Few questions about openBSD

Mounsier

I am having a hard time with configuring openbox to start automatically during booting up... I have edited xinitrc, but nothing happens. I still have to type startx /usr/bin/local/openbox to start openbox and then I have to type tint2 and feh in terminal to start it.
How can I configure xinitrc to automatically start openbox session with tint and feh? Do i need to create some config files in openbox directory?

I have noticed that during web browsing, when I press ctrl+A, I am not able to select whole text (for example web address). I am used to pressing CTRL+A and backspace, when I want to delete a website name and create a new one.

Some of my thinkpad keys don't seem to do anything. I have got openbsd on Thinkpad x200, and normally when I press middle button (mouse buttons) and use trackpoint in the same time, I am able to scroll websites down or up...
Is it possible to change this?

Thanks :)

edit: And also, to connect to wi-fi connection, I have to type this command: ifconfig athn0 nwid name wpakey password.
How can I configure this to automatically connect to one or more known networks?

Any tips for cpu scaling and powersaving related stuff? ;)

Mounsier startx will execute .xinitrc, so you still have to type startx, unless you customize it to execute automatically when you login. This will depend on the shell you're using, e.g. with bash it would be something like,

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
[ -f $HOME/.bashrc ] && . $HOME/.bashrc

if [[ -z $DISPLAY ]] && [[ $(tty) = /dev/tty1 ]]; then
	exec startx
fi

nortonham

Mounsier

I'm no expert but I have successfully installed and used OpenBSD on a T420 and T430s, so I'll try my best to help.

Are you logging in via xdm or the console? If it's xdm you need to edit .xsession not .xinitrc.

In your xsession (or xinitrc) you should only need:

feh --bg-scale /path/to/image exec openbox exec tint2&

I don't have a good explanation about your browser issue, sorry. Which browser is it?

The official OpenBSD FAQ and the man pages are always up to date. They have pretty much all the info you need to get up and running:

https://www.openbsd.org/faq/index.html

Here's a couple of blogs I always go to that should answer your questions. For OBSD official documentation is recommended, but I can vouch for these two sites:

https://www.c0ffee.net/blog/openbsd-on-a-laptop/ This blog hasn't been updated, but the info is still good. Also has relevant info about configuration on a laptop specifcially

https://sohcahtoa.org.uk/openbsd.html This one is updated with each new release

For wifi, as mentioned in the FAQs and the above blogs:

You need to create a file based on what type of wifi device you have. Since it's a thinkpad, it's most likely iwn0. Create /etc/hostname.iwn0 and add:

join "YOUR_SSID" wpakey "YOUR_PASSPHRASE" dhcp inet6 autoconf up powersave

Then run the following commands:

ifconfig em0 down ifconfig iwn0 down pkill dhclient sh /etc/netstart

Wifi should connect automatically now.

For powersaving maybe apm is what you are looking for:

https://man.openbsd.org/man8/apm.8

Hope I was of some help

Mounsier

Okay, so now I am able to start openbox when I type startx
But if I add tint2 and feh to the script as well, I can see that openbox and wallpaper starts, and then I get kicked out back to the console... :/

Mounsier

nortonham You need to create a file based on what type of wifi device you have. Since it's a thinkpad, it's most likely iwn0. Create /etc/hostname.iwn0 and add:

join "YOUR_SSID" wpakey "YOUR_PASSPHRASE"
dhcp
inet6 autoconf
up powersave

Umm, dhcp??
I haven't got that installed.
Do I need to download dhcpcd?

nortonham

Mounsier

If you just did a basic install (installed all of the sets) it should be there as far as I know

nortonham

Mounsier

I would really suggest reading all the way through the links I sent you to those two blogs before doing anything else. They both explain everything about installing and setting up OpenBSD in a clear way

Mounsier

Thank you very much.

I can say from what I have been reading about openBSD, that most of the stuff needs to be configured by myself, and knowledge of programming language helps.
I think that is exciting.

Time to learn how to write a few scripts for a system. OpenBSD doesn't use bash, does it?

Mounsier

My network interface is athn0 by the way.

I get this:

las# rcctl start dhcpd 
/etc/rc.d/dhcpd: need -f to force start since dhcpd_flags=NO

nortonham

Mounsier

So for your wireless device edit /etc/hostname.athn0

edit the hostname file, then run the commands I listed above.

I can't stress enough reading through those links in my earlier post. They should explain everything clearly; they helped me get started.

The default shell is ksh, not bash.

Since you installed, have you run syspatch? What about fw_update?

Mounsier

By the way, I have downloaded jdk, how can I use it?
Cuz when I type java I get this:

las# java
ksh: java: not found

This is what I have got installed:

las# pkg_info -Q jdk   

debug-jdk-1.8.0.322.b06.1v0
debug-jdk-11.0.14.9.1p0v0
debug-jdk-17.0.2.8.1v0
jdk-1.8.0.322.b06.1v0 (installed)
jdk-11.0.14.9.1p0v0
jdk-17.0.2.8.1v0 (installed)

I'd like to run a RuneLite client, from runelite.net. It's old school runescape.
I read on web that it is possible to run it, but it doesn't play any sound. That's not a problem to me anyway, cuz I play this game with no headphones.

nortonham

Mounsier

Sorry I don't know enough about that to help at the moment

Mounsier

nortonham
Nah, it's cool.
Thank you very much
Yeah, I am able to connect to my network automatically now :D.
Thank you for those links, I have read some of them before.

My only issue now, is configuring openbox to start with tint2 and feh automatically, when I type startx
It startx openbox, but no tint2 or feh...

Apart from that, everything is great.
I love openBSD. To be fair, I am glad that something like this exists, because I have used Windows my whole life, then got into Linux, but I have became tired of the community. Well the first were the people who were opposing systemd... I realised systemd is just millions lines of mess code, and I do not want to waste my time for it.
Then you have got loads of people who think systemd is great. Then u have minority of people , who think systemd is crap... That's why I decided to delete Linux, and try openBSD. At least code here is clean and nice.
Not going to bother with linux or windows again, like ever, in my life.

Mounsier Copy the default openbox config file hosted at ${PREFIX}/share/examples/openbox/autostart so you have a copy in ~/.config/openbox/autostart

Edit the autostart file to your liking and add something like,

feh --bg-scale /path/to/image.file
(sleep 1 && tint2) &

Bonus, some cool openbox themes and some tint2 themes

Hope it helps

nortonham

Mounsier

Glad I could be of some help.

To start tint2 add this to your .xinitrc (.xsession if you logging in via xdm)

exec tint&

I just tried this in obsd 7.1 VM and it worked as it should.

Openbox is great; I'm a huge fan of CWM, which is one of the default options in OpenBSD.

What are you trying to do with feh? Load a wallpaper ?

just add feh --bg-scale /path/to/image to the xinitrc

I have mixed feelings about systemd and the direction linux is going. That being said, I still used debian a lot, and I really all BSD a lot too. OpenBSD is a great OS. Each BSD has it's own strengths and weaknesses. NetBSD has a friendly community as you can see on this site

Mounsier

I had to create autostart file, and have got xinitrc edited, but it still doesn't start feh and feh
This is part of my xinitrc, which is at /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

# start some nice programs
exec /usr/local/bin/openbox
feh --bg-scale /home/fifi/Downloads/uu.jpg
exec tint2&

Mounsier There should be nothing more after exec openbox.
Either edit your .xinitrc to read,

feh --bg-scale /home/fifi/Downloads/uu.jpg &
sleep 1 && tint2 &
exec openbox

or as suggested above add feh and tint2 to the autostart file and have only exec openbox in .xinitrc. See, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/tint2

Mounsier

Okay, that config has done trick, thank you :)
edit: okay, last problem
Sometimes my wi fi card likes to hang up
When I type dmesg it usually says: athn0: device timeout

That's annoying, cuz I am trying to download some files from the web, but sometimes my internet just disconnects for like 15 seconds, and then reconnects :/

Mounsier Glad it worked.

Mounsier last problem
Sometimes my wi fi card likes to hang up
When I type dmesg it usually says: athn0: device timeout

I don't use OpenBSD, so I'll have to pass on that one. Hopefully someone else can help.

Mounsier

I asked on #openBSD and they said I probably need to install firmware.