5.3: want to install XFree86

[RW]

On Monday 27 December 2004 05:31, Theodore D. Sternberg wrote:
> I've had it with Xorg and would like to go back to XFree86.
> Unfortunately, when I go to /usr/ports/x11/XFree86-4 and type "make", it
> doesn't do anything; it just gives me this message...
>
>     ===>  XFree86-4.4.0_1,1 is part of XFree86-4.
>
> and exits.
>
> XFree86 was giving me everything I needed, back under FreeBSD 5.1.  Xorg,
> in contrast, is one huge hassle.  "Xorg -config" produces an xorg.conf.new
> file that doesn't work (I have ATI Rage 128).  Then, reading some of the
> traffic on this mailing list I see talk about preloading AGP and ATI from
> /boot/loaders.conf, and I know I'd be getting in way too deep if I did
> that.
>
> To further confirm my ignorance, I'll ask this: what exactly is Xorg?  Is
> it just a different X server (and associated configuration tools)?  Or is
> it something more broad-based than that?

As I understand it there was a difference of opinion about how xfree86 
development should be run, which resulted in the xorg splitting-off. Many 
open source OSs have gone with xorg because of it's license, and because it 
promises a faster pace of development. It's probably in your interest to make 
it work, because as the two start to diverge it will likely be xfree86 users 
that have the most hassle.  


> If I succeed in building an XFree86 server, can I just make the
> appropriate symlink -- /usr/X11R6/bin/X --, install my old XFree86.conf
> file in /etc/X11, and run with that?  Or is it going to be more
> complicated?
>
Check back through UPDATING; there were instructions for migrating xfree86 to 
xorg which might be reversible if your xorg isn't too recent. There are 
instructions there too for setting  the appropriate environmental variables 
for making the system use a non-default X.