# How To Configure Ly Display Manager



## mehdi-khawari (Sep 22, 2022)

I'm not able to configure the Ly disply manager on Freebsd.

I have these lines in my   /etc/gettytab  :

```
Ly:\
        :lo=/usr/local/bin/ly:\
        :al=root:
```

My /etc/ttys :

```
ttyv0   "/usr/libexec/getty Ly"         xterm   on secure
```

My /usr/local/etc/ly/config.ini: (I didn't change anything in this file beside that one line with tty)

```
# tty in use
tty = 0

# vt in use by X or Wayland
# vt = 9
```

I can log in in the shell, but with xinitrc, after some some of black screen, I get loged out. Any idea, how to configure Ly disply manager in FreeBSD?
I Installed it through pkg (8).


----------



## Alain De Vos (Sep 22, 2022)

For the moment,








						GitHub - fairyglade/ly: display manager with console UI
					

display manager with console UI. Contribute to fairyglade/ly development by creating an account on GitHub.




					github.com
				



The files :
/etc/gettytab
/etc/ttys


----------



## CuatroTorres (Sep 22, 2022)

Solved - Ly display manager does not run
					

I'm trying to set up FreeBSD 13.0-i386 / JWM on a laptop with minimal settings for performance. After installing x11/ly and following the steps in pkg-message, the display manager does not start. I can't find any clues in the logs and I want to use a minimal DM, but DM anyway. Any help is welcome.




					forums.freebsd.org


----------



## mehdi-khawari (Sep 22, 2022)

CuatroTorres said:


> Solved - Ly display manager does not run
> 
> 
> I'm trying to set up FreeBSD 13.0-i386 / JWM on a laptop with minimal settings for performance. After installing x11/ly and following the steps in pkg-message, the display manager does not start. I can't find any clues in the logs and I want to use a minimal DM, but DM anyway. Any help is welcome.
> ...


 It didn't help me.


----------



## T-Daemon (Sep 23, 2022)

I had a look at the problem in a VM, there is a message in the virtual terminal where x11/ly is started, pointing to a permission issue, after trying to log in, and been confronted with a black screen:

```
exec: /home/<user>/.xinitrc: Permission denied
```

`chmod 744 ~/.xinitrc`

That lets log in as expected, but another problem arises. When log out from Xorg it doesn't return to x11/ly, Xorg must be killed, and  x11/ly too to work correctly.

If you experience the same on your (bare metal) system, and insist on using x11/ly, I would open a PR.


----------



## mehdi-khawari (Sep 23, 2022)

T-Daemon said:


> ... and insist on using x11/ly, I would open a PR.


I believe, if FreeBSD offers a software, the software must work or there must be instructions how to make it to work. 

I'll try your suggestion and share the result here. 
Yes, please do it.


----------



## SirDice (Sep 23, 2022)

mehdi-khawari said:


> if FreeBSD offers a software


Ports/packages are _third party_ software. They are not provided by FreeBSD. Ports are created and maintained by volunteers, people investing their own time to create a port for an application. If you have problems with a specific port you contact the maintainer of said port or submit a PR (problem report).



mehdi-khawari said:


> Yes, please do it.


No, you misunderstood. It's what T-Daemon would do if he was in your position.


----------



## T-Daemon (Sep 23, 2022)

T-Daemon said:


> I would open a PR.





mehdi-khawari said:


> Yes, please do it.


I'm afraid I expressed myself erroneous. I meant to say "in your place I would open a PR". I don't use x11/ly, no display manager at all. Sorry for the confusion.


----------



## mehdi-khawari (Sep 23, 2022)

SirDice said:


> Ports/packages are _third party_ software. They are not provided by FreeBSD. Ports are created and maintained by volunteers, people investing their own time to create a port for an application. If you have problems with a specific port you contact the maintainer of said port or submit a PR (problem report).


I know and I want to contribute voluntarily to make  x11/ly  to work on FreeBSD.


----------



## SirDice (Sep 23, 2022)

mehdi-khawari said:


> I know and I want to contribute voluntarily to make x11/ly to work on FreeBSD.


Then you open a PR and work things out with the maintainer of the port. It would be nice if you also could provide patches but that's not strictly necessary. Patches are appreciated, not required.






						FreeBSD Bugzilla Main Page
					






					bugs.freebsd.org


----------



## sidetone (Sep 23, 2022)

T-Daemon said:


> That lets log in as expected, but another problem arises. When log out from Xorg it doesn't return to x11/ly, Xorg must be killed, and  x11/ly too to work correctly.


I had problems when logging out of ly, but I don't remember if it was the exact same problem. The logout overlapped and overwrote files that had to do with the window manager or Xorg. The desktop looked like a mess after logging out and there was overlap of the text from console, of ly and Xorg, until the files were fixed.


----------



## T-Daemon (Sep 23, 2022)

sidetone said:


> I had problems when logging out of ly, but I don't remember if it was the exact same problem. The logout overlapped and overwrote files that had to do with the window manager or Xorg. The desktop looked like a mess after logging out and there was overlap of the text from console, of ly and Xorg, until the files were fixed.


I've tested x11-wm/jwm and x11-wm/fluxbox on 13.1-RELEASE (VM), latest package repository. The problem here is after trying to 'exit' from the menu, in both WM all elements disappear (JWM - tray, Fluxbox - toolbar, open windows), the background of the WM remains, no mouse function existent.

The background stays until Xorg is killed from a virtual terminal. In x11/ly the cursor remains invisible until it's killed, which triggers a restart.


----------



## mehdi-khawari (Sep 23, 2022)

T-Daemon said:


> `chmod 744 ~/.xinitrc`


This solved the problem. Thanks.

I summarize my configuration for x11/ly on FreeBSD:

I added these lines at the end of my/etc/gettytab:

```
Ly:\
        :lo=/usr/local/bin/ly:\
        :al=root:
```

my /etc/ttys:

```
ttyv1   "/usr/libexec/getty Ly"         xterm   on secure
```

my /usr/local/etc/ly/config.ini:

```
# tty in use
tty = 2

# vt in use by X or Wayland
# vt = 9
```


----------



## CuatroTorres (Sep 24, 2022)

You had it from the beginning:


> Following this thread I set tty=2 to /usr/local/etc/ly/config.ini while /etc/ttys pointed to ttyv1, then the DM was shown. It can be a linuxism since ttys starts at 1 or a misunderstanding on my part. Then I cannot start with exec /usr/local/bin/jwm in ~/.xinitrc. *See note about .xinitrc**.*





> .xinitrc
> If your .xinitrc doesn't work make sure it is executable and includes a shebang.



I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
—Confucius


----------

