Linux Unleashed, Third Edition:Installing and Configuring XFree86





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Installing XFree86 Manually
As mentioned earlier in this section, you can install XFree86 without using the installation scripts. In some cases, you will want to do this if you have to perform installation across directories or place the files in directories other than their default values. Some users like to manually install XFree86 so they know what is happening at each step: It’s a great way to learn the intricacies of the X operating system (although it can be a long operation).

To manually install the XFree86 distribution software, you must extract the files into the proper directories using the gzip command. The general process is quite simple:

•  Log in as root. You must install XFree86 as the superuser.
•  Create the directory /usr/X386. This directory may already exist on your system because it is created by some Linux installation scripts.
•  Change to the /usr/X386 directory.
•  For each file in the distribution set, use the gzip utility to extract and install the contents. The general format of the command follows:


qzip -dc tarfile | tar xvof -


•  Repeat the process for each file in the XFree86 product set. You will have to change to each distribution directory manually (on a CD-ROM or different disk, for example), and use gzip on each archive file in that directory.

The tar utility flags shown in the preceding command line ensure that the original ownership of the files is preserved and that the output is displayed on the screen for you. After all the XFree86 files have been installed into the correct directories, you can continue with the configuration process.
Installing XFree86 Using a Script
Most users want to automate the installation process. It is faster, requires less interaction from the user, and is much less prone to errors. For this reason, most XFree86 distribution releases either include an installation script or use the Linux setup program.

When installing using the Linux setup script (or similar utility) supplied with Linux distributions, you are usually prompted as to whether you want to install XFree86 during the initial Linux installation. If you answered affirmatively to this question, the binaries for XFree86 will already be installed. If you didn’t get prompted for XFree86 installation, it may have been installed automatically. Check the directories /usr/X386/bin or /usr/X11R6/bin for files. If there are a large number of files in either directory, XFree86 was installed for you.
Just because XFree86 was installed from the distribution media automatically doesn’t mean you can use it immediately. You should still go through the configuration process by using the ConfigFX86 or fx86config utilities or manually edit the Xconfig or XF86Config file (depending on the version of XFree86). Most automated installations include default VGA or SVGA preconfigured files, but it’s still a good idea to check the contents of the Xconfig or XF86Config file before you try to run XFree86.
Path Environment Variable
It is important to put the XFree86 binary directory in your path, controlled by an environment variable PATH or path (depending on the shell). The location of the variable’s definition depends on the type of shell you are using, and the login you generally use to run XFree86. In general, you should simply add either /usr/X386/bin (XFree86 version 2.X) or /usr/X11R6/bin (XFree86 version 3.X) to the path definition statement.
For example, if you use bash for most purposes, a .profile file is read when you log in to set environment variables. If you log in as a user other than root, the .profile file is kept in your home directory. If you use the root login, the .profile may be kept in the root directory or you may be using the default system .profile kept in the file /etc/profile (note the lack of a period when the file is in /etc: This is a convention used to show it is a globally available .profile).
If it isn’t already in the path, add the XFree86 bin directory to the path or PATH variable definition. A .profile file for bash may have the following line after adding the XFree86 directory:


PATH=“/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11/bin:/usr/openwin/bin”


For C shell users (including tcsh) other than root, the syntax is a little different. The startup file .login or csh.login contains a line defining the path. Adding the XFree86 directory is a matter of tacking it in to the definition:


set path = ( /sbin /usr/bin /bin /usr/X11/bin /usr/openwin/bin . )


Of course, your exact path definition lines will probably differ, but as long as you add the XFree86 bin directory to the path, then log out and back in, the binaries should be found properly by the shell.




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