Fink - X11
 

Ok... I have been trying to enter the world of x11. I'm new at this, so this is what I have done:

1. Install php and mysql
2. Install Apple X11
3. Install fink

Now... I can get fink to work (i think) I have added the package ispell to test things out. However, when I type ispell in the terminal, I get no command found. I go to the bin of the fink directory and see it sitting there all happy....

Now this makes me think that i don't even have fink propperly installed. Then... how do I get an x11 app installed and running

ie.. download from here: Install like so: Run it like so:

Apple X11 PATH
 

Fink-installed binaries are (usually) in /sw/bin and the hardcoded $PATH in Apple's X11 does not reflect this path. So far there is no way to change this $PATH except for setenv PATH "${PATH}:/sw/bin" or other ways.

First, type the full path to binary and try again.

Carcass

Ok.. I opened up a terminal window and typed:
PATH "${PATH}:/sw/bin"
I now can run ispell... whoohoo. Now, how do I get x11 apps to run? Ie. I think apples x11 is installed right (I could have messed that up too).

Give me an expample of an x11 app to try out. Ie how to get it, how to install it, and how to run it....

Thanks so much

Re: Fink - X11
 

Ispell ususally works in the background in conjunctions with programs pathed to it, however, to use it in a terminal, you must include arguments, at least telling it where to look for a text to "correct". For example I open a terminal and type

"ispell ~/Documents/Einstein.txt"
...and the text in question will open and I will be able to correct it. You may however have permission problems with Apple's X11. It's all screwed up and won't even allow the opening of certain files belonging to the user who installed X11 in the first place. But permission probs are easily rectified..... normally....

Write in your ~/.xinitrc file:

source /sw/bin/init.sh


Cheers...

Good advice Sao!

PS: Blackbox works quite well with Apple X11. The ususl BB menu dock doesn't appear but themes and widgets do. So far BlackBox works the best with A-X11. Wmaker is a bit trickier (more tricky)..... because of literal pathing, but it works just fine too. I now have focus following cursor functionality.

Strange, but letting A-X11 overwrite files except for "system-xfree86" files actually helped all functionalities everywhere. Just for the fun of it I tried all installation combos.... they all work in spite of the warnings at the Fink site, but "system" installed afterwards really did the trick for me. I have both XDarwin working better because of certain "overwritten files" and Apple X-11 following my system X11 preferences.

Ok.. I know that I have fink installed correctly. I can fink list and fink install. Now, I have installed the apple x11 package (downloaded from apple). I can't tell if X windows is installed, I don't know if it is installed how to tell what version it is. I don't know how to start it up. and I don't know how to run x11 apps.

Basically I don't know alot, but I am really eager to learn.

Show me the result of 'fink list xfree86'

Have you installed with Fink 'system-xfree86-4.2-3' or higher ?

Then write a ~/.xinitrc file with only the following:
Double click /Applications/X11.app


I you would read carefully this thread:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showth...0&pagenumber=1


You will find that Glanz wrote a wonderful explanation:

"If you want to add applications to the "Applications" menu on the top bar when running Apple X11, click "customize", then "add item". You will see two columns, one for "name" and one for "command". You must double click in the space reserved for "name" to open a cursor in the name field, likewise for "command". The only ones for which you do not have to write the full path are the inherent X11 apps such as xterm, rxvt, xedplus, xedit, etc. The others require full paths, for example "/sw/bin/eterm -e pine", "/sw/bin/nedit", "xterm -e /sw/bin/mc", "/sw/bin/galeon", etc, etc."


Cheers...

Here is my problem now. I finally got some imput from the terminal (restart :)

I get this:

I also have tried reinstalling x11... funny thing is that it doesn't install the 11.app. I can't find that anywhere.

Also, where should the .xinitrc file go?

Also, how do I tell what version of x is on my system?

cheers,

JJ

webgodjj,

'fink -V'

And, you didn't show me the result of:

'fink list xfree86'


Are you sure you downloaded and installed both:

X11UserForMacOSX (41.1 MB)

and

X11SDKForMacOSX (3.8 MB)

This message is no secret. Write in your ~/.cshrc or ~/.tcshrc files:

source /sw/bin/init.csh


Create it in terminal.app with the editor pico at your home directory. In terminal.app type:

cd (to go to your home directory)

pico .xinitrc

When the editor opens the file, copy/paste as I told you above in my other post.

Then, press Control-o, return, Control-x (to save the file and exit pico)


Cheers...

Ok.. I figured out a bunch of things. And now have still one last problem. I got x11 to work. I only installed the binaries, not the app. So I downloaded the app. and presto.

However, fink doesn't seem to recognize it. I can launch it form the 11.app but not from the terminal (startx). It tries to start something and hangs. Here is my fink info:

It won't show up on the fink database because it is not the "Fink" XFree. That is why we install "system-xfree86".. That is the "link" to whatever version or source of XFree we may have installed. In other words, XFree doesn't get installed to the /sw directory, not even by Fink. It goes to the very "root" of the entire system.

webgodjj,

I admire your adventurous spirit, but you need to install system-xfree86-4.2-3 or higher to work with Apple X11 and Fink:
You didn't remove the fink versions first before installing Apple X11, the Apple installer wrote over all your fink x11 packages with its own versions. You need to force remove the fink packages and install system-xfree86. But, the force removal will remove the apple versions now, because you didn't remove the fink versions first.

Let's make some order here. Please do the following, first run:

dpkg -r --force-depends xfree86-base
dpkg -r --force-depends xfree86-base-shlibs


Then reinstall:

X11UserForMacOSX (41.1 MB)

and

X11SDKForMacOSX (3.8 MB)


When the installation finished, run then, in terminal.app:

'sudo apt-get update'

'fink index'

'sudo apt-get install system-xfree86'


Then start Apple X11 by double clicking /Applications/X11.app

Let me know how it went.


Cheers...

augghh.... stuck on step one :(

well... I remember reading something about deleting the files, tried it, and it didn't work. I think my hopes were that the files would be overwritten...

What is wrong with this? I am entering in the correct password, but instead of saying "wrong password" it says "sorry"... I don't think I ever saw this before.

webgodjj,

Sorry, try again with 'sudo':

sudo dpkg -r --force-depends xfree86-base
sudo dpkg -r --force-depends xfree86-base-shlibs

Cheers...

Ya.. that worked better (what's the difference between su and sudo?) Anyways, I got some errors though.. will this be a problem? Or are these files fine

Btw.. on a side note: You seem really command-line savy.... what's the best way to get ansi text coloring working?

webgodjj,

Don't worry, they are just warnings, it's all right.

Continue with your exercise.

Cheers...

PS: Let's finish here before we start talking about somethings else.

Ok.. I installed the packages after the delete and then ran the commands in the terminal... it gave me promising imput abou using apple's x11. Now this is what my fink looks like:
Is that good?

webgodjj,

It seems all went well.

By the way, did you wrote your ~/.xinitrc file in your home directory with pico?

And did you wrote in your ~/.cshrc or ~/.tcshrc file:

source /sw/bin/init.csh


Now, double click X11.app....


Cheers...

Everything was installed fined and it seems to work. I'm installing xtraceroute through fink to see if everything goes fine (wheww.. that takes a while)

Now, if you can help with the terminal colorization... I have two quesitons: 1. Directory colors 2. Text colors

I don't think that pico supports color markup, bu I hear emacs does? or is there a better package?

Once again, thanks for all your help. Hey, is it smart to install a desktop (gnome,KDE) to x11?

webgodjj,

We continue tomorrow, I call it a night as it is very late in Singapore.

Cheers...