I feel like a total nit, but I have really struggled to get XFCE to work. I have read the FM, and It's instructions seem to me to be straightforward and good. However, for some reason I am unable to follow them or make it work.
I've installed XFCE4-Desktop done all the steps to start an xfce session, yet the screen doesn't load the desktop. Yet when I startx using the Ratpoison wm, or Ctwm or even JWM, it loads perfectly.
Please help me understand what I am doing wrong, one thing I do know it's not NetBSd. The latter has been perfect!

    cornishbeaver Please post the content of your /etc/rc.confand explain how are you starting xfce. Are you using xinit/startx or, are you using a display manager?

    Also, what instructions did you follow?

      cornishbeaver

      #	$NetBSD: rc.conf,v 1.97 2014/07/14 12:29:48 mbalmer Exp $
#
# See rc.conf(5) for more information.
#
# Use program=YES to enable program, NO to disable it. program_flags are
# passed to the program on the command line.
#

# Load the defaults in from /etc/defaults/rc.conf (if it's readable).
# These can be overridden below.
#
if [ -r /etc/defaults/rc.conf ]; then
	. /etc/defaults/rc.conf
fi

# If this is not set to YES, the system will drop into single-user mode.
#
rc_configured=YES

# Add local overrides below.
#
dhcpcd=YES
dhcpcd_flags="-qM wm0"
xdm=YES
wscons=YES
famd=YES
hal=YES
famd=YES
hal=YES
dbus=YES
rpcbind=YES
hal=YES
      • pin replied to this.

          cornishbeaver I've never used xdm so, you'll have to wait for people that do, @JuvenalUrbino but, I can say that hal no longer exists in pkgsrc.

          The instructions you've been following are over 7 years old.

          What happens if you remove hal, disable xdm and use startx?
          Honestly, I've never used xfce but, I know people do use it. On the other hand, I co-maintain LXQt, so that one I know how to set-up.

              pin I will disable xdm, it gets on my nerves a little. I like to have xfce for those lazy days.

              • pin replied to this.

                  cornishbeaver you could try x11/slim, it's a maintained fork of the original project. But I don't use (never did) display managers, so I know nothing about those.

                      Jay could I run this script? or should I change the "pkg_add" commands to "pkgin install"?

                      • Jay replied to this.

                          pin But I don't use (never did) display managers, so I know nothing about those.

                          There isn't really much to know there anyways. A display manager is basically a fancy interface for su and startx. Like i said elsewhere, i use a login wrapper and a fake shell. It's pretty much the same functionality in about 10 lines of shell script.

                          • pin replied to this.
                          • pin likes this.

                              nettester Honestly, I don't know 'cause, I don't care. It's just another layer of unnecessary stuff.

                              Don't get me wrong, I like eye-candy but, I'm not willing to pay the price.

                                  pin I like eye-candy but, I'm not willing to pay the price.

                                  If i want eye-candy i'll put ansi art in /etc/issue and/or /etc/motd, which in fact i do 😃

                                    1. Install xfce4 with pkgin (not xfce4-desktop, that's only the background manager!)
                                    2. Run startxfce4 from the tty, or "echo startxfce4 > ~/.xsession" to run xfce from xdm.

                                    And since you've already installed xfce4-desktop, do 'pkgin unkeep xfce4-desktop' just for sanity.

                                    • Jay likes this.