Software: Installing XFree86 from source

Note: The lines starting with '>' are the actual commands you need to type at the commandline (do not type > as part of the command). You will need to be root to install XFree86.

> cd /

> mkdir xsource-4.3

Download

X430src-1.tgz required source
X430src-2.tgz required source
X430src-3.tgz required source
X430src-4.tgz fonts
X430src-5.tgz fonts
X430src-6.tgz doc spec source
X430src-7.tgz doc spec hardcopy

from ftp://ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/4.3.0/source

to

/xsource-4.3

Type

> init 3

to go to console mode or reboot into single user mode

Backup existing installation of XFree

> cd /
> mkdir xbackup
> cp /usr/X11R6 /xbackup -Rr
> cp /etc/X11 /xbackup -Rr

> cd /xsource-4.3

Type the following to extract the .tgz packages

> find . -name "*tgz" -exec tar zxvf {} \;

When the extraction of the 7 tgz files has completed

Compiling XFree86 4.3

> cd xc

> make World >& world.log

This will take quite a while

When this step has completed, check for any errors

> tail -n 50 world.log

If no errors, then continue

> make install >& install.log

Wnen this step has completed, check for any errors

> tail -n 50 install.log

If no error, then continue

> make install.man >& man.log

Wnen this step has completed, check for any errors

> tail -n 50 man.log

Check to see if link exists

> cd /usr/X11R6/bin

> ls -l X

If not symlinked to XFree86, then create link

> ln -sf /usr/X11R6/bin/XFree86 ./X

Now you may need to reconfigure X

> XFree86 -configure

Run the configuration program that will probe and/or guess all your settings.

This will create a new conf in the root directory.
To test this new configuration, run this command:

> XFree86 -xf86config /root/XF86Config.new

This will display a grey hatch with an 'X' for the mouse cursor.

If this works fine, hit CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE to return to the commandline.

Copy this file to the /etc/X11/ directory using this command:

> cp /root/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

This may not work correctly as further configuration will need to be done.

> xf86cfg

If errors such as library not found when running xf86cfg, then do the following

> ldconfig

as it should fix the library not found errors. Hopefully...

> xf86cfg

This creates the same XF86Config.new file, so to test it, follow the same steps as before.

> XFree86 -xf86config /root/XF86Config.new

> cp /root/XF86Config.new /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

Once setup correctly, type

> init 5

to go back to graphical mode or reboot if booted into single user mode.

We might want to add a bit to this one, between "cd xc" and "make World >& world.log". It would be good to mention that the user can copy config/cf/xf86site.def to config/cf/host.def, then edit it to customize the resulting X installation. For example, if they already have Freetype installed, they can link X against the installed Freetype rather than building the included version. I don't remember what the option is, but it's in there somewhere.

For this one, a link to the BLFS book might be good too (http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs), since it has a full section on X and its dependencies. But whatever.

(Mike -- when you decide whether or not to change this stuff, go ahead and delete this post, since it doesn't belong in the final how-to thread. ;))

Oh -- might want to add a comment to the first line, too. Something like:

"The lines starting with '>' are the actual commands ... Do not type the '>' character."