How good is FreeBSD for desktop use

Use xxxterm :)

http://opensource.conformal.com/wiki/XXXTerm

It is made by some of the OpenBSD devs. It uses webkit-gtk (in FreeBSD ports).

What is quite cool is that it works just like vi.

:eek: google.com <-- Navigates to google
:q <-- Exits

It also has a cool feature like (elinks) where if you press 'f' it labels each hyperlink with a number so you can use mouseless browsing.

When I get some time, I plan to make a port. It is a little bit faffy to get it compiled
 
It takes a little work to set up a desktop environment.
1) Set up Xorg.
2) Edit /etc/rc.conf.
3) Add a desktop environment through the ports collection.
4) Adjust kernel parameters in /boot/loader.conf.
5) Setup permissions.
6) Adjust the security.


Add to that a few other options and you have your desktop.
 
kpedersen said:
Use xxxterm :)

http://opensource.conformal.com/wiki/XXXTerm

It is made by some of the OpenBSD devs. It uses webkit-gtk (in FreeBSD ports).

What is quite cool is that it works just like vi.

:eek: google.com <-- Navigates to google
:q <-- Exits

It also has a cool feature like (elinks) where if you press 'f' it labels each hyperlink with a number so you can use mouseless browsing.

When I get some time, I plan to make a port. It is a little bit faffy to get it compiled

Screen-shot would be nice

Never mind, I made port
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=154025
 
I can also vouch for xxxterm. It was suggested to me on Daemonforums for use on my Sun Blade 1000.
No luck in getting it to work in Debian. The response time is much quicker than a lot of browsers.
 
sossego said:
It takes a little work to set up a desktop environment.
1) Set up Xorg.
2) Edit /etc/rc.conf.
3) Add a desktop environment through the ports collection.
4) Adjust kernel parameters in /boot/loader.conf.
5) Setup permissions.
6) Adjust the security.


Add to that a few other options and you have your desktop.

I can take care of all the required work (I have experience from Linux ) . But I will require some serious help from BSD community . I hope the community don't minds spoon-feeding 1st timers .:)
 
asifnaz said:
I can take care of all the required work (I have experience from Linux ) . But I will require some serious help from BSD community . I hope the community don't minds spoon-feeding 1st timers .:)
If you have previous experience from Linux then it will be easier for you. Just go through the manual. You will be surprised on how accurate, precise it is. And don;t worry about the community, it is very friendly.
 
killasmurf86 said:
It coredumps when I make ~/.xxxterm.conf

Quick advice because I am not running my OpenBSD install or a graphical FreeBSD install.
Try setting up a small vm and put OpenBSD on it. Setup ports and then install xxxterm from www.
Look for the conf file in /usr/share/examples/xxxterm
You can ask kpederson or I later if we've had any luck on running the application in FreeBSD.
 
sossego said:
Quick advice because I am not running my OpenBSD install or a graphical FreeBSD install.
Try setting up a small vm and put OpenBSD on it. Setup ports and then install xxxterm from www.
Look for the conf file in /usr/share/examples/xxxterm
You can ask kpederson or I later if we've had any luck on running the application in FreeBSD.
Sample conf file comes with tar
Fact is it breaks even if content of conf file is
Code:
#
lol


vermaden said:
Does not compile under FreeBSD (util.h: no such file or directory)

I would stick to Midori, which works great and is in ports/packages.
You can use my port :D
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=154025
 
killasmurf86 said:
You can use my port :D

Damn, beat me to it :p

I haven't actually tried with the config file lol, I just pass in a couple of parameters for the small modifications I need. I will give it a try shortly.

Also, another one very similar to xxxterm is vimprobable (http://www.vimprobable.org). This one admittedly seems a little more polished (and compiles more easily on freebsd). Plus some of the source was burrowed by xxxterm. Overall I prefer vimprobable, but the xxxterm download manager is quite awesome!

Note: Neither of these require firefox, I think vimperator is the name of the firefox addon.
 
kpedersen said:
Damn, beat me to it :p

I haven't actually tried with the config file lol, I just pass in a couple of parameters for the small modifications I need. I will give it a try shortly.

Also, another one very similar to xxxterm is vimprobable (http://www.vimprobable.org). This one admittedly seems a little more polished (and compiles more easily on freebsd). Plus some of the source was burrowed by xxxterm. Overall I prefer vimprobable, but the xxxterm download manager is quite awesome!

Note: Neither of these require firefox, I think vimperator is the name of the firefox addon.

They both sound pretty good, but their dependency upon/use of webkit-gtk is a big black mark against them from my perspective. Not only am I not a big fan of webkit, but I have not been able to get the port to build on either FreeBSD 8.0, or 8.1. It must be because of all the nasty things I've said about it since its inception.
 
KIllasmurf86: Please give the project maintainers credit and list that in the ports description.
Let it be known that it is a port of an OpenBSD project to the FreeBSD system. Contact those people after, showing them this and ask for help. I am certain that they would be willing to help you.
 
sossego said:
KIllasmurf86: Please give the project maintainers credit and list that in the ports description.
Let it be known that it is a port of an OpenBSD project to the FreeBSD system. Contact those people after, showing them this and ask for help. I am certain that they would be willing to help you.

I don't see any relation between xxxterm and OpenBSD on xxxterm homepages (nor OpenBSD homepage).
As for credits?
Ports usually doesn't mention who developed software. Instead there is reference to homepage WWW.
 
Have you asked them for help with the xxxterm.conf problem or any other obstacle?
Have you joined their forum and worked openly with them to build it?



purgatori: Where does the build break?
On what architecture?
Which version of ports? The recent one? A previous release?

Try rebuilding it and look for each break. You may need to cd into a subdirectory
and try making a build first. If it conflicts with another port or if a dependency isn't working,
then you need to let others know.
The port built fine for me on the Quicksilver. I had to reinstall the system, add the recent ports tree,
and then it built properly.
 
Okay.
I'm trying a source build first on the quicksilver. I have no working X, so I won't know
when things won't render.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
vermaden said:
Thanks for update mate, also I tried to build latest 1.2xx snapshot on FreeBSD, but I see that its not 'my' fault: ;)
"+#LIB_DEPENDS= gnutls.40:${PORTSDIR}/security/gnutls # NEEDED for v1.2xx, which currently doesn't build"

v1.2xx needs patching
I made some ugly Makefile patch and submitted it upstream
If you want to try it

Checkout source
Code:
$ export CVSROOT=anoncvs@opensource.conformal.com:/anoncvs/xxxterm
$ cvs co xxxterm

apply this patch
Code:
diff -ur xxxterm.bak/freebsd/Makefile xxxterm/freebsd/Makefile
--- xxxterm.bak/freebsd/Makefile	2011-01-17 18:18:27.000000000 +0200
+++ xxxterm/freebsd/Makefile	2011-01-17 19:09:49.000000000 +0200
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 LIBS= gtk+-2.0 webkit-1.0 libsoup-2.4
 
-LDADD= -llibutil
+LDADD= -lutil
 GTK_CFLAGS!= pkg-config --cflags $(LIBS)
 GTK_LDFLAGS!= pkg-config --libs $(LIBS)
 CFLAGS+= $(GTK_CFLAGS) -Wall -pthread
@@ -13,18 +13,20 @@
 LIBDIR?= $(PREFIX)/lib
 MANDIR?= $(PREFIX)/share/man
 
-CC?= gcc
+CC?= cc
 
-all: javascript.h xxxterm
+all: ../javascript.h xxxterm
 
-javascript.h: ../js-merge-helper.pl ../hinting.js
+../javascript.h: ../js-merge-helper.pl ../hinting.js
 	perl ../js-merge-helper.pl ../hinting.js \
-		../input-focus.js > javascript.h
+		../input-focus.js > ../javascript.h
 
-xxxterm.o: javascript.h
+xxxterm.o: ../xxxterm.o
 
-xxxterm: ../xxxterm.o freebsd.o
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $+ $(LDADD)
+../xxxterm.o: ../javascript.h
+
+xxxterm: xxxterm.o freebsd.o
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ *.o $+ $(LDADD)
 
 install: all
 	install -m 755 -d $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
Only in xxxterm: javascript.h
and then cd to freebsd directory, form there run make.
 
Back
Top