UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have been using Linux for 3 years now, and I think I am getting enough knowledge (and confidence) to try some more 'traditional' unix variants. I installed FreeBSD 5.0-CURRENT. I have a couple of questions for the time being:

1) Frequently when I need to compile software packages they can't find existing headers and libraries in /usr/local/include and /usr/local/lib respectively, and have to be manually added as CPPFLAGS or LDFLAGS env. vars etc. for "configure". I think these are standard locations, but why those libraries cannot be found?

2) My current linux distribution supports colors on the console. I know there are some packages allowing FreeBSD to have similar properties, but I forgot which one and where to get one.

Any ideas?

Hi cbkihong,

How are you installing the software packages you speak of in your first question? Are you using the ports or packages?
Also what install did you do, you may not have installed all of what you need.

As to the last question, I have not idea, sorry.

Thank you for your reply. I don't have problems with ports or packages in general. However, I am generally more fond of 'traditional' manual 'configure-make-make install' method for certain kinds of applications that I would like to keep constantly current. And this is a bit problematic. I also think I am missing something, somewhere, in the system configuration as I am not that familiar with the specifics of FreeBSD yet (I have yet to see how something I customarily do with my particular linux distro is to be done on FreeBSD).

I initially installed gnome from packages with /stand/sysinstall. However, it failed to start (typed gnome-session from console) and simply stated "unable to open display". So I think I may try and see if I can compile KDE myself (which have been compiling rather effortlessly on my linux box). I know that some packages, say libjpeg has already been compiled and installed (I explicitly installed them, again, from source), but the ./configure error log of some packages say the library files cannot be found, despite I have found the relevant .h and .so files installed in /usr/local/include and /usr/local/lib, until I pass them as parameters to ./configure as "with-extra-includes" and "with-extra-libs" that they can finally be found, and can then be compiled. I think if I always have to pass such parameters manually it is very messy.

I have to manually compile some applications in order to work in the way I want on my specific locale. Like vim, to enable the use of cjk on Linux I need to pass a lot of parameters to ./configure. So in general ports/packages on FreeBSD, though one exists, may not work for me on this regard (I may be wrong -- please correct me).

I do understand there can be more problems if I don't stick to ports/packages and compile everything myself. I compiled xfree86 4.3.0 from sources as I can't find that version from my ports. My compiled x-windows works perfectly. But it seems by doing so I can no longer use ports/packages for any x applications as the ports assume xfree86 4.2.0 instead of 4.3.0. if I use those ports/packages then xfree 4.2.0 would be fetched and installed, and that is definitely not what I want.

It would be a lot better if you install the applications you need via ports as patches and such that are required for FreeBSD are added during install. You can still install your applications the old way but installing from ports places libs and such where they are supposed to be under FreeBSD.

FreeBSD is different to Linux and I would encourage you to have a look at the Handbook and the FAQ.

I compiled XFree86 4.3.0 on my FreeBSD 5.1-BETA installation from the ports tree this past weekend. Is your ports tree up to date?

I normally install from the ports tree, update the ports tree via cvsup and use `portupgrade --all` to recompile all the ports that I have installed.

Many of the ports have ./configure style options that you can use on the make command line in the form of:

Code:

make all -D option_flag

or

Code:

make all option_flag=yes

The FreeBSD handbook has all the nitty gritty details.

Thank you very much. Let's forget my questions earlier. I have some two newer ones for you:

1) In a KDE session artsd seem to block the sound card and apps like XMMS no longer can play within KDE. From Handbook Ch. 16 it mentioned the Virtual Sound Channel technique. However, significant audio quality degradation and jitter occurred with the mentioned modifications. Even when it could be played, the sound doesn't sound right. Is it what it is supposed to be?

2) How to change the UI font for GTK+-1.2 apps? On my SuSE Linux a SuSE staff told me to use .gtkrc for a similar problem on linux. I used this same trick and it didn't appear to work on FreeBSD.

I'm using Gnome 2.2, KDE 3.1.2 and FreeBSD 5.0-RELEASE, fyi.

I have had better luck with multiple audio streams with gnome than I have had with KDE. What sound card and kernel drive are you using in your box? I myself have had some blocking issues with artsd with on-board low end audio. I have not played around with the virtual sound channel sysctl settings yet.

Check this site - entry #12 at www.freebsd.org. I found via Google references on settings between .gtkrc and .gtkrc-2.0. I am assuming that your SuSE installation was running Gnome 1.x.x?