# Just two simple (but tricky) questions about what to do first in a canonical way



## Kalero (Apr 24, 2020)

Hi,

this afternoon I was just asking myself about what to do first after a fresh installation of FreeBSD and two simple but tricky questions came to my mind. I know it does not matter and the system will work whether you do one thing or the other, but I thought it would be a nice to post the question in the FreeBSD Forums.

1 - We all know that the first thing we should do after a fresh install of FreeBSD is updating the system with `freebsd-update fetch install`. That command applies some patches to some source files and, after that, builds (compiles) them. Many people don't use the standard US keyboard, so they set locale in /etc/login.conf and keyboard layout in /etc/rc.conf to another language. So the question is: since `freebsd-update fetch install` rebuilds some binaries, do you think someone should set locale and keyboard layout before running `freebsd-update fetch install` or after that? I know the system will work fine whatever you do first, but what do you think the canonical way would be?

2 - Regarding graphics, if you want to use a desktop environment, you need Xorg. It's also recommendable to install the specific drivers of your video card so that the system is able to make it work in a proper way. So, what do you think someone should install first?, Xorg or the video card drivers? Again, I know the system will work fine whatever you do first, but what do you think the canonical way would be?

Thanks


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## Alain De Vos (Apr 25, 2020)

What is a specific canonical hardware list ?  What is a specific canonical user ?
As far as I know freebsd-update does not care about login.conf or rc.conf.
The order to install drivers or xorg is not important.


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## Kalero (Apr 25, 2020)

Alain De Vos said:


> As far as I know freebsd-update does not care about login.conf or rc.conf.



freebsd-update doesn’t care about login.conf or rc.conf, but many of the binaries that it may rebuild do


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## wolffnx (Apr 25, 2020)

Kalero said:


> Hi,
> 
> this afternoon I was just asking myself about what to do first after a fresh installation of FreeBSD and two simple but tricky questions came to my mind. I know it does not matter and the system will work whether you do one thing or the other, but I thought it would be a nice to post the question in the FreeBSD Forums.
> 
> ...


For the first question...I'use the system defaults

for the second, in every fresh instalation first I'do is install xorg
and utilities
for example:
xorg pcmanfm feh lilyterm etc..
and then build the graphic driver from ports
(dont matter the order) xorg or graphic driver..i dont see any diference or benefit from that


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## Hakaba (Apr 25, 2020)

Good question...
As driver matter with hardware and OS is the way to use hardware, I probably answer to install driver before Xorg.
But as I miss the question, I have installed Xorg before.
Maybe during the next FreeBSD installation, I will remember this post and my answer...


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## wolffnx (Apr 25, 2020)

Hakaba said:


> Good question...
> As driver matter with hardware and OS is the way to use hardware, I probably answer to install driver before Xorg.
> But as I miss the question, I have installed Xorg before.
> Maybe during the next FreeBSD installation, I will remember this post and my answer...



Exactly, the hardware for the base system, but we talking about a graphic driver, unless you have a very rare hardware the installer allways we work and the base system too(in console)
from there is indiferent


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## tingo (Apr 26, 2020)

The OP should read freebsd-update(8) one more time. Quote: "The freebsd-update tool is used to fetch, install, and rollback binary updates to the FreeBSD base system.". So nothing is compiled.


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## Kalero (Apr 26, 2020)

tingo said:


> The OP should read freebsd-update(8) one more time. Quote: "The freebsd-update tool is used to fetch, install, and rollback binary updates to the FreeBSD base system.". So nothing is compiled.



Hum... I thought it did. When you do freebsd-update fetch, it applies patches to .c files.


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## Phishfry (Apr 26, 2020)

Kalero said:


> That command applies some patches to some source files and, after that, builds (compiles) them.


Actually this is not correct.
FreeBSD does update your source files if installed. That is the step that applies patches to your .c files.
The actual OS update is all done on a binary level. Nothing is compiled. The update files are binary files and pre-compiled.


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## Alain De Vos (Apr 27, 2020)

freebsd-update can include source,world,kernel.
Source is, well sources.
World & kernel are compiled binaries.


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## meine (Apr 27, 2020)

Luckily FreeBSD leaves your rc and config files with an update or upgrade. Therefor it doesn't matter in what order you do things.

Concerning installing Xorg and graphical drivers the order of installing or updating is of no importance, as long as you don't try to use X when not all components are installed. For puristic reasons maybe installing the driver first and then the software that uses it could be 'from the book', but it doesn't matter as long as the complete set is there when you run it.

BTW, am I the only one that immediately sees a brownish Linux environment (Ubuntu-Not-Linux) when reading the word 'canonical'?


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## tingo (Apr 27, 2020)

meine said:


> BTW, am I the only one that immediately sees a brownish Linux environment (Ubuntu-Not-Linux) when reading the word 'canonical'?


Yes, it's only you  :-D Canonical, on the other hand...


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## Alain De Vos (Apr 27, 2020)

When hearing the word canonical I spontaneous think about a canonical way to send nepomuk/akinadi search request of files with content indexing towards a central server hosted by Canonical without knowing it.


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## wolffnx (Apr 30, 2020)

meine said:


> BTW, am I the only one that immediately sees a brownish Linux environment (Ubuntu-Not-Linux) when reading the word 'canonical'?



Me too


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