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Bug 323013

Summary: Need to emerge xterm and twm
Product: [OLD] Docs on www.gentoo.org Reporter: Chuck Wegrzyn <chuck.wegrzyn>
Component: Other documentsAssignee: Docs Team <docs-team>
Status: VERIFIED INVALID    
Severity: normal    
Priority: High    
Version: unspecified   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
URL: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xorg-config.xml
Whiteboard:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---

Description Chuck Wegrzyn 2010-06-06 23:36:40 UTC
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
Comment 1 nm (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2010-06-07 04:14:03 UTC
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.
Comment 2 Chuck Wegrzyn 2010-06-07 06:27:32 UTC
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?