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Re: XFree86

Dennis Dixon wrote:
> 
> Thanks to the numerous responses I received from my posting (June 9, 10:04)
> regarding setting up XFree86 on my Debian 1.3 O/S.
> 
> Below is what I think I'm supposed to do.  Possibly, someone could verify if
> this is correct.
> 
> First, let's make sure I understand the difference between various versions
> of Debian and XFree86.  The 2 relevant parameters seem to be "bo" vs. "hamm"
> and "xlibc5" vs. "xlibc6".
>     Debian 1.3 uses "bo" and "xlibc5", whereas the "frozen" version
>     Debian 2.0 uses "hamm" and "xlibc6".
>      ("Frozen" versions are still available for download but just aren't
> 100% stable?)


	Its 'libc5' vs. 'libc6'.  The 'xlib6g' is one of the Debian packages that
provides the libc6 version of XFree86 ('xlib6' is for libc5 version; bad
choice of names, I admit).  The names 'bo' and 'hamm' are simply code-words
or aliases for 'Debian v1.3.1' and 'Debian v2.0' respectively.  So, 'bo'
*is* Debian 1.3 (using libc5), and 'hamm' *is* Debian 2.0 (using libc6). 
'Frozen' means they aren't adding new packages or features to it; they are
only fixing problems prior to officially releasing it as 'Debian 2.0'.

 
>     XFree86 3.2 uses "xlibc5" and "hamm", not "bo".
>  Therefore, unless I upgrade to Debian 2.0, I need to use XFree86 version 3.1?
>  I don't know what these terms mean, but at least this is hopefully enough
> information to download the correct version.


	No, the XFree available for 'hamm' has been built for libc6, but the one
provided for 'bo' has been built to use libc5.  XFree86 is not restricted to
either libc5 or libc6.  It depends on how it is compiled.
	The reason you don't see a recent (3.2.2) version of XFree for 'bo' is
because all development work has shifted to 'hamm' and 'slink' (the alias
for Debian 2.1).  It isn't because XFree 3.2.2 'requires' libc6, rather its
because nobody has gone back to build an XFree 3.2.2 version for
'bo'/libc5.  This is why a lot of people have upgraded to hamm, even though
its not been officially released.  They want access to the latest versions
of software available.


> 
> I should download from
> "ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-i386/x11/"
			       ^^^^^^
				  |
	   +----------------------+
	   |
	'stable' is (yet another) alias for 'bo'.  Since 'hamm' hasn't been
released yet (or considered 'stable' enough for release) it is still
considered 'unstable'.


> 
>  "xbase_3.3-4.deb, xlib6_3.3-4.deb, xfntbase_3.3-4.deb,
> xserver-vga16_3.3-4.deb, fvwm2_2.0.45-BETA-4.deb".


	Yes, but depending on the type of video card you have you'll probably want
a different xserver, once you figure out which one works with your
hardware.  'xserver-vga16' provides only 640x480 resolution with just 16
colors.


> 
> Several questions about this:
>      1) Is this in fact XFree86, or is this a completely different generic
> XWindows Package?


	This is XFree86, but compiled and packaged for a Debian system.


>      2) Is this the correct version of XFree86? (e.g version 3.1, not 3.2)


	This would be 3.1 (or 3.0; not sure).  Remember, nobody is going back to
package newer software for 'bo', because everyone is busy with 'hamm' and
'slink'.  In order to get XFree 3.2, you'll have to upgrade to Debian 2.0.

>      3) Is this the correct directory to download from?  I pretty much
> picked it      at random.


	The dir you list above is correct for 'bo', i.e. 'stable'.


>      4) "xlib6_3.3-4.deb" has nothing to do with the xlibc5/xlibc6 issue and
> is      the correct file to download?


	Yes, I don't know how this package got the name 'xlib6'.  Your right
though, 'xlib6' is for the libc5 version of Xfree86.  'xlib6g' is for the
libc6 version.


>      5) Is "fvwm2_2.0.45-BETA-4.deb" o.k. to use even though it says "BETA"
> in      the file name?


	Something which is updated as often as fvwm2 will probably always be in a
'BETA' mode.  :-)  Its just a matter of perspective.  There is a lot of
software which is called 'beta' by its authors, which appears quite stable
to everyone else.


> 
> I should then run on my O/S "dpkg -i filename.deb" for each of these files.


	Yep.


> 
> More questions:
>      1) This is just as good as running "dselect" and really doesn't matter?


	To some, dselect might be easier to use versus a command line interface
(dselect is merely a 'front-end' to dpkg; dselect calls dpkg to do much of
the work).


>      2) In the other direction, unarchiving the files:
>       "preinst.sh, postinst.sh, X332bin.tgz, X332cfg.tgz, X332doc.tgz,
>       X332man.tgz, X332fnts.tgz, X332lib.tgz, X332set.tgz, X332VG16.tgz"
>       (which I downloaded from
> "ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/current/binaries/Linux-ix86")
>        would also accomplish the same, but would involve a number of extra
> steps.(Except this is XFree86 version 3.2, not 3.1)


	Well, technically you can use what you've dl'd from Xfree, but if you are
using Debian, you are *much* better off using software which has been
packaged for it.


>      3)"xbase_3.3-4.deb" should be installed first and contains "pre.inst"
> and      "post.inst" (similar to the files from "ftp.xfree86.org").
> "pre.inst"      should be immediately run?


	One of the advantages of the Debian packaging system is that these kind of
things are done automatically.  With the Debian package, you don't need to
run a post.inst or pre.inst script, dpkg will automatically do this.


>      4)"xbase_3.3-4.deb" also includes the SuperProbe program which should
> be      run to determine the correct xserver file I should use.


	Yep.


> 
> Thanks for any advice someone can pass on.  I really have no idea how far
> off base I am. Hopefully not too far.
> 
> 
> Dennis Dixon
> P.O. Box 1896
> Fort Bragg, CA  95437
> 
> (707) 964-2979
> ddixon@mcn.org
> http://www.dixonadvise.com
> 


-- 
Ed


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