# Oldie need help, as I am very forgetful



## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

About 5-6 years ago I installed 6.x on a server computer at my business, I "learned" a few things along the way but because FreeBSD ran so well with so few problems my administration of it was limited to SSHing in every 6 mo. or so and updating a few settings. Now I have new hardware and will be making a server that will actually see a lot more use. 

I have decided to install FreeBSD on both the new server and a laptop that was recently replaced. I have run into some odd problems along my install but just as oddly they have seemed to resolve themselves so I am going to take this one at a time.

As of right now I have the server updating/installing ports I need and a few I want to try, the problem I am having is with the laptop after running


```
portsnap  fetch extract
```

then installing 


```
/usr/ports/port-mgmt/portupgrade  #make install clean
```
 <typed from memory may not be correct here

and then running


```
rehash #portupgrade -a
```

I am getting far more dialog boxes than I had on the server. It seems that I am installing every possible language for the handbook. Is this normal and how can I remove unused ones? What would be the reason I did not see all of these on the server?

PS I am on Ch. 5 of the new handbook, sorry if this is something I am supposed to get to in a later chapter I could not wait to start using the new hardware.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

PS #2 the entire point of installing on the laptop is so I can truly learn and retain this time. I plan to use it as a 'user' computer and if all goes well I will put FreeBSD on my new laptop.


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## wblock@ (Aug 21, 2011)

The documentation is now in port/package form.  These are not needed if net access is available to the online documents, and can be deinstalled.  These would be the en-freebsd-doc packages, where "en" can be a lot of two-character language codes.  To delete them,
`# pkg_delete -nx freebsd-doc`

If that shows only the FreeBSD documentation packages, do it again without the "n" to actually remove them.

Once they're all gone, the dependency that has portupgrade wanting to update them should also be gone.  But using the -a with portupgrade or the newer portmaster is sometimes a mistake.  See Upgrading FreeBSD Ports for an overview.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

Thank you, these are not man pages or similar right?


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

One more thing before I go to bed how bad is it for me to string a whole bunch of things together such as 


```
cd /usr/ports/x11/xorg && make BATCH=YES install clean && Xorg -configure
```

Just curious if I would see many problems doing that type of thing for future reference although I don't plan to use that tonight.


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## wblock@ (Aug 21, 2011)

It will work.  I prefer config-recursive to BATCH, and would leave the last step out to be done separately.  If you haven't already, please update your ports tree before installing ports.  And add

```
WITHOUT_NOUVEAU=yes
```
to /etc/make.conf.  (It's fairly safe to guess you're not using the nouveau driver.)


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks again! config-recursive was a little more than I expected but I almost think my previous install some years ago was more similar to that with all of the options than what I have gone through so far, I like it.

I should have asked this before I started installing kde4 on the laptop, but I periodically lose internet connection. Is there some way to have it keep looking for files indefinitely until all needed dependencies are collected? I have already seen installing smaller ports that if I have lost internet for long enough install will fail with Error 1 or something similar complaining that it does not have all that is needed or I have also seen that packages are somehow wrong and needed to be removed. Will my options from the config-recursive be saved if I repeat the command?


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

And I am guessing KDE4 is going to take some time... Any estimates?


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## wblock@ (Aug 21, 2011)

Backing up: no, the doc packages are not man pages.

Another useful target is fetch-recursive.  Do that first to get all the distfiles downloaded in a batch.

How long to compile KDE4?  Depends on RAM, CPU, drive.  Why not just install PC-BSD?  It's FreeBSD, just with KDE and a lot of desktop configuration already done.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 21, 2011)

I thought about that, I decided it would be more of a challenge and more fun to do it the old fashioned way, getting to pick everything is an interesting plus too. 

Also did I understand my reading material correctly; if I am compiling everything shouldn't it work better on my machine?


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## wblock@ (Aug 22, 2011)

Compiling can make a difference.  It's usually small.  Building ports with custom settings can make a big difference.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 22, 2011)

:\ 
All was going well but now everything has stopped. I can change terminals and run top to see that no processing is being used. ....



WOW after investigating the STATE on top it my csh that I am building in was paused... I am really unsure but my first instinct is to blame the cat as I have seen similar problems like this before.

But I am moving forward with this post to just be sure, is there any reason the terminal would pause itself? Anything I might want to check?


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## wblock@ (Aug 22, 2011)

Both the Pause and Scroll Lock keys will do that.  The cat is messing with you.


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## rusty (Aug 22, 2011)

This is your cat? http://boingboing.net/2011/08/20/caturday-naked-edition.html

If I was that cat then I'd probably do something similar out of spite.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 25, 2011)

We have kde!!! But now how do I get my mouse working? It works in the terminals..

And lol that has to be the scariest look cat in the world!

PS switching terminals seems to kill kde


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## wblock@ (Aug 25, 2011)

The Handbook X11 Configuration chapter shows input config both with and without HAL.  HAL isn't particularly useful any more, so I'd suggest going without.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 25, 2011)

Hey  it works!

I had found another post on these forums and used dbus and hald. Is it too late to go back and change the x11 config? Im going to check out that link now but *Thank You Very Much* for all of your help!!!


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## wblock@ (Aug 25, 2011)

mrhobbeys said:
			
		

> I had found another post on these forums and used dbus and hald. Is it too late to go back and change the x11 config?



It's never too late.


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 25, 2011)

x( Well seems I would have been better to follow directions closer in the handbook. I did not properly probe my systems hardware before starting, nor write any of it down. So gotta load up some knoppix or something to figure out the wireless card and sound card.

Other than that this is working great! I love it!:e


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## wblock@ (Aug 26, 2011)

mrhobbeys said:
			
		

> x( Well seems I would have been better to follow directions closer in the handbook. I did not properly probe my systems hardware before starting, nor write any of it down. So gotta load up some knoppix or something to figure out the wireless card and sound card.



It's not necessary to resort to Linux.  The Handbook shows how to find the right sound driver.  Most newer systems use snd_hda(4).

Find the wireless card in the output of
`% pciconf -lv | less`


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## mrhobbeys (Aug 26, 2011)

That is sweet! Now do you think I am ready to make some custom kernel 

I really like this BSD install so far it seems faster than Ubuntu was on this computer and it just blows away the XP that used to be on here. I've also been looking around for a good web design suite or program to use with FreeBSD, do you have any recomendations I used Gimp and Komposer for a couple of years, I have Dreamweaver and Photoshop that is on my other computer, but I just got expressions web 4 trial on that computer that is about to run out and liked that better than DW and PS I just would rather find something new to try (and free I still am in pain from buying DW and PS).

Speaking of which, the only reasons I am still using windows at all is I hate to loss the use of all of the software I have paid for over the years!


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## wblock@ (Aug 26, 2011)

mrhobbeys said:
			
		

> That is sweet! Now do you think I am ready to make some custom kernel



Sure, it's not hard.  I have some articles on that:
Building FreeBSD World And Kernel: The Short Form
Upgrading FreeBSD To -STABLE
Simplifying FreeBSD Kernel Config Files

(Article index is here.)


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