# GDM error - Couldn't connect to system bus: failed



## gore (Jun 2, 2011)

Hey all, I'm having a bad BAD brain fart right now. I'm using FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE. I've been using it for a while, but haven't used X yet because, well I haven't had to, but anyway, after doing this: [cmd=]pkg_add -r xorg windowmaker gdm gnome[/cmd] and a few others I like, I waited until the install finished up, and today, I tried this from my root shell:

`gdm`

I got an error saying this:


```
** (gdm-binary:6414): WARNING **: Couldn't connect to system bus: Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory
```

Now, I've seen this before, and fixed it before, but that was quite some time ago, and I honestly just can't remember what I did. I've had a really long couple of months with things going on here, and basically it's been making it hard for me to think straight. I know I've seen this before, I know I've fixed this before, I just don't remember what I did, or how I did it.

Any insight? Either guessing at what I missed after installing X and gdm and gnome and some Window Managers, or if I forgot to do something. I know I missed something, or I wouldn't be getting an error. I just can't remember what.

Anyway, any help is appreciated. I'm currently looking over the handbook in the X section to see what I may have missed, but any replies would be nice too so I can finish quicker.

I think I'm going to take a Wolfenstein break since my head is swimming in data right now, but yea, any comments? I know I've done this before, I just don't remember how.


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## wblock@ (Jun 3, 2011)

No dbus socket implies that dbus isn't running.  Start it once:
`# service dbus onestart`

Or enable it permanently in /etc/rc.conf:

```
dbus_enable="YES"
```


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## gore (Jun 4, 2011)

It's kind of weird; I could have sworn I had everything set up, and I had done another fresh installation of FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE on my laptop yesterday, as I wanted to try something different on the install, and when I finished, I did this:

[cmd=]pkg_add -r xorg gnome gdm vim lmms xmms opera fvwm fvwm-crystal windowmaker[/cmd]

And a few other things, and for some reason, when I booted it up a minute ago, I loaded up this:

[cmd=]vim /etc/rc.conf[/cmd]

I checked and made sure everything was working, and that all the things added were there, and it's working fine now. That's weird because on another machine I know I added all that stuff. Ah well, it's working now, thanks much for the reply again man.

Now I just need to find a way to get KDM on here since [cmd=]pkg_add -r kdm[/cmd] doesn't work anymore, but I'm pretty sure if I look through the ports, I'll figure out why. I like KDM better as it has a nicer look to it, and I also like the way it selects the window manager.


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