FreeBSD 11 Development Desktop on Dell XPS13

Graphical Interface Installation

Xorg - Display Manager

Xorg is the default display on UNIX and compatible systems.

pkg install xorg

There are no further configuration steps needed to run Xorg, but the default window manager, called TWM, will not be to everyone's taste. This guide will install Openbox as an alternative window manager, see the openbox section for futher configuration.

This installation of Xorg will include XTerm a basic, though very useful, terminal emulator. To make it a little more useful for users, when you add any, follow these steps.

vi /usr/share/skel/dot.Xresources

Add the following lines to the file. NOTICE comment lines start with '!'.

! Use a nice truetype font and size by default... 
xterm*faceName: Liberation Mono 
xterm*faceSize: 11

! Every shell is a login shell by default (for inclusion of all necessary environment variables)
xterm*loginshell: true

! I like a LOT of scrollback...
xterm*savelines: 4096

! double-click to select whole URLs :D
xterm*charClass: 33:48,36-47:48,58-59:48,61:48,63-64:48,95:48,126:48

! DOS-box colours...
xterm*foreground: rgb:64/94/ed
xterm*background: rgb:00/00/00
xterm*color0: rgb:00/00/00
xterm*color1: rgb:a8/00/00
xterm*color2: rgb:00/a8/00
xterm*color3: rgb:a8/54/00
xterm*color4: rgb:00/00/a8
xterm*color5: rgb:a8/00/a8
xterm*color6: rgb:00/a8/a8
xterm*color7: rgb:a8/a8/a8
xterm*color8: rgb:54/54/54
xterm*color9: rgb:fc/54/54
xterm*color10: rgb:54/fc/54
xterm*color11: rgb:fc/fc/54
xterm*color12: rgb:54/54/fc
xterm*color13: rgb:fc/54/fc
xterm*color14: rgb:54/fc/fc
xterm*color15: rgb:fc/fc/fc

! right hand side scrollbar...
xterm*rightScrollBar: true
xterm*ScrollBar: true

! stop output to terminal from jumping down to bottom of scroll again
xterm*scrollTtyOutput: false

! Set a slightly larger terminal window.
xterm*vt100*geometry: 80x50

Including the setting from the .Xresources file requires the running of the xrdb command below. This will be finally configured during the Openbox installation.

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

Conky - System Information Monitor

Conky is a system monitor which display system information on the desktop wallpaper. To install it.

pkg install conky

Configure it for new users.

vi /usr/share/skel/dot.conkyrc

Add the following lines.

conky.config = {
	alignment = 'bottom_right',
	gap_x = 75,
	background = true,
	default_color = 'FFFFFF',
	double_buffer = true,
	font = "Liberation Mono:size=10",
	format_human_readable = true,
	update_interval = 1.0,
	use_xft = true,
	pad_percents = 2,
	use_spacer = left,

	-- Use own window
	own_window = true,
	own_window_transparent = true,
	own_window_type = 'normal',
	own_window_class = 'conky-semi',
	own_window_hints = 'undecorated, below, sticky, skip_taskbar, skip_pager',
	background = true,
	minimum_width = 360,

	-- Drawing
	default_bar_width = 150,
	default_bar_height = 5,
	default_graph_width = 150,
	default_graph_height = 12,
	default_gauge_width = 20,
	default_gauge_height = 20,

	-- Color
	color1 = 'AABBFF',
	color2 = 'FF993D',
	color3 = 'AAAAAA',

	-- Layout
	template0 = [[${font Liberation Sans:bold:size=11}${color2}\1 ${color3}${hr 2}${font}]],
	template1 = [[${color1}\1]],
	template2 = [[${color}${alignr}]],
	template3 = [[${color}]],
};

conky.text = [[

${template0 System}
${template1 Hostname}								${template2}${nodename}
${template1 ${sysname}}								${template2}${kernel}-${machine}
${template1 Uptime}								${template2}${uptime_short}
${template1 CPU}								${template2}${freq_g}GHz
${template1 CPU\ Temperature}							${template2}${acpitemp}°C

${template0 Processors}
${template1 Load}	${template2}${loadavg 1}		${template2}${loadgraph}
${template1 Core1}	${template2}${cpu cpu1}			${template2}${cpubar cpu1}
${template1 Core2}	${template2}${cpu cpu2}			${template2}${cpubar cpu2}
${template1 Core3}	${template2}${cpu cpu3}			${template2}${cpubar cpu3}
${template1 Core4}	${template2}${cpu cpu4}			${template2}${cpubar cpu4}
${template1 Top}	${template3}${top name 1}		${template2}${top cpu 1}
			${template3}${top name 2}		${template2}${top cpu 2}
			${template3}${top name 3}		${template2}${top cpu 3}

${template0 Memory}
${template1 Memory}	${template2}${memperc}% used	${template2}${mem} / ${memmax}
							${template2}${membar}
${template1 Top}	${template3}${top_mem name 1}	${template2}${top_mem mem_vsize 1}
			${template3}${top_mem name 2}	${template2}${top_mem mem_vsize 2}
			${template3}${top_mem name 3}	${template2}${top_mem mem_vsize 3}

${template0 Filesystem}
${template1 /}		${template2}${fs_free /} free   ${template2}${fs_used /} / ${fs_size /}
							${template2}${fs_bar /}
${template1 IO\ Read}	${template2}${diskio_read}	${template2}${diskiograph_read}
${template1 IO\ Write}	${template2}${diskio_write}	${template2}${diskiograph_write}
 
${template0 Network}
${template1 IP}						${template2}${addr re0}
${template1 Download}	${template2}${downspeed re0}	${template2}${downspeedgraph re0}
${template1 Upload}	${template2}${upspeed re0}	${template2}${upspeedgraph re0}
${template1 Total Down/Up}				${template2}${totaldown re0}↓ / ${totalup re0}↑

${template0 Info}
${template1 Date}					${template2}${color3}${time %a,}${color}${time %e %B %G}
${template1 Time}					${template2}${time %T}

]];

Openbox - Window Manager

Openbox is a stable, fast, configurable window manager with good looks and low system requirements.

pkg install openbox feh tint2 gsimplecal numlockx openbox-themes obconf

This installs openbox, the window manager, along with:

feh: Graphics program used to set the desktop wallpaper.
tint2: Simple panel to keep track of running applications.
gsimplecal: Simple calendar application used by tint2.
numlockx: Application to turn numlock on and off during startup.
openbox-themes: Openbox themes to customise the look and feel.
obconf: Openbox configuration GUI application. Allows user to choose themes.

To make openbox the default window manager for new users add an .xinitrc file to the user skeleton directory and a .config/openbox directory. Note that the 'dot' prefix will be skipped when setting up a user.

mkdir -p /usr/share/skel/dot.config/openbox
vi /usr/share/skel/dot.xinitrc

This is the startup configuration file for Xorg, to make openbox start when Xorg does add the following content to the file.

#!/bin/sh

userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
sysresources=/usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/.Xresources
sysmodmap=/usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap

# merge in defaults and keymaps

if [ -f $sysresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $sysresources
fi

if [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $sysmodmap
fi

if [ -f "$userresources" ]; then
    xrdb -merge "$userresources"
fi

if [ -f "$usermodmap" ]; then
    xmodmap "$usermodmap"
fi

# User setup
# Turn off the audible bell.
xset b off 
# Set layout to UK and Danish with alt+shift switch.
setxkbmap -layout gb,dk -option grp:alt_shift_toggle 
# Set mouse accelleration.
xset m 1/1 0 

# Start openbox
exec openbox-session

This file will merge settings from the .Xresources file, turn off the beep bell, set the default language to be English with the option of using Danish with a press of Alt + Shift, set a nice mouse accelleration and start openbox.

When Openbox is started it executes the commands in .config/openbox/autostart, so we add that file with the commands we wish to start automatically.

vi /usr/share/skel/dot.config/openbox/autostart

Add the following commands to the file.

# Setup Desktop Background
~/.fehbg

# Load Tint2 Panel
/usr/local/bin/tint2 &

# Turn Numlock Off - this is a laptop.
/usr/local/bin/numlockx off

# Start Conky
/usr/local/bin/conky &

The file ~/.fehbg does not exists yet. It would be created automatically by feh if run under X, but Xorg has yet to run so create it manually. Assuming your wallpaper is stored as /data/images/wallpaper.png.

echo '#!/bin/sh' > ~/.fehbg
echo "feh --bg-fill '/data/images/wallpaper.png'" >> ~/.fehbg
chmod 774 ~/.fehbg

Finally, configure the tint2 panel.

mkdir -p /usr/share/skel/dot.config/tint2
vi /usr/share/skel/dot.config/tint2/tint2rc