I installed a new Gentoo system getting through the x86 Handbook without any difficulty (this is the 4th system I have installed and always use the current docs and follow them to the letter). I then got to the X Server configuration HOWTO and ran into a problem. I couldn't get startx to work at all. I found out that twm and xterm were missing. When I emerged them startx worked like a charm! Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1.Follow X86 Handbook 2.Follow X Server Configuration HOWTO 3.Do startx Actual Results: The X server failed to start. Expected Results: I expected the X Server HOWTO to work and allow the X window system to startup. I did the following to get it to work: 1) Xorg -configure 2) emerge twm xterm 3) mv /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf 4) startx
You need to read the document again. It already has a section on temporarily installing xterm and twm just to check that startx works. There's also another section on using the -retro flag to make sure that something comes up on the screen. Not a bug; closing.
I'm sorry but the documentation on startx comes after you say what to do and says that a black screen might show up. In fact the document says the following: "If you haven't yet installed a window manager, all you'll see is a black screen. Since this can also be a sign that something's wrong, you may want to emerge twm and xterm only to test X." In fact you don't see a black screen - X just doesn't start at all and gives a number of errors. This sounds like you MIGHT need them when you really do need them. (I've tried it on two different systems just to make sure - one using ATI and the other Nvidia). And the order in the document is all wrong - you ought to make it a requirement to install twm and xterm if you are sre going to use startx, and it should be in a section when you are talking about testing it out! Order and clarity are everything or is this another "Gentoo" - the user be damned notion?
