Solved No login screen; is Nvidia to blame?

BONUS: How this all came to be (a/o 2 Jan 21):​

> Fresh Install of FreeBSD 12.2

> I used ZFS (your choice really doesn't matter, just putting what I picked)

> Upon first boot: root root_password

> #pkg update

> #pkg upgrade

> #pkg install -y nvidia 440.100_1
> Optional: #pkg install -y nvidia-driver,
#pkg search nvidia will list the available driver(s)

> #edit /etc/rc.conf
Add to the file:
kld_list="nvidia-modeset"

> #kldload nvidia-modeset

> NOTE: Do not touch xorg.conf or /boot/loader.conf files. Don't need them.

> #shutdown -r now
(do not type #reboot -n, use the above command)

> Upon second boot: root root_password

> #pkg install xorg xfce sddm

> #sysrc sddm_enable=yes

> #edit /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf
Add to the file:
Code:
Section "Device"
        Identifier              "GTX-nnnn"
        Driver                  "nvidia"
        VendorName              "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BoardName               "GeForce GTX nnnn"
EndSection
> #exit



> $username username_password

> $cp ~/.xinitrc ~/.xinitrc.bak (it likely isn't there, if you prefer to look yourself, go for it, otherwise use the command below; mine was not present, but if yours is, the below command will remove it)

> $rm ~/.xinitrc (if applicable)

> $clear (optional)

> $startx

> Xfce login screen should appear. If not, consult your /var/log/Xorg.0.log/ for a troubleshooting starting point.

NOTE: As you can tell from above, this is not my own doing. This is the community helping me understand the craziness of Nvidia and why in the foreseeable future I will be purchasing an AMD card. I don't ever want to deal with this nonsense ever again. But I have learned a valuable lesson. No matter how many times you fail, never give up. Keep pushing, keep asking questions, stay persistent, and own this mother...brain.

neofetch in a post above if you are curious about my system setup

We metroid. You food.

_diortemew

Edit: Fixed some formatting. I have much to learn about how this forum format system works.
 
No doubt!

Check this out! I can't even begin to thank everyone. As soon as I plugged everything in as I had done a thousand times before, it simply worked. I don't know what that .conf did differently than the directory before it, but it was the piece that made it all work. Within a minute or two after my last post, I was in XFCE and getting everything setup. I even took a screenshot out of pure bliss:

Okay, I can begin to thank everyone: real talk, thank you all for your guidance and helping me learn this process. I still have to figure out the whole 20-nvidia thing deeper to see scottro is teaching, but I'll get to that in time. I have a system to get setup and a Bootcamp to catch up on, I am behind.

wolffnx scottro SirDice [he who lurks in the shadows] shkhln judd chrbr mickey Thank you! Honestly, my gratitude is immeasurable for you all right now. I was struggling and juggling so many things, and now I am back on track. Again, thank you! What a great way to start the new year. I can't wait to learn more with all of you.

Undazzled on my Cunfrazzled, yo,

_diortemew

Good good, see? maybe in the future you can help another user in the same situation from this nigtmare 😄
enjoy your desktop!!
 
mickey, I have no idea where you got the 20-nvidia.conf from, but that was definitely a missing piece. startx put me right into login and xterm GUIs. Is this where I install KDE then all the line entries(dbus_enable, etc.)? I am about to install all of that now and give it a go. I don't see anything referring to a 20-nvidia.conf in the handbook. Whatever this sorcery is, it put me in the twm as you stated it would.
The various sources of configuration settings and the order in which those are processed are described in xorg.conf(5). The configuration files in /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d are basically just a split-up and compartmentalized version of a monolithic xorg.conf file. The names of those files can be anything, as long as it ends in .conf. Processing is most likely done in alphabetical order, so the number in front of the name gives you control over the order in which multiple files are processed. Whether you use a single xorg.conf file, or individual files is entirely up to you and a matter of personal preference. The important part is the Device section that tells Xorg to use the nvidia driver.
 
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