I really need help here. I am a very new Linux user and I have just installed Mandrake 8.2 for use during my thesis (programming Palm devices). However, I cannot for the life of me configure the XF86Config file properly.

I get through the whole process fine and it writes to the config file, but I get "errno2" when i try to run startx. I have used KDE previously (computer labs at university) and so I am quite comfortable with that. I am not sure if "x windows" is the same as setting up a general windows enviroment. I was hoping someone could explain to me the difference between xwindows and kde, startx, xf86config etc.

Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Samir Bhana

Welcome to LQ.

A quick rundown:

KDE is the user interface. It consists of a Window Manager (kwm, for kde) and the user interface proper. It sits on top of X.

X is the graphical core of your system. It sits between the user and the OS and interprets graphical instructions and applies them as per the information given in the drivers it uses. With X configured correctly, it shouldn't matter which UI (kde/gnome/saw fish/black box/what ever) you use, it will look very similar on all platforms.

xf86config is, as you'd expect from the name, the configuration utility for X (which is also called X Free86). Since you're using Mandrake, you need to use this unless things cannot be configured properly from within Mandrake's own utility DrakConf. If you run it from the GUI it's called Mandrake Control Centre, but you can also run it from the command line.

startx is a program (well, it's a script) that executes your chosen GUI.

Hope this helps.

Why are you posting this in the linux from scratch forum?

That's a good point! I actually hadn't noticed... perhaps Samirb thought that 'from scratch' meant 'completely new to', which wouldn't be such an illogical assumption. Anyhow, off to the Mods to move it.

send the /var/log/XFree86.0.log. i don't know but I might be able to point you in the right direction

"startx" is a nice way of saying "xinit", which looks in your' $HOME/.xinitrc (/root/.xinitrc) which would have something like "exec startkde" or "exec fluxbox" (depending on what window manager you want) It will come up with a background and mouse pointer if nothing ells is installed though.

Actually, it will come up with twm if it´s not installed.