X11 saga (was: MacOSX for Unix geeks)

[stefmit]

... so - a recap: new iBook with 10.3.1 installed. Got myself right away to working on installing my ex-Linux tools, X-based. From the nice folks on this forum I get hinted on the following path: Xtools (from the developer site - the iBook does not include a CD for those) + fink + finkcommander. Got them all, eventually, installed and working.

Last night I launched finkcommander, and chose the first tool I was interested in installing, while getting my feet wet in the x11 for the Mac: ethereal. Having chosen that, finkcommander comes back and tells me that I need x stuff (of course), so I accept its choices, and a very lengthy download and compilation process starts (around 1:00AM I gave up watching it ). This morning I find finkcommander with the following message:

.......
(Reading database ... 3994 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking xfree86 (from .../xfree86_4.3.0-14_darwin-powerpc.deb) ...

You have an existing X11 installation in /usr/X11R6 and/or /etc/X11.
This package refuses to overwrite these. Remove them, then tell Fink to
install xfree86 again. (The package won't be recompiled.) If you want
to keep your X11 installation, install system-xfree86 resp. system-xtools
instead to make this known to Fink's package system.
.........

Sure enough - my system had a /usr/X11R6 directory, but I have no idea how to do anything with it ;( No XDarwin, or any other things to even get started. Anybody having seen these new systems with X11R6 pre-deployed/installed, and how this is to be used?

TIA,
Stef

 

[Trillian]

I *think* that 10.3 has apple's X11 pre-installed. Try looking for the X11 application at Applications>Utilites>X11

I stil have 10.2, so I'm just gussing...

 

[stefmit]

I *think* that 10.3 has apple's X11 pre-installed. Try looking for the X11 application at Applications>Utilites>X11

I stil have 10.2, so I'm just gussing...

Certainly looks like - took your advice, and found X11 under applications>utilities (this is going to take me some getting used to ). Two apps seems to be installed: xman, and xlogo. But why is - then - finkcommander giving me the following message (which is why I chose one of the options previously), whenever trying to install an x app:

-------------
fink needs help picking an alternative to satisfy a virtual dependency. The
candidates:

(1) xfree86-base-threaded: XFree86 libraries, utilities, clients and data
(2) xfree86-base: XFree86 libraries, utilities, clients and data
(3) xfree86: XFree86 distribution

Pick one: [1]
-------------

... is there any way to "teach" fink that I already have an X11 instalation?

Thx for the answer,
Stef

 

[Trillian]

You might try a place holder.Look for a package named system-xfree86-43 in Fink comander.

I make no promises though, I'm still fairly new to the Mac side of *nix, so don't come after me if you follow my advice, and then bork your system.

 

[stefmit]

You might try a place holder.Look for a package named system-xfree86-43 in Fink comander.
I make no promises though, I'm still fairly new to the Mac side of *nix, so don't come after me if you follow my advice, and then bork your system

Thanks for all your help. I found this one installed, as you said, but with no info available about it. I have also found some more info here:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?threadid=10316

Now on to digging ...

Stef

 

[btoneill]

Thanks for all your help. I found this one installed, as you said, but with no info available about it. I have also found some more info here:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?threadid=10316

Now on to digging ...

Stef

You want to install the system-xfree86 application in Fink. This is a placeholder that is used when you install X11 without fink (either by XDarwin or X11.app). If you are using X11.app, you need to make sure you also install the optional X11 SDK from the Developer package, without the SDK from the Developers package you won't be able to build any X11 applications from Fink due to missing libraries/headers. You also might want to take a look at Darwin Ports instead of Fink, http://darwinports.opendarwin.org. This is based off the FreeBSD Ports project, and is run more or less, by Apple, and you don't have to worry about doing compiles.

Brian