If you do not want to run all of these services, you should forget the gnome_enable property, and manually enable the services you want."
 
tangram said:
lodore, your /etc/rc.conf doesn't have [cmd=]gnome_enable="YES"[/cmd].

From Gnome's FAQ #2:
"In order to make the most of your new GNOME Desktop, you will want to start all of the GNOME-related services at boot-time. If you wish to take full advantage of GNOME, add the following to /etc/rc.conf:

gnome_enable="YES"


This will enable services such as GDM, HAL, D-BUS, and Avahi on system startup. If you do not want to run all of these services, you should forget the gnome_enable property, and manually enable the services you want."

thats odd the handbook states gdm_enable="YES"
i have managed to start gnome using kdm but gnome didnt really work very well. maybe im to used to linux distros with more integration but most stuff in the menu didnt work. for example gnome has a services menu and an unlock button and i cant click it.
I like the idea of freebsd aka complete opensource operating system but it does seem to take alot of time to setup.
when i have time i will have a play around and see if i can get gnome to work using gnome_enable="yes" after disabling kdm of course.
 
lodore said:
thats odd the handbook states gdm_enable="YES"

gnome_enable="YES" is the same as
Code:
avahi_daemon_enable="YES"
avavi_dnsconfd_enable="YES"
hald_enable="YES"
dbus_enable="YES"
gdm_enable="YES"

You will need at least dbus and hal running for GDM/GNOME to work properly. Also make sure the /proc filesystem is mounted.

for example gnome has a services menu and an unlock button and i cant click it.
Not sure about KDM but GDM will make sure ConsoleKit/PolicyKit gets loaded properly. That should make the unlock button available.
 
KDM implies changing /etc/ttys. GDM on the other hand don't, so make sure you're not having problems in GDM because of the changes on /etc/ttys.
 
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