FreeBSD Gnome Installation howto

by Vivek Gite on February 19, 2007 · 13 comments

GNOME is a complete desktop environment (no matter what Linus says ;) ). In GNOME, everything is easy to use, and works the way you want.

So how do you install Gnome Desktop system under FreeBSD?

These days it is quite easy to install Gnome Desktop system under FreeBSD. You have following choices (use only one of the method).

Option # 1: Fetch and install Gnome binary package from Internet

To install GNOME 2.16 from binary package over Internet or local FTP server type the command:
# pkg_add -v -r gnome2

Now proceed to post installation instructions.

Option # 2: Install Gnome binary package from CD/DVD

Select Configure > Packages > CD/DVD > Gnome

Select all packages and hit install button

Now proceed to post installation instructions.

Option # 3: Install Gnome using FreeBSD ports system

To compile and build Gnome type the following command:
# cd /usr/ports/x11/gnome2 # make clean; make install clean
Now proceed to post installation instructions.

Enable and start GNOME automatically

You need to start all of the GNOME-related services when system comes (at boot time). All you need to do is add following line to /etc/rc.conf file:
Open /etc/rc.conf file:
# vi /etc/rc.conf
Append following line:
gnome_enable="YES"
Save close the file.

If you have other system such as KDE and just want gnome as default add the following line to ~/.xsession or ~/.xinitrc file so that GNOME 2.16 can be started as soon as you type startx command:
echo 'exec gnome-session' >> ~/.xsession

How do I use Gnome?

You can login using GDM or simply type the command:
$ startx

Further recommended readings

FreeBSD Handbook: Chapter 5 The X Window System
You can also try out PC-BSD which is also good desktop system based on rock-solid FreeBSD.

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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 sejavu April 11, 2008

i did install gnome .
kde n gnome want to open together . how can i find select window?

2 stan December 27, 2008

i did everything according to the steps above, but when i log in as root and i typ ‘startx’ it says: command not found
and when i type ‘gdm’:
gdm-binary[1358]: WARNING: GDM already running. Aborting! GDM already running. Aborting!
what to do?

3 victor January 5, 2009

If u cant start gnome with “$ startx” you try “$ gdm” i used it when i couldnt start gnome with startx and it worked like magic.
all the best

4 sig February 8, 2009

This is helpful truly.

:-)

5 James March 8, 2009

how do I exit out of the config file plz help me someone
yes i know im a noob with free bsd but plz help

6 dns April 6, 2009

ctrl+x for pico and nano
ctrl+[escape] for vi :>) all the best

7 Billy June 1, 2009

I’ve been using gdm_enable=”YES” in my /etc/rc.conf file. I’m gonna try that gnome_enable=”YES” in a sec. To answer James’s question, if you’re using Vi as your editor, hit ZZ or Shift Z 2 times. If you’re using emacs I dunno. Vi is forever.

8 Caio Ribeiro César June 2, 2009

# cd /usr/ports/x11/gnome2
# make clean; make install clean

It takes so long u.u ‘ zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

9 Anuar Lezama May 13, 2010

Yes indeed, is the installation faster using the binary package????

10 Azendale August 19, 2011: Yes it is faster with the binary package. Using ports downloads the source and then compiles it. Ports takes more time and disk space.
Reply

11 Kenneth Smith July 10, 2009

Great stuff – very helpful

12 martcan October 10, 2010: dont forget to add an entry in fstab
echo “proc /proc procfs rw 0 0″ >> /etc/fstab
Reply

13 Sean McCullough October 27, 2011

A short comment:

Linus was talking about the abomination of GNOME3/Unity when he bashed GNOME. GNOME 2 is still a perfectly good desktop environment.

GNOME3/Unity is yet another attempt to make Linux and BSD resemble MacOS X and WinDoze. Folks, if you want one of those slow bloated pieces of you-know-what, go out and buy one! But please leave our BSD and Linux alone!