Solved KDE doesn't seem to be installed

I installed Xorg and it starts up OK using "startx"

I then installed KDE5 using
pkg install x11/kde5
I populated /etc/rc.conf and /etc/fstab as directed.

I rebooted and typed "startx" This bought up the basic Xorg
I tried "startkde" and "startkde5" Command not found.
I tried "where kde5" and got nothing back so I guessed it did not install

I tried "pkg install x11/kde5" again and the reply was All packages up to date and installed.

So the question is how do I start KDE or indeed, where is it?

I'm running an Acer laptop with BSD 12.2
 
Sometimes it's pretty helpful to read the handbook:

If you don't want to use a display manager like sddm, see the section about ~/.xinitrc. The command to launch a KDE5 destkop in X11 is startplasma-x11
 
Command not found I'm afraid
I installed sddm and it still doesn't load. I don't believe KDE is installed.
 
You can check with pkg all-depends kde5 | xargs -n 1 pkg info|less
Also frequently overseen is to set additional sysctl knobs. Standard disclaimer:
  • install the docs: pkg install {de,en}-freebsd-doc, replace de with your native tongue, and point your favorite browser to /usr/local/share/doc/freebsd.
  • You may want to add message: "query '[%C/%n] %M'", to the ALIAS section of /usr/local/etc/pkg.conf, then read through all pkg message|less and apply the requested settings.
  • Instead of less(1), you may find sysutils/most more user-friendly. Beginners will prefer edit(1) (ee(1)), editors/aee or editors/nano over the old-school, UNIX'ish vi(1) (wizzard's choice).
  • The utilities sysutils/psearch or sysutils/portfind will help you to find available software in the ports(7) tree.
  • Some nice small utilities are self-contained in the ports(7) tree (most under sysutils) and are not available as packages.
  • If you mix self-built ports(7) & packages, adjust both to use the same version (quarterly vs. latest): /etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf & portsnap(8) is locked to latest & can not use the quarterly ports tree branch. Read the Handbook how to get the quarterly ports tree.
  • ports-mgmt/octopkg is a user-friendly graphical frontend to the pkg-ng package manager. It uses the Qt toolkit and runs on every GUI. AFAIK there is no Gtk-based counterpart.
  • Use sysrc(8) to safely edit system rc(8) files instead of editing rc.conf(5). It does some checks to prevent typos, and allows for advanced tricks like sudo sysrc moused_flags+=" -l 2" (note the space).
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: a6h
PS I have an appointment tomorrow morning, but since I would sleep better if I knew you're on the right track, I can stay here until 0:30 UTC and try to help.
 
PS I have an appointment tomorrow morning, but since I would sleep better if I knew you're on the right track, I can stay here until 0:30 UTC and try to help.
Thanks but it's past midnight here. I'm hitting the sack
 
startplasma-x11 is in package plasma5-plasma-workspace and should be drawn as a dependency by kde5.
 
Its clear the packages have not installed. I ran "pkg all-depends x11/kde5"

It listed 11 files. I'm sure they are ment to be more that that?

plasma5-plasma-5.20.4
kde-base-apps-20.12.0
kdeadmin-20.12.0
kwalletmanager-20.12.0
kdemultimedia-20.12.0
kdeutils-20.12.0
kdeedu-20.12.0
kdegraphics-20.12.0
kdegames-20.12.0
kdepim-20.12.0

I ran startplasma-x11 and it returned
$DISPLAY is not set or cannot connect to the xserver

I assumed that because startx ran xorg the display defaults were correct - guess not

I don't know if the relevant files even downloaded correctly
 
Should I have installed plasma5-plasma and kds-baseapps?

I also notice the directory
/usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
is empty. Shouldn't there be some config files in there?
my laptop is a plain old VGA
 
I ran startplasma-x11 and it returned
$DISPLAY is not set or cannot connect to the xserver
You still didn't read the handbook, right? The KDE plasma desktop is an X11 application, so it can of course only be run from within a running X11 session.

It listed 11 files. I'm sure they are ment to be more that that?
These are the direct dependencies. plasma5-plasma-workspace is a dependency of plasma5-plasma.
 
You still didn't read the handbook, right? The KDE plasma desktop is an X11 application, so it can of course only be run from within a running X11 session.


These are the direct dependencies. plasma5-plasma-workspace is a dependency of plasma5-plasma.
I followed
Section 5.7.2 KDE

I opened a term on xorg and entered startplasma-x11

The screen came up briefly with the KDE logo then returned to the terminal with a page full of errors.

It will take me a while to type up the page from the one machine to this one.
 
I don't think so. The handbook gives you three typical ways to start KDE, none of them is to do it from an xterm. Short of other options now, I'll just quote the handbook's method without a display manager:
A second method for launching KDE Plasma is to type startx from the command line. For this to work, the following line is needed in ~/.xinitrc:
exec ck-launch-session startplasma-x11
 
Most of the text refers to
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not set
and
problems with kmix

I tried to reinstall kmix but pkg install kmix said it was OK
 
So, you try anything *except* what people or the handbook tell you?
If you want a "graphical login", install x11/sddm as the handbook describes. If not, I even quoted what to do instead, no idea what else to tell you.
 
I did exactly what the handbook and users here told me to do.
Loaded kde
populated the directories as directed
I have installed sddm and tried to run it.

I'm really sorry if I missed something, I'm at a loss
 
Loaded kde
populated the directories as directed
I have installed sddm and tried to run it.
All of that is *unclear* at best. What *exactly* did you try?

From what I read in this thread so far, you tried to run startplasma-x11 from the console and from an xterm, none of which is described in the handbook.

Just do what the handbook suggests (e.g. add services hald and dbus, and optionally sddm if you want graphical login) – and of course *start* them (with the service(8) command, or just by rebooting).
 
I respectfully draw your attention to an earlier post "The command to launch a KDE5 destkop in X11 is startplasma-x11"

However clearly I am misunderstanding something and getting in a knot.
I'm going to reload the OS and start again.

Thanks for all the help none the less.

Steve
 
I respectfully draw your attention to an earlier post "The command to launch a KDE5 destkop in X11 is startplasma-x11"
Which was an informational addition as you were obviously (for whatever reason) looking for that command, and it is still correct. That doesn't mean that you typically start a window manager or desktop environment manually. You could still do if you just started X without any window manager and all you have is your one xterm on the screen.

In my very first post, I directed you to the relevant page of the handbook which describes three methods to start KDE. Just try one of them.

I'm going to reload the OS and start again.
Well, this is not a Windows box… :eek:
 
I reloaded the os and upgraded 12.2

Installed xorg and it runs just fine opening a simple screen with 3 terms.

loaded KDE and followed the instructions in the instruction is the handbook:

KDE requires /proc to be mounted. Add this line to /etc/fstab to mount this file system automatically during system startup:
proc /proc procfs rw 0 0
KDE uses D-Bus for a message bus and hardware abstraction. These applications are automatically installed as dependencies of KDE. Enable them in /etc/rc.conf so they will be started when the system boots:
dbus_enable="YES"
Since KDE Plasma 5, the KDE Display Manager, KDM is no longer developed. A possible replacement is SDDM. To install it, type:
# pkg install x11/sddm
Add this line to /etc/rc.conf:
sddm_enable="YES"

rebooted

further down the KDE section states:

A SECOND METHOD for launching KDE Plasma is to type startx from the command line.......

A THIRD METHOD for starting KDE Plasma is through XDM. To do so, create an executable........

I have confirmed ssdm and dbus are running

What is the FIRST METHOD for starting KDE using ssdm? It is certainly not mentioned in the handbook
 
Well yes, at this point, the handbook assumes you actually know what a "display manager" does. Among other things, it provides a graphical login directly starting some wm/de. So, just select a plasma session when logging in with sddm.
 
I deleted sddm and associated config files. If I did not understand the title there is not a hope of configuring it.

I selected the the 2nd option.
entered the line "exec ck-launch-session startplasma-x11" in the xinitrc script and rebooted.

startx just bought up the basic xorg screen with 3 terms.
 
I deleted sddm and associated config files. If I did not understand the title there is not a hope of configuring it.
There's nothing to configure. You just run the service (automatically at boot from /etc/rc.conf) and get a graphical login. On the login screen, you can select a "plasma" session.
entered the line "exec ck-launch-session startplasma-x11" in the xinitrc script and rebooted.
This is more than sloppy. The file name is ~/.xinitrc.
startx just bought up the basic xorg screen with 3 terms.
This suggests you didn't create .xinitrc in your home directory correctly. The session you describe here is launched in /usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc. It wouldn't be executed if ~/.xinitrc was present.
 
That is correct. I added the line to the file /usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

Are you saying I should create a file /home/steve/xinitrc
with a single line exec ck-launch-session startplasma-x11
 
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