Solved Xorg/KDE Doesn't Load After Clean Install

Scribner

Scribner

I reinstalled FreeBSD and KDE today because of an issue I was having with my clock. Everything seemed to work after installing FreeBSD and Xorg. I was even able to run the TWM window manager after installing Xorg by running % startx as a regular user. The issue came when I got to the very last step of starting KDE by running % startx. I did everything the same in this install as my previous install, except:
  • I enabled the ntpdate system service and did not enable the local_unbound system service when installing FreeBSD
  • I followed my instructions for installing KDE identically from before, except:
    • I did not do steps L7 and L8 because I was told they were unnecessary and instead rebooted the computer right before step L9
    • I did not do steps L18-L23 because I couldn't figure them out the first time
  • When I first tried launching KDE (step L32), I mistakenly typed % stat rather than % startx, panicked, and ran the command by pressing Enter
Does anyone know why KDE is not working? I am planning on doing a clean install of FreeBSD and KDE to see if that fixes it. I'd like to do this soon, but perhaps there's an easier solution. Please see the attachment no-kde.jpg for the error message I get when trying to launch KDE by running % startx.
 

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For some reason X.Org tries to use the scfb driver instead of modesetting. Do you have an X.Org configuration file? If so, delete it.

In addition:
- did you install drm-kmod?
- i don't know if it makes a difference but try remove the path and the extension of i915kms in rc.conf, i.e. kld_list="i915kms"
 
eternal_noob said:
For some reason X.Org tries to use the scfb driver instead of modesetting. Do you have an X.Org configuration file? If so, delete it.

In addition:
- did you install drm-kmod?
- i don't know if it makes a difference but try remove the path and the extension of i915kms in rc.conf, i.e. kld_list="i915kms"
Click to expand...
I changed kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko" to kld_list="i915kms" and rebooted, but I am still unable to start KDE.

I did install drm-kmod. It was the first thing I did.

Could you tell me how to determine if I have an X.Org configuration file and how to delete it? I'm a noob, and need all commands written out (and specified whether I should be root or a regular user).

Keep in mind, I basically did everything the same with this install as my install last month. I even used the same copy of FreeBSD on the same USB stick. Do you really think I should do something like deleting a configuration file -- since everything worked last time -- or should I just try reinstalling again or trying other (less destructive, in my noob point of view) methods?
 
eternal_noob said:
There is none by default, if you didn't create one, you don't have one.


I don't want to sound mean but i am not willing to read all of the previous thread, it's too much text for me now.
Click to expand...
You don't need to read the entire previous thread. You don't even need to read the only relevant post (post #127) with the instructions I followed. The point I'd like to make is I did basically the everything the same as I did a month ago, but am now getting the message in the attachment in my original post when I try to start KDE by running % startx.
 
Not relevant now, but unlike Linux, it is not necessary to reinstall FreeBSD when you are dealing with user software (xorg, kde, etc). All user software goes under /usr/local rather than being commingled with the OS as it is in Linux.

Unless you needed OS install practice :)
 
Vull said:
Did you add your username to the wheel and video groups? This step is not mentioned in your above-cited post #127.

# pw groupmod wheel -m <username>

# pw groupmod video -m <username>

Reference: https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/x11/#x-config
Click to expand...
Yes, the user is part of the wheel, video, and operator groups, per recommendations elsewhere in the thread. Those instructions are just for installing Xorg and KDE, but they probably should include that instruction.

grahamperrin said:
.ko is superfluous. Recall <https://forums.freebsd.org/posts/542715>.
Click to expand...
You're right. Thanks for catching that. I was typing the forum post quickly and have updated my reply to show what my file actually looks like.

grahamperrin said:
Where did you learn ntpdate_enable?
Click to expand...
I decided to enable the ntpdate system service during installation because of the problems I was having with ntpd. If I do another install of FreeBSD (likely), I will enable local_unbound and not enable ntpdate.

--

I think the point that needs to be made is I did basically everything exactly the same as my previous install that led to a working KDE. I think this point should be helpful in troubleshooting.
 
I am still confused why your system tries to use the scfb driver. Maybe it's now time for an X.Org configuration file in order to use the modesetting driver.

To do so, create a file /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver.conf with the following content:
Bash: 
Section "Device"
  Identifier "My Graphics Card"
  Driver     "modesetting"
EndSection
 
eternal_noob said:
I am still confused why your system tries to use the scfb driver. Maybe it's now time for an X.Org configuration file in order to use the modesetting driver.

To do so, create a file /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver.conf with the following content:
Bash: 
Section "Device"
  Identifier "My Graphics Card"
  Driver     "modesetting"
EndSection
Click to expand...
I ran # vi /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver.conf and typed
Code: 
Section "Device"
Identifier "My Graphics Card"
Driver "modesetting"
EndSection
in the file, saved, and rebooted. Same problem.

Should I delete the Xorg configuration file now with # rm /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver.conf?
 
Not yet, because you should use the modesetting driver rather than scfb. Maybe the problem is now another one.

Please post the complete X.Org log.
To do so, enter cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | nc termbin.com 9999 and post the URL here.
 
eternal_noob said:
Not yet, because you should use the modesetting driver rather than scfb. Maybe the problem is now another one.

Please post the complete X.Org log.
To do so, enter cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | nc termbin.com 9999 and post the URL here.
Click to expand...
I ran % cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | nc termbin.com 9999. It returned the following URL: <https://termbin.com/jgyy>. Theoretically speaking, could that command make me vulnerable to Log4Shell?

grahamperrin said:
Thanks. In parallel: <https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/time-is-always-wrong.83166/#post-546215>


What's the output from this command?

pkg prime-origins | sort


To help keep topics such as this short, I might delete some of my posts …
Click to expand...
I ran % pkg prime-origins | sort. It returned:
Code: 
graphics/drm-kmod
ports-mgmt/pkg
www/firefox
x11/kde5
x11/xorg
 
eternal_noob said:
No, Log4j is a Java library. No Java involved here.

Edit: The X.Org log looks good to me. Please post the contents of .xinitrc located in the home of your regular user.
Click to expand...
I ran % view ~/.xinitrc. Here are the contents:
Code: 
exec ck-launch-session startplasma-x

Can you spot the error? The last part should read "startplasma-x11" not "startplasma-x". Lest anyone think I'm careless, the reason for the typing error was the battery on my other computer I was using to read the instructions started dying around this time, so I switched over to my phone. My phone cut off the 11 in the "code" on the Forums, thus I didn't type it.

Now excited, I ran # rm /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/driver.conf to remove the Xorg configuration file mentioned above because I didn't have it in my previous install. Then I ran % vi ~/.xinitrc as a regular user, added the "11", and rebooted. When I logged in again and ran % startx, my KDE desktop appeared as expected.

You fixed it! Thank you so much!
 
grahamperrin said:
Note, the second of these two lines:

[ 127.440] Build Operating System: FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE-p5 amd64 [ 127.440] Current Operating System: FreeBSD falcon 13.0-RELEASE FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE #0 releng/13.0-n244733-ea31abc261f: Fri Apr 9 04:24:09 UTC 2021

It seems that your OS is out of date.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I've never updated FreeBSD before. Is it a simple command I run, or should I read up on documentation first?
 
This thread is now marked as solved. Lest anyone think their attempts at fixing this problem were done in vain (because of my stupid typographical error, which I said shouldn't have been the issue), I would like to just say that all the messages did help me understand troubleshooting commands and techniques, as I am a FreeBSD and Unix noob.

Not to beat a dead horse, but could more knowledgeable people comment on the safety of a command like % cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | nc termbin.com 9999? While it probably doesn't make me vulnerable to Log4Shell, I was wondering how secure it is for other exploits -- theoretically (notwithstanding the security concerns that may arise with posting computer output on the WWW, of course). I don't know much about nc and I couldn't find out much about the safety of termbin.com online.

As Erichans mentioned, I do have the book Absolute FreeBSD (I got it the same day I joined the Forums in 2018, and the new 3rd Edition was a factor in making me decide to try FreeBSD). I guess I will have to read up on how to update FreeBSD. I was going to do that anyway; I just thought updating might be as simple as running one or two commands (and maybe it is). I also wanted to share that I just got a new book called Beginning Unix (see attachment absolute-freebsd-beginning-unix-books.jpg), so I'm not such an incorrigible noob in these parts. I've paged through it, and I think anyone else in my position (new to the Unix command line) would find it helpful. In two weeks, I will get How Linux Works; Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript; and Fire in the Valley: The Birth and Death of the Personal Computer.
 

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Scribner said:
Not to beat a dead horse, but could more knowledgeable people comment on the safety of a command like % cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | nc termbin.com 9999?
Click to expand...
nc basically sends the output of cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log to termbin.com. termbin.com in return sends you a URL. As long as you don't send sensitive information like passwords it's pretty safe.
 
eternal_noob said:
nc basically sends the output of cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log to termbin.com. termbin.com in return sends you a URL. As long as you don't send sensitive information like passwords it's pretty safe.
Click to expand...
Thanks, and I take it I didn't send any sensitive information? I was hoping to hear from more people and wondering if anyone knew anything else about the safety of nc and/or termbin.com. But then I saw SirDice recently instructed members to run the same command. I suppose that's reasonably assuring.
 
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