skip the X + Window Managers from BLFS

dragonprasad · 03-06-2014, 05:02 PM

HI guys
You might have noticed my previous questions/post in the forum on x windows. I have tried what ever i taught was wrong but it din't worked out. So what i am planning that in the introduction to X Window System Environment their the book has mentioned about the XFree86.

So my query is that instead of doing the X Window System Environment from the book can i directly install the X Window System Environment from XFree86.

if yes then after installing XFree86 from which chapter can i start.

is their any other better option than XFree86.

ReaperX7 · 03-06-2014, 05:28 PM

X.org is the current X implementation. XFree86 is dead. The only other X-like implementations out there are Wayland (which is still in testing) and DirectFB which has limited hardware support. Other than that, it's either utilize X.org or see about Wayland or DirectFB but after that you're on your own and outside the scope of BLFS.

dragonprasad · 03-06-2014, 05:31 PM

ok ReaperX7 then after installation from where should i star the BLFS book.

ReaperX7 · 03-06-2014, 09:12 PM

I recommend you start with Chapter 3 first. This will clean up your system a bit post install.

If you decide to install X (which should be your logical next step if you're installing for a workstation), I highly recommend you set it to install to /usr as recommended in the book when you start with:

Code:

export XORG_PREFIX="<PREFIX>"

use this command:

Code:

export XORG_PREFIX="/usr"

and set:

Code:

cat > /etc/profile.d/xorg.sh << "EOF"
XORG_PREFIX="<PREFIX>"
XORG_CONFIG="--prefix=$XORG_PREFIX \
             --sysconfdir=/etc \
             --localstatedir=/var \
             --disable-static"
export XORG_PREFIX XORG_CONFIG
EOF

to this:

Code:

cat > /etc/profile.d/xorg.sh << "EOF"
XORG_PREFIX="/usr"
XORG_CONFIG="--prefix=$XORG_PREFIX \
             --sysconfdir=/etc \
             --localstatedir=/var \
             --disable-static"
export XORG_PREFIX XORG_CONFIG
EOF

After X, pick a desktop environment and go with it. I recommend, for its flexibility, Xfce and Xfce Applications.

After you do this, the choices are up to you.

dragonprasad · 03-07-2014, 04:50 AM

ReaperX7 Thanks for the comments but Is their any tutorial for installing X-windows on LFS.

stoat · 03-07-2014, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragonprasad

Is their any tutorial for installing X-windows on LFS.

IMO, installing Xorg is easy. Long, but easy and straightforward. And there is no better Xorg installation guide in existence than the BLFS book. What can be time-consuming is configuration. Maybe that is what you meant.

Configuring the kernel for various video issues (drivers, KMS, frame buffering, console frame buffering, sometimes firmware, etc.) is most likely the issue here, IMO. ReaperX7 mentioned ideas about using a config file from another Linux system that is running well on the host system to build your BLFS kernel. Many people resort to that. It will cheat you in the learning process, but it may work and at least relieve your present desperation. You can always learn kernel configuration later (I'm still learning that).

Also a likely candidate for your trouble is the configuration of MesaLib for video drivers. Another is the Xorg driver that you installed. Those things are so hardware specific, and there is so much hardware in the world, that the book can't cover everybody's needs in perfect detail. I repeat my recommendation that you publish in your next post more information such as the complete details and specs of your video card and the Xorg.0.log file of the BLFS system that fails to start X. Somebody may see that here and know right off what to do. Until then, only guesses will be offered to you I think.

Less likely, IMO, is the post-install Xorg configuration since that is mostly automatic for most people nowadays. But as ReaperX7 mentioned in one of your other threads, it too may need special config files.

Lastly, I repeat here my idea to thoroughly study how the host Linux system is handling the video hardware. Things in the host like Xorg.0.log, dmesg, lspci, lsmod, the kernel config file, etc. usually reveals all you need to know.

dragonprasad · 03-07-2014, 10:45 AM

I checked on GOOGLE for the installation of X.org system but they where for Ubuntu And I also found the installation of Xorg on FreeBSD book for creating their system from scratch And similarly for ARCH also.

So out of them which would be best to follow .

And i want to be clear that i want to install X-windows package but not like the BLFS way. Means just download a package and install it and the whole X-windows get finished, so that i can directly jump back to the GNOME or KDE or other desktop environment from the BLFS book.

Like what others do when they get a system with just terminal.