From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Aug 25 22:43:04 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A974116A417 for ; Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:43:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net (ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net [80.76.149.213]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 37F6E13C442 for ; Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:43:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from c83-253-31-60.bredband.comhem.se ([83.253.31.60]:61606 helo=falcon.midgard.homeip.net) by ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net with esmtp (Exim 4.66) (envelope-from ) id 1IP4LP-0007hZ-6l for freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org; Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:43:03 +0200 Received: (qmail 59694 invoked from network); 26 Aug 2007 00:42:59 +0200 Received: from owl.midgard.homeip.net (10.1.5.7) by falcon.midgard.homeip.net with ESMTP; 26 Aug 2007 00:42:59 +0200 Received: (qmail 68462 invoked by uid 1001); 26 Aug 2007 00:42:59 +0200 Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:42:59 +0200 From: Erik Trulsson To: Richard Deal Message-ID: <20070825224259.GA68425@owl.midgard.homeip.net> Mail-Followup-To: Richard Deal , "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org" References: <46D0A91E.7000301@verizon.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <46D0A91E.7000301@verizon.net> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.16 (2007-06-09) X-Originating-IP: 83.253.31.60 X-Scan-Result: No virus found in message 1IP4LP-0007hZ-6l. X-Scan-Signature: ch-smtp02.sth.basefarm.net 1IP4LP-0007hZ-6l c721ed6d91cab7dad3fe33f743575075 Cc: "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org" Subject: Re: xfce 4.4 questions X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:43:04 -0000 On Sat, Aug 25, 2007 at 06:11:42PM -0400, Richard Deal wrote: > Folks, > > I'm trying to install xfce 4.4 on my FreeBSD 6.1 box, (which I just > upgraded via sysinstall). It ain't workin' and I sure could use some help. > Full disclosure: I'm new to FreeBSD, although I do have a basic working > knowledge of *nix fundamentals. > > I was able to install xfce 4.2, but the install is broken -- allow me to > explain. Xfce 4.2 does install, I can start it, but several features don't > work. For example, according to the docs I should see a menu bar (and > options) on xfterm, but it isn't there. Several other install defaults are > busted too. I've reinstalled the OS several times from a 'minimal' install > to 'install EVERYTHING', via the CD, upgrades via sysinstall, via FTP. All > were successful). I've installed XFCE4 according to your docs ("pkg_add -r > xfce4") several times, and from /usr/ports/x11-wm/xfce4 ("make install > clean"), but still the same problems. So, I thought I'd try installing a > newer version of xfce (4.4). > > First question: what is a 'meta port', what does it do and what are it's > limitations? A 'meta port' is a port which doesn't install anything itself, but just depends on a bunch of other ports so that they can all get pulled in automatically. > Can't find anything in your docs that speak to this (nor any > of the books I have, most notably the recent 'FreeBSD 6 Unleashed'). > Reading the Ports page of your site, specifically the *xfce-4.4.1_1 > *metaport; > 'meta' seems to imply "run this and you'll install all the basics you need > to run XFCE 4.4". Either it doesn't work or I've misinterpreted this. Under > xfce-4.4.1, it says: "Requires:...." -- do I really have to install > _every_single_pkg_listed_ BEFORE I install the xfce-4.4.1 metaport??? If > so, that seems a bit much. Why can't there be a single manifest file which > calls/installs all those required pkg's as a part of the metaport > installation? In order to install xfce 4.4, do I have to manually install > each and every file/port/pkg listed there which references xfce4.4? No,no. The point of the ports system/packages is that all the required ports will be pulled in and installed automatically. > > After doing a fresh OS install (6.1) from CD (X-Kern-Developer package), > followed immediately by an upgrade (via sysinstall/FTP) which included an > istall of the entire ports tree, I tried several ways to install xfce4.4: > > 1) downloaded xfce-4.4.1_1.tbz and ran pkg_add against it. It started but > all I got was "Package not found!". If it knows what it > needs, why can't it just bust out to your ftp site and get it and install > it? Because you did not use the '-r' flag to pkg_add which tells it to do exactly that? > > 2) downloaded from your site everything in > /pub/FreeBSD/ports/packages/x11-wm/xfce/, which seemed to have all those > required files. Once downloaded, as noted above I ran pkg_add locally. Some > packages installed, but most did not because their dependencies (such as > glib-2.12.13) were not there. If xfce4.4 needs glib-2.12.13, why can't it > (and any others) be included in .../x11-wm/xfce/ ? Because they live elsewhere. > > 3) Hmmmm....Ok, so then I ran pkg_add > ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/packages/All/xfce-4.4.1_1.tbz, > thinking this 'All' directory must have every bloody thing it needs. Nope. > At this point, I start drinking. Heavily. > > Btw: it was in your Handbook I found the reference to 'pkg_add -r xfce4' to > install xfce4x (found here: > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x11-wm.html). > Well, I searched your site for any package specifically labeled 'xfce4' and > I couldn't find it. The closest I got was the dir "xfce" under > ftp.../pub/FreeBSD/ports/packages/x11-wm/. So, having seen your list of > ports (and the 'package' listed under each), where can I find a complete > list of packages? > > I've cruised many forums for info - nothing truly helpful. > > Bottom line, I don't really need xfce 4.4; I'd be happy if 4.2 just worked > (all of it) on a basic level. I'm trying to learn here, and so far the > books, the docs, and other FreeBSD articles out there don't seem to jibe. I > keep reading (my paraphrase): "It's easy! Just run 'pkg_add -r > package_name' and your done!'. Maybe this is true for some packages, but > not the ones I've tried. > > I respect and admire the work you are doing, and what you have > accomplished. I'm not giving up on FreeBSD. Any advice/info would be > appreciated. > > cheers, > > - r > > > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to > "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" -- Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se