# Problem getting XFCE to run on my old ThinkPad T430



## parski (Sep 21, 2020)

Hello,

I have a Lenovo ThinkPad T430 with a i5-3320M and no dedicated GPU so we're talking Intel HD Graphics.

I followed the handbook instructions of how to set up X and after that, XFCE. So in short:

I installed X:


```
# pkg install xorg
```

Added my user to `video` and `wheel`:


```
# pw groupmod video -m parski || pw groupmod wheel -m parski
```

Switched console to `vt` in `/boot/loader.conf`:


```
kern.vty=vt
```

Installed `drm-kmod`:

`# pkg install drm-kmod`

In my `/etc/rc.conf` I have:


```
kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko"
dbus_enable="YES"
hald_enable="YES"
moused_enable="YES"
```

I double checked and I have the `i915kms` module in that path.

Then I attempted to install XFCE:


```
# pkg install xfce
```

Then I changed to my user, and updated my `.xinitrc`:


```
$ echo ". /usr/local/etc/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc" > ~/.xinitrc
```

Now when I run:


```
$ startx
```

I get this:






So I manually set the `XDF_CONFIG_DIRS` to `/usr/local/etc` and I double checked that xfce4-session is installed and it is. 

However, `xconfd` isn't running. In fact, I find nothing called `xconfd` on my system or in the package manager. It's not mentioned in the Handbook. Is this what's causing my issue? Does anybody know how I might go about fixing it?

Thanks.


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## Mjölnir (Sep 21, 2020)

You could try sysutils/desktop-installer or sysutils/mkdesktop.  To access the webcam, you user must also be in the _webcamd_ group.  `kern.vty=vt` is default anyway.  Did you `service dbus start` & `service hald start`? Standard disclaimer:

install the docs:`pkg install {de,en}-freebsd-doc`, replace _de_ with your native tongue, and point your favorite browser to /usr/local/share/doc/freebsd.
You can add to the _ALIAS_ section of /usr/local/etc/pkg.conf `message: "query '[%C/%n] %M'",`, read through all `pkg message|less` and apply the requested settings.
Instead of less(1), you may find sysutils/most more user-friendly.  Beginners will prefer edit(1) or editors/nano instead of vi(1).


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## decuser (Sep 21, 2020)

parski I'm using a T430 and I used to run XFCE - here are sections of some of my files, from back then, that are relevant:


```
/boot/loader.conf
drm.i915.semaphores=1
drm.i915.intel_iommu_enabled=1
drm.i915.enable_rc6=7
hint.p4tcc.0.disabled=1
hint.acpi_throttle.0.disabled=1
hw.psm.synaptics_support="1"
```

and


```
/etc/rc.conf
kld_list="/boot/modules/i915kms.ko /boot/kernel/acpi_ibm.ko /boot/kernel/cuse.ko"
moused_enable="YES"
dbus_enable="YES"
hald_enable="YES"
webcamd_enable="YES"
```


```
.xinitrc
exec /usr/local/bin/startxfce4 --with-ck-launch
```

My package list at the time was:
sudo pkg install cups-filters xorg xfce xfce4-goodies xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin xfce4-volumed-pulse xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin xfce-evolution xfce-icons-elementary python py27-dbus system-config-printer noto

I don't remember why I used all of them, but I include them here as potential help, but YMMV. I'll do an install and see if I can get it working, too.

Update: I have it working on my T430, now, so hopefully I can give you better current info.


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## Mjölnir (Sep 21, 2020)

The `drm.i915` are gone, these are now `sysctl compat.linuxkpi`
parski Please tell which `freebsd-version` you're uising.


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## parski (Sep 22, 2020)

mjollnir said:


> The `drm.i915` are gone, these are now `sysctl compat.linuxkpi`
> parski Please tell which `freebsd-version` you're uising.


I'm using 12.1-RELEASE r354233 with the GENERIC kernel. Fresh install. Sorry, I should have mentioned that.

[Edit]

Just updated to 12.1-RELEASE p10. Still have the same issue.

[Edit 2]

I'm trying the `desktop-installer` now. Apparently this machine has an Nvidia GF108M (NVS 5400M). I don't have high hopes for getting that working though but I'm giving it a shot.


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## Misirca (Sep 22, 2020)

Does the problem persists if 

you just `startxfce4`
you use a one-liner .xinitrc like suggered above?


```
.xinitrc:
exec /usr/local/bin/startxfce4 --with-ck-launch
```
or 
	
	



```
.xinitrc:
exec xfce4-session
```


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## parski (Sep 22, 2020)

Misirca said:


> Does the problem persists if
> 
> you just `startxfce4`
> you use a one-liner .xinitrc like suggered above?
> ...


Yes, I've tried all of the above. Exact same issue.


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## Misirca (Sep 22, 2020)

Hmmm.
This is unlikely a driver issue since you got a graphical output.

Do you get the same result with `startxfce4` as a different user or as root?

Might be a permission problem or a corrupted ~/.config/ or ~/.cache/ ?

```
mv ~/.config ~/.config-old
mv ~/.cache ~/.cache-old
```


```
chown -R yourusername:yourusername ~
```


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## parski (Sep 22, 2020)

Misirca said:


> Hmmm.
> This is unlikely a driver issue since you got a graphical output.
> 
> Do you get the same result with `startxfce4` as a different user or as root?
> ...


I will try this soon. The `desktop-installer` changed a so many things on my system and borked my resolution so I'm just doing a clean install and trying again.


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## parski (Sep 22, 2020)

I reinstalled FreeBSD and did the exact steps as I wrote in the first post. Now it works flawlessly. I have no idea what happened there, I have never had that issue before. Thanks for the help, guys.


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