Using FreeBSD as Desktop OS

knightjp said:
To be fair, I came across lightdm already.. I followed the instruction on this thread. https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/lightdm.59101/
I added the "lightdm_enable="YES" to the /etc/rc.conf file. I didn't work. Just came across the console. Maybe I need to edit the /etc/ttys?
I tried Sddm the same way... it didn't work. Slim worked but wouldn't let me in.. I had to go back to the console to log into the machine.
xdm is the only one that works reliably I would say. It just looks really dated compared to the Openbox setup.
Click to expand...
I've tested it on my vbox test machine and x11/lightdm started ok. The only thing I had to do was to add a .desktop entry for that DE/WM. On my main pc I don't have any display manager, just login and Xorg starts automatically.

Code: 
# Automatically start Xorg after login

if [ $( /usr/bin/tty ) = "/dev/ttyv0" ]; then
    startx
    logout
fi
 
Last edited:
I've just tried lightdm.. and using the very same commands it worked. I'm staggered. What was the matter the last time? Who really knows. I like the way that lightdm looks and works.
Thanks for this.
 
Ok... I figured out why lightdm is working now. I installed lightdm and lightdm-gtk-greeter. If you do not install the greeter, it will not work.
 
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I suppose it's for users to install the greeter they want (even if it seems that there is just one for the moment). That being said, the message following the install is pretty clear :
Code: 
--% pkg info -D x11/lightdm
lightdm-1.28.0_1:
Always:
For LightDM to function, it requires one of the available greeters to be
installed, which are available in the ports tree at x11/lightdm-*greeter*
 
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There are multiple greeters, that's why they put that message at the end of the pkg install. They can't install all the greeters so at that point you have to make a choice.
 
Sevendogsbsd said:
There are multiple greeters, that's why they put that message at the end of the pkg install. They can't install all the greeters so at that point you have to make a choice.
Click to expand...
Multiple greeters? hmm... So you can use other greeters than lightdm's?
Sounds interesting.. I'll look into that. Thank you.
 
OK.. what about networking. I installed samba. But I still can't seem to find a way to connect or mount the shares from the server.
 
Spartrekus said:
lightdm takes resource.

what about startx ?

echo icewm > .xinitrc
Click to expand...
Sometimes I have the impression that you are on this forum only to make trolling or to read what you like from a thread. See #post-423338

knightjp said:
OK.. what about networking. I installed samba. But I still can't seem to find a way to connect or mount the shares from the server.
Click to expand...
Did you configure it? Without a config file it won't work.

File and Print Services for Microsoft® Windows® Clients (Samba)
Samba fileserver on FreeBSD (Update FreeBSD 12)
 
knightjp said:
Multiple greeters? hmm... So you can use other greeters than lightdm's?
Sounds interesting.. I'll look into that. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Well that's interesting: I just looked in FreshPorts and there is one greeter for x11/lightdm: a gtk greeter. I thought there used to be a qt one and another as well. Maybe look at the message from the port/package installation and see what it suggested.
 
OK.. Right now in all the experimentation with desktop enivornments, display managers, etc., I seem to have stumbled on a gem with XFCE. I've never really used it before and it seems impressive, fast and light weight. I'm not certain as to how light compared with openbox since openbox isn't really a desktop environment.
I did build one, but I wasn't too convinced on tint2 panel. Didn't really like that much.
I tried fluxbox, and dwm, but I couldn't find much in terms of theming it to my likes.

Does anyone know of any other light weight desktop / window manager that I could try?

I know that this is a rather controversial thing to say... probably more subjective than anything, but I haven't found a desktop environment that I like more than MacOS.
Probably stands to reason why there are so many links with the title "make your computer look like Mac".
I really like KDE, but for the specs of the laptop that I'm running, its going to be too heavy. Gnome would be even heavier.
 
blackhaz said:
You can make your FreeBSD and Xfce look and feel like a Mac with plank and the right set of icons:
Click to expand...
I admit that it is a good idea. But for me if I want MacOS, I'd put in MacOS. The idea isn't to make it look like a mac. I'm looking for a desktop environment that I would like about the same way. KDE is there, but it isn't as light weight as I'd like. XFCE is good, but it isn't as configurable as KDE. Fluxbox and Openbox are great, but I would need to find a great panel to use with them. Tint2 doesn't do it for me.
 
asifnaz said:
I know FreeBSD is a very stable OS . I want to use it as Desktop OS (with some GUI) . How do I do that..?
Click to expand...

Code: 
as root: pkg install -y icewm chromium xorg
as user:  echo 'exec icewm' > .xinitrc
startx
click little box icon bottom left to start xterm
chrome&
surf net for more info
 
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