X configuration problem - new info

[Jay O'Brien]

Luke Kearney wrote:

> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 01:31:30 -0700
> Jay O'Brien <jayobrien at att.net> spake thus:
> 
> 
>>Initial 4.10 installation. Trying to configure XFree86.
>>from /stand/sysinstall, select Configure | XFree86. 
>>
>>I THINK I've tried every possible combination. I couldn't 
>>use the "Fully graphical XFree86 configuration tool" as 
>>the graphic was partially off-screen and the monitor was 
>>"out of range". I used the textmode tool and the shell-
>>script tool, settling on the shell-script tool. After 
>>agreeing that it should write /etc/X11/XF86, and selecting 
>>a desktop to use, many different attempts all result in 
>>this error:
>>
>>"Error mounting /dev/acd0c on /dist: Input/output error (5)"
>>
>>And the next screen is:
>>
>>"An error occurred while adding the package(s) required by 
>>this desktop type. Please change installation media and/or 
>>select a different, perhaps simpler, desktop environment 
>>and try again."
>>
>>I don't find a /etc/X11/ directory, much less a XF86 file.
>>
>>Video card is ati XPERT 98, monitor is 1280x1024 LCD.
>>
>>A suggestion for what to try next?
>>
>>Jay O'Brien
>>Rio Linda, CA USA
> 
> 
> Yes, download and burn yourself another install disk or change the media
> source in the install screen and then make it download the sources from
> the internet. Sounds like you've got bad media rather than a config that
> can't be done. 
> 
> HTH
> 
> LukeK
> 
Ok, I did as you suggested and I'm presently getting stuff via ftp. It 
looks like it will be downloading all day. I thought the ISO image CD 
would avoid this; what is all the stuff that is downloading? Isn't there 
a way to just replace the XF86 stuff that may be bad?  Where are all 
these files going, and why do I need to download them all? Once this is 
done, will I have to do it all over again when I rebuild again from 
scratch, or is there a way, like on the CD, that I can store just those 
files I need?  There's got to be a better way!

Jay

<more>

After over an hour and a half of downloading (and I have a 1.3MHz DSL) I 
tried again. Now I get different error messages, and I don't understand 
at all what this unwanted download has done to my computer. 
The errors are: 

   VGA(0): Virtual height (0) is too small for the hardware (min 1)
   Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

I'm going to wipe the HD clean again and start over, using my current ISO 
CD. This download, with many separate unrelated files, has me really 
concerned about what I unwittingly added to my HD. I don't even know 
where all the files I saw come in are now placed on the HD!

Is there any disadvantage to installing XFree86 with # pkg_add -r XFree86
as compared to using /stand/sysinstall, select Configure | XFree86 ?

Jay

PS.. I'm really frustrated, so obviously I'm learning...