FreeBSD5.4 - GUI fails

[arnuld]

hello,

        I will be as brief as i can on explaining my problem:

1.) here is my architecture:

    i.)    AMD64 -> processor
    ii.)    ASUS K8V-MX -> motherboard
    iii.)    LG 17'' Studioworks 775N -> monitor
        HorizSyns = 30-70 kHz
        Vertsync  = 50-160 Hz
        Resolution Max. = 1280x1024 @ 60 Hz

    IV.)  i do not know about video-card but when FC-4 istallation uses
"anaconda" to
           probe the video-card of my system, it shows: vesa driver
(generic)


2.) I have "FreeBSD-5.4 CDs for x86" architecture. regarding this i posted
the question on FreeBSD mailing-list & many
     people told me that these same CDs will work on AMD64 because AMD64 is
backward compatible with 32 bit
     computing.

3.) PROBLEM:

    I tried to install it on my system and got the following results:

      i.)    FreeBSD is installed (i did all ports/packages installation)
but some packages (total 6) could not be installed,it says "installation
failed",  they are:

            a.) php
            b.) apache
            c.) 1 more package related to apache
            c.) apache-mod+perl
            d.) bash
            e.) 1 dependency of bash

        all of these raise "error-code 1". except these 6 everything else
like GNOME, KDE, emacs, xpdf, gv is installed without any problem

      ii.)    FreeBSD boots with login prompt: only in shell mode,no GUI at
all. ( in freeBSd handbook section 2.9.12 i came to
             know  that X server configuration fascility has been removed
since 5.3 release, so i go to chapter 5 to configure X
             myself)

      iii.)    I configure GUI by using: Xorg -configure. It creates a file
named "xorg.conf.new" in my current directory which is
             root's home directory. Next if i try to: Xorg -config
xorg.conf.new, my screen goes blank with the message "OUT OF
             FREQUENCY" & with message something like:

        Frequency:
        HF 75 Hz ( i do know whether it is Hz, KHz or GHz)
        VF 60 Hz
        operating frequency:
        HF 30-70 Hz (again i do not know)
        VF 50-160 Hz

      iv.)    What i do is 1st add the lines "HorizSyns 30-70, VertRefresh
50-160" (fom monitor-manual) into monitor section &
             "Modes "1024x768" into display section of "xorg.conf.new" &
then use the same command to configure it. it works
             and shows a yellowish desktop with 1an X and X moves as i move
my cursor.

    v.) Then i use "xdm" command to enter into GUI, of course it enters into
GUI with prompt
        box names "Welcome to 1"  with login name & password , i enter both
of then & then i press "enter". screen goes off
       for a second and reappears with same "Welcome 1" box. I enter login
name and password again and same thing
       happens. i press "ctrl+Alt+backspace" 2 times and go back to shell
mode.

       vi.)   i came to know in section 5.7 that GNOME is disabled by
default,so i enable it by adding "gdm_enable="YES"
              into "/etc/rc.conf"  and then reboot my machine, after that i
again use "xdm" and same thing i explained  in
             previous step, happens. (but FreeBSD Handbook says "no further
configuration is required, after enabling GNOME,
            it will work without any problem" BUT i do have a problem)

    vii.) I tried another thing ( to use GNOME directly)as explained in
'chapter 5" of FreeBSD handbook. i create ".xsession"
          file rather than ".xinitc" (as freeBSD uses xdm). I put a line
"/usr/X11R6/bin/gnome-session" into it.

then i enter into shell the following command

# % echo "#!/bin/sh" > ~/.xsession"

after pressing enter it says "/bin/sh: event not found". ( i made a check
into /bin directory, "sh" file is present there). anyway i use "startx" and
it takes me to a yellowish desktop with one login shell and 2 xterm shells
(all are like bash shell). but no menu, no icons, no GNOME or real desktop
thing. i enter commands "emacs, ggv, gv etc.) and all of these application
open in GUI mode but it is disgusting. also icons of this desktop are too
small to be seen.

i reboot and the try xdm and same thing "Welcome to 1" as in "step v"
happens but no GNOME. May you please help on this? Please tell me whether
this is a hardware issue or do i need to do some configuration.

thanks in advance.

"arnuld"




--
"the great intellectuals"