Newby installing PCBSD on ASUS laptop

[robinreplab]

I'm trying to get PCBSD installed on my ASUS 1644 WLMi machine. First off the overall install seems to work, but I needed to install and configure the iwi driver. For some reason I need a password to get at the wiki instructions. After a day no response to my email so I used generic methods and they seem to work. See http://www.mguillaud.net/acer1641/

I am now trying to configure X to get 1200 x 800 and also have the touchpad work properly. At present it seems to work for a while and then the button press simulation fails. I guess I can also follow some general instructions for getting the touchpad to work.

I would like to know the relationship between PBI's and the standard ports system? Are PBI's also ports and entered into the pkg db?

Is there some general information on the things initialized in rc.conf. I had to edit it to get iw going and wondered why I need compat5x, linux, moused enabled etc etc. I am a long time freebsd sysadmin and wonder why those things are enabled by default?

Overall the experience of installing this on my PC & laptop has been positive.

tia Robin

[TerryP]

PBI programs are usually made ether from packages or ports. They are however neather part of FreeBSD Ports or Packages.

I've never actually followed much of that, I'd assume it is part of starting those processes (I have yet to study this so you know why if I'm wrong.)

For my short time on this wonderful OS, I'd exspect some jucy man pages on rc.conf and it's contents to be lurking in the documentation

[robinreplab]

Well I was actually mostly wondering why the moused thing was started as I think that's about console mouse behaviour and PCBSD is supposed to start in X.

As for the PBI question I would really like PBI stuff to cooperate with ports (either binary or source) so I can do my normal freebsd stuff and maintain via ports.

Robin

[TerryP]

PBI were made to be totally self contained from the base system. Ports effect the system.

Like xmms.

/usr/ports/
/usr/X11R6/bin/xmms
/usr/X11R6/share/xmms/

that kinda thing.

Well I was actually mostly wondering why the moused thing was started as I think that's about console mouse behaviour and PCBSD is supposed to start in X.

I don't know what you mean.

[robinreplab]

Well while editing rc.conf I saw that

MOUSED_ENABLE="YES"

was configured. According to the freeBSD handbook,

FreeBSD System Manager's Manual MOUSED [8]

NAME
moused -- pass mouse data to the console driver

ie the terminal you get when not starting X11+KDE/Gnome. Starting unwanted daemons is generally considered a bad thing and I don't think I was asked about moused or the compat5x & linux compatibility daemons.

Not a great problem.

[TerryP]

Mmmmm, I suppose thats why I have a mouse on my ttys then.

also Linux Compataiblity is being removed from the default install of PCBSD in the present or near future.