Any tutorial on how to install a GUI on OpenBSD ?

rhumbooze

All the resources I found was outdated.

neb

rhumbooze
This just popped up in my RSS-feed:

https://dataswamp.org/~solene/2021-05-03-openbsd-getting-started.html

20-100

This assistant might help you get started: http://defert.com/postin/

You can save the installation script to see what it does and, because you'll have a running system, you'll be able to play with it to check the correctness of your understanding. 🙂

uxer

20-100 http://defert.com/postin/

Can it - or a copy of it - still be found online?

IP address could not be found

and http://web.archive.org/ hasn't saved it

chrisfromgreece

You can wget this script

jUST REMOVE THE DNS SECTION
And remove xfce packages , add mate-power-manager (if xfce is ok on your pc then you can use it it used to have problems on previous releases)
change cpu performance mode to H if you are on a desktop or leave it as it is if you use a laptop or L for lower performance if i remember correctly.
chmod +x to make it executable and it will install desktop and some usefull applications

Just don't forget to remove the dns section i don't think it will help you anyway

nortonham

How did you install it the operating system? When you install, OpenBSD by default has FVWM and CWM, and Xenodm.

If you create and edit an .xsession file you can choose which one you you run when you login:

exec cwm

If you want a different desktop environment or window manager just install from the command line:

pkg_add foobar

replace foobar with xfce, or fluxbox, or whatever...

then edit the .xsession file to start the DE/WM of your choice.

Here are some links I found helpful in the past. Some are a little older, but they do have parts that are relevant to 6.8:

https://www.c0ffee.net/blog/openbsd-on-a-laptop/

https://sohcahtoa.org.uk/openbsd.html

silvanus

If someone wants to get a neat basic working desktop with openbox, there is an easy to find project called BareGUI. Basically it's a script to set up a simple workstation with all the basic tools. It's good for further tweaking as well.

nortonham

This thread is old but....op did you ever make any progress on installing a GUI on OpenBSD?

Jay

nortonham Which GUI you want ?

nortonham

Jay

I meant for the OP; did you resolve your issue, did you get a GUI working on openbsd?

neb

And:

Solene's percent %: How to install Gnome on OpenBSD
https://dataswamp.org/~solene/2021-05-07-openbsd-gnome.html

netneo

Not an OpenBSD user but have tried it out a few times and found it relatively easy to do.

From my bookmarks:

https://www.c0ffee.net/blog/openbsd-on-a-laptop/
https://sohcahtoa.org.uk/openbsd.html

Also check out:

https://www.openbsdhandbook.com/

Good luck.

wvr

Simple as this.
Notice the difference in xsessionrc over xinitrc with xenocara

$ doas pkg_add xfce4
$ echo 'exec xfce4' > ~/.xsessionrc
$ doas rcctl -f enable xenodm
$ doas rcctl start xenodm

OpenBSD's FAQ on X11

unicorn

I had seen a video,he use command:

rcctl disable xenodm
rcctl enable xxx xxx xxx xxx
reboot

and he can login to gnome. video is not clear so I can't see what packages he enable. Anyone know what packages he enable?

liulitchi

unicorn
It is "rcctl enable messagebus avahi_daemon gdm". Remerber set "gdm" at end of this line, or you can not boot correctly.

bsduck

For GNOME, probably gdm instead of xenodm. Also probably messagebus and apmd.

unicorn

How to use Xfce?

rcctl disable xenodm
rcctl enable xfce

and reboot?

bsduck

No, there isn't any xfce rc service.

You can start Xfce with startxfce4 from the command line.

But no need to disable xenodm, you can start it from xenodm by adding startxfce4 to your ~/.xsession.

neb

If you need a GUI other than those which come work the system (twm, fvwm and cwm) then find the package, install it and read the accompanying pkg-README in

/usr/local/share/doc/"pkgreadmes"/[lumina,xfce4, kdeplasma,gnome,icewm,etc]

Follow the FAQ, man-pages, pkg-readmes, mailing lists and perhaps 3rd party guides for inspiration.

hexis

doas pkg_add kde
or
doas pkg_add bspwm
or
doas pkg_add xfce
and then follow some guides on how to set up those window managers
OR...

just use cwm and follow a guide on how to set it up and you dont need to really install anything.

CiotBSD

hexis doas pkg_add xfce

more : pkg_add xfce xfce-extras -

Also about Gnome : pkg_add gnome gnome-extras
About Mate : pkg_add mate mate-extras

Articles I wroted about:

pfr

hexis is tiling possible in CWM?