Hi there,

I am a programmer and a new UNIX user. I want to learn UNIX and then create programmin on that platform. I have installed the latest version of FreeBSD and can use it as a newbie. But there is no GUI.

I like the command promt, it is very important for me, to know all the command prompt commands. So I don't want to install a GUI, which is programmed to start UNIX directly in the GUI. What I want to do is like DOS and Win 3.1. I started my computer in DOS mode, and then I wrote WIN to start the GUI.

I have heard of the X Window System. I know that there is a difference between Window Managers and GUI's. So for example, if I want to use KDE, is this only the GUI? Have I to install an additional Window Manager to use it in KDE?

I also have heard that XOrg is in the installation package of FreeBSD. So, how can I install XOrg on a FreeBSD system from CDROM.
I even don't know, how to switch to CDROM. For example in dos I used E: to switch to that specified drive. If I know how to switch to CDROM, then I can explore the FreeBSD Installation CDROM. Maybe there I can find the Installation of XORG.

I tried to read the manual of FreeBSD, but it is very very long. So I will be happy, if you cen help me a few starting tips.

Thanx a lot.
Bye...

ok, as far as i'm concerned, there are 3 components to having a graphical user display (GUI) on a linux/unix system:

- X Server
- Window Manager
- Desktop Environment

X Servers are responsible for actually displaying stuff. There are various X Servers available, such as XFree86, or more recently XOrg.

As for Window Managers, these are things you don't normally know the name of, and they are responsible for contructing windows and allowing you to manage the windows, resize them, move them, change focus etc... Sawfish and Metacity are examples of two window managers.

Finally, Desktop environments - these are the general application sets and "themes" you put onto your Window manager. Examples of desktop environments are Gnome and KDE. I say "themes" in quotes, because it's not strictly a correct word to use, but it gets the point across.

You can, of course, apply different actual color schemes and fonts etc... to KDE and Gnome, and these are actualy called themes.

Just to confuse things further, you can also get X Servers for Micro$oft Windows, but i can't remember any names of these.

Before you try to install anything onto your FreeBSD system, have you tried logging in and just typing 'startx'?

If this doesn't work, you will have to install it somehow.

Unfortunately, i don't know much about FreeBSD, but try the following (which works in RH Linux):

See where the CD-ROM device mounts to (it'll be the one without '/dev/' in it's name).

When you know it's mount point, type:

Then you should be able to browse the CD. As for how to install an X server, i don't know i'm afraid...

Hi again,

first of all, thanks for your reply. I want to know, how I can query the OS, to get all installed applications. In Windows there is the Add/Remove Programs section, which shows all installed programms. Is there anything like that in FreeBSD (at Command Promt) ?

Because of that I can't determine if X Window is installed, I tried to install X Window. I don't know, if I did it right. I will tell you, what I did, and want to know if it is right.

I run the sysinstall program. From there I selected the XOrg distribution, and installed that. After that, I searched in the filesystem and found a file named "X". When I start this programm, a GUI starts. It is a gray based GUI with a mousepointer like a bold X letter. I saw a GUI like this in Solaris, but in solaris a popup menu appeared when I right-clicked the desktop. But in FreeBSD, in the started GUI there is nothing. No popup, no task bar, no window. I even can't exit the GUI and return to the command prompt. So I have two questions:

1) Is the programm "X" already installed on the OS by default? Or is the X programm installed after I choose the XOrg distribution in sysinstall?

2) Have I to Install any window manager or "theme" like KDE, to be able to use the GUI?

Thanx a lot for your help.
Bye...