Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:42:59 +0200 From: Erik Trulsson <ertr1013@student.uu.se> To: Richard Deal <rl_deal@verizon.net> Cc: "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org> Subject: Re: xfce 4.4 questions Message-ID: <20070825224259.GA68425@owl.midgard.homeip.net> In-Reply-To: <46D0A91E.7000301@verizon.net> References: <46D0A91E.7000301@verizon.net>
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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 > <http://www.FreeBSD.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/x11-wm/xfce4> *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 <insert_names_here> 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" -- <Insert your favourite quote here.> Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se
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