NetBSD 9.2 and XFCE with XDM display manager

 Hi everyone in this tutorial I am going to show you how to enable XDM to work with XFCE desktop, ok let's start.

Note: #=root user, $=user without privileges; remember that we are going to use packages (binary), because it is more quick and easy to install our XFCE desktop and other.

Result:

1. download iso file from NetBSD web site, in my case it was cpu i386 option.

2. install NetBSD on you hard disk, you can follow my tutorial from Youtube channel.

3. add xfce4 and xfce4-extras, check the messages when it is installing.

#pkgin install xfce4 xfce4-extras

4. you should copy a file from an example for dbus daemon, e.g.

#cp /usr/pkg/share/examples/rc.d/dbus /etc/rc.d  

#echo 'dbus=YES' >> /etc/rc.conf

#/etc/rc.d/dbus start

okay, let's continues...

5. you need to create file on your home directory, e.g. /home/your-user-no-root; to work xdm and xfce it is mandatory this file.

$touch .xsession

$echo 'exec ck-launch-session xfce4-session' > .xsession

There is an example to xinitrc, you can find using the command, remember that when you use .xinitrc you can start xfce with starx command, it file is the same to .xsession, you can copy it.

#find / -iname xinitrc    //read the example and copy some line

Now you need to edit some file to xdm...

6. add a line to the file etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config, e.g. This line is mandatory to start with your user, no root account.

#echo 'DisplayManager*authName: MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1' >> /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-conf

7. you need to write or add a line about xdm daemon to /etc/rc.conf

#echo 'xdm=YES' >> /etc/rc.conf 

Afterward it is time to reboot your system...

#reboot

 

Hit enter

Now you can see the xdm display manager, then you enter your user and password, hit enter, after xfce desktop appears, also you can see in logout options from menu that buttons to restart and shutdown are enabled, no more things to do or similar, it works all things.

8. you can add more packages, e.g.

#pkgin install vlc zip unzip unrar sudo vim gnumeric abiword papirus-icon-theme epdfview p7zip neofetch wget firefox mpv cmus xcalc xterm

9. It is a good idea to add xdg-user-dirs package and build them

#pkgin install xdg-user-dirs

$xdg-user-dirs-update

$ls

You can see your default directories, another thing to do could be to put your full name, use vipw as root and write before home directory (::/home/your-user) your full name, don't edit directly /etc/passwd. Also you can enable sudo command for your user,

That's all, but I want to say you that XFCE desktop currently has good support by NetBSD team, especially with pkgin manager.

P.D. excuse me if I have many mistakes, English is not my native language, but I try to learn English 😀