FreeBSD/Setup
Setup
To install the current official release, get ports or packages.
To install the bleeding edge, get area51.
Once you have installed whichever version of KDE you like (official ports of KDE4, or KDE Frameworks, Plasma Workspace and Applications from area51, as of early 2017), there are a few more steps to get it running, which we try to list here.
X Window System
To use KDE Software Compilation on FreeBSD, X.Org is required. If you still dont't have it, you'll need to install and configure it properly.
Other Dependencies
You should have the following packages installed and configured:
- DBus
service dbus start
- HAL
service hald onestart
- procfs
Without them, either KDE software won't run, or you won't have a keyboard and mouse in the X Window System, which reduces its usefulness considerably.
Starting KDE4
After installing KDE workspace (`x11/kde4-workspace`) either via ports or packages, you can add `kdm4_enable="YES"` to `/etc/rc.conf` to boot into KDE Plasma Desktop via KDM, the KDE Display Manager.
Starting KDE Plasma 5 Workspace
After installing KDE Plasma 5 Workspace (`x11/plasma5-plasma-workspace`) either via ports or packages, you must also install SDDM.
rewrite
Installing
The easiest way to get KDE running (on nearly every FreeBSD box) is to install the KDE binary packages from the standard FreeBSD repository.
An other way to install the KDE is to compile it from (FreeBSD) ports.
And you can also install by cloning and compiling sources directly like for Area 51.
Installing by using the Binary Package Management
FreeBSD Handbook:Installing Applications: Packages and Ports/Using pkg for Binary Package Management
The default repository for binary packages on FreeBSD is quarterly. An alternate repository for FreeBSD is latest provided from FreeBSD as well.
It is recommended to install and use (#X.Org minimal or) #X.Org minimal.
It is recommended to install and use #SDDM.
Installing the small stack of KDE Plasma only
Installing the binary package x11/plasma5-plasma (KDE5 plasma meta port)
pkg ins -y plasma5-plasma
Installing the (recommended) binary package x11/xorg-minimal (X.Org minimal distribution metaport)
pkg ins -y xorg-minimal
Optional (To have a first terminal emulator.) installing the (recommended) binary package x11/konsole
pkg ins -y konsole
Installing a basic stack of KDE
Installing the binary package x11/kde-baseapps (KDE5 baseapps meta port)
pkg ins -y kde5
Installing the (recommended) binary package x11/xorg-minimal (X.Org minimal distribution metaport)
pkg ins -y xorg-minimal
Installing the full stack of KDE
Installing the binary package x11/kde5 (KDE Plasma Desktop and Applications (current))
pkg ins -y kde5
Installing the (recommended) binary package x11/xorg (X.Org complete distribution metaport)
pkg ins -y xorg
Changing the binary packages repository
On FreeBSD are a lot of useful tools that optional can be use. For example there is beadm (package sysutils/beadm), a tool to create create and manage ZFS snapshots of your system (independent from your home directory data).
Checking the binary packages repository
Optional printing the standard configuration file for the pkg binary package management (to the standard output)
cat /etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf
On a default FreeBSD you should get the following.
FreeBSD: {
url: "pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/${ABI}/quarterly",
mirror_type: "srv",
signature_type: "fingerprints",
fingerprints: "/usr/share/keys/pkg",
enabled: yes
}
Optional checking the standard directory for custom configurations of the pkg binary package management and printing all configuration files in the standard directory for custom repositories of the pkg binary package management (to the standard output)
ls /local/etc/pkg/ && cat /local/etc/pkg/repos/*
On a default FreeBSD you should get the following.
ls: /local/etc/pkg/: No such file or directory
Changing the binary packages repository quick & dirty
Replacing pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/${ABI}/quarterly with pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/${ABI}/latest in the standard configuration file for the pkg binary package management
sed -i '' -e 's/pkg.FreeBSD.org\/\${ABI}\/quarterly/pkg.FreeBSD.org\/\${ABI}\/latest/g' /etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf
Updating all (currently) installed binary packages
pkg upg -y
Changing the binary packages repository the exemplary FreeBSD way
Installing by using the FreeBSD Ports Collection
FreeBSD Handbook:Installing Applications: Packages and Ports/Using the Ports Collection
Installing by using the sources for the FreeBSD Port
Dependencies
SDDM
SDDM is highly recommended to get KDE running easily. (So you can avoid same problems. SDDM helps to choose the right Screen for example.)
Installing SDDM by using the Binary Package Management
Installing the binary package x11/sddm
pkg ins -y sddm
Installing the (recommended) binary package x11/xorg-minimal
pkg ins -y xorg-minimal
Starting the service sddm once
service sddm onestart
Stopping the service sddm once
service sddm onestop
Enabling the service sddm for system starts
sysrc sddm_enable=yes
Starting the (enabled) service sddm now
service sddm start
- additional packages
Installing the binary package deskutils/plasma5-sddm-kcm
pkg ins -y plasma5-sddm-kcm
Installing the binary package x11-themes/sddm-freebsd-black-theme
pkg ins -y sddm-freebsd-black-theme