Bugzilla Bug 69188

It would be great to have an ebuild for xvfb, which is the virtual frame buffer
driver from xfree.  xvfb allows you to run X programs without X.  I plan to use
this with VMware Workstation to test changes to my production server before I
make them (i.e. emerge, etc-update).

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.




xvfb is outline here:

http://www.xfree86.org/4.0.1/Xvfb.1.html

as far as I know, Xvfb  is built as _part_ of X

It's in xorg-x11 or xfree. If you want a separate ebuild, please supply one and
reopen.

The cool thing about xvfb is it allows you to run X apps without X so I guess I
am after a separate ebuild.  This page:

http://www.xfree86.org/4.0.1/Xvfb.1.html

says this:

To build Xvfb, put the following in your host.def and remake.
#define BuildServer YES /* if you aren't already building other servers */
#define XVirtualFramebufferServer YES

I've never created an ebuild before.  The above sounds pretty easy though.  Any
pointers?

- Grant

That'll give you all the libraries, clients, the standard Xorg server and so
forth too, because they build by default.

You're looking at _incredibly_ old documentation. Try something recent like
http://freedesktop.org/~xorg/X11R6.8.0/doc/. That page may be the same, but
it's good to be sure.

I've done all kinds of Googling but can't seem to come up with any other docs
for xvfb.  I did find a Debian xvfb package here:

http://packages.debian.org/testing/x11/xvfb

Would that help in creating an ebuild?

- Grant

No, that's a binary package. They build all of X11, then ripped out Xvfb.

Would it be possible to create an ebuild that builds xvfb with the binary?  I
don't think building it via source is going to happen.

- Grant

Where do you plan on obtaining this binary? Upstream doesn't distribute binary
packages.

I thought it would be possible to get it from the Debian package.  I'm
definitely fumbling in the dark here though.  Maybe I should drop it?

You're more than welcome to create a custom ebuild for yourself, but I won't be
adding it to Portage.

At some point in the future, xorg is going modular. You'll probably be able to
have a standalone Xvfb then.

Until then, make a custom ebuild or just use someone else's binary.

I do not know whether this could help to create an ebuild

http://lists.x.org/archives/xorg-modular/2006-August/001090.html