# black screen after startx (in qemu)



## Anonymous (Apr 12, 2010)

hi,
i read several threads. In most of them reading the handbook is mentioned, which i did. But its quite a bunch of info, so the following might still sound silly.

When i startx i get a black screen. Thats what i did:
Installing FreeBSD in qemu

```
pkg_add -r xorg
pkg_add -r xfce4
pkg_add -r fluxbox
```
I edited /etc/rc.conf and enabled hald and dbus
I edited .xinitrc and made entries for

```
exec startxfce4 #or: 
/usr/local/bin/startxfce4 #or
exec xfce4-session
```
I tried the same syntax for fluxbox. 
All of them give me a black screen and no way to log out.
I tried "Xorg --configure", without result. I didn't edit it, as i wouldn't know how.
Whats odd: 
Without .xinitrc i may startx into twm (if it is twm?).
"exec twm" in .xinitrc also lets me start X.

I can't find related error-logs. Which ones exactly would i need to check?
I tried "startx > startx_error.txt" but it just tells me that X is getting started.


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## mfaridi (Apr 12, 2010)

use `tail -f /var/log/messages`
and 
`tail -f /var/log/Xorg.0.log`
and read this link 
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x-config.html


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## rhyous (Apr 13, 2010)

Make sure you enable SSH.  When you get a black screen like that it is at least nice to connect in remotely to troubleshoot and also so you don't have to hard poweroff, you can just kill xorg.

Do you get a black screen when your run:


```
Xorg -config
```

What about when you run:


```
Xorg -config -retro
```

?


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## psycho (Apr 13, 2010)

When running [CMD=""]Xorg -configure[/CMD] you get xorg.conf.new file in your home directory.
Did you moved and renamed that file??
You should to this: (while in your home directory)
[CMD=""]mv xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf[/CMD]


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## Anonymous (Apr 13, 2010)

I did Xorg -configure and move the xorg.conf.new in /root to /etc/X11. After i did an startx i got the black screen. 
Finally i figured out that fvwm did work. Gnome, xfce and fluxbox all gave me a black screen.

As said i did read that chapter of the handbook, but could not find a relation to my problem.

I got tired of it and deleted the whole qemu-installation. I will either install on hard-disk or again in qemu. I haven't made up my mind yet. 

My Virtualbox-installation did work, but it is 7.2.
Should i take that one, or is FreeBSD 8 fine too?


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