HOWTO: Install X Window System and a Desktop Environment

[Ibidem]

Hello all,

Firstly, sorry about the anal tone of my last post (above) .
It sounds kind of wierd to me on reading it back (grin).

In any case ...

dbbolton wrote:

>>
Usually I just install the driver for my video card and utils, and let apt drag in the dependencies. One of those meta-packages depends on the exceptionally ugly meta-package xserver-xorg-video-all, and I absolutely don't want that. Same thing with input: only need kbd, mouse, and evdev.
>>

Yes, 'xserver-xorg-video-all' is a right pain ... But that's X for you. Such as ...
'xserver-xorg-video-all' says that it can be removed, but 'xserver-xorg' has it listed as a dependency.

One way to get around those things is by creating a customised meta package with out all the cruft. But including things that may be useful.

xserver-xorg is a metapackage, meant to get X working (on any computer)
It depends on xserver-xorg-video-all, or a virtual package that every X driver provides.
The minimum is xinit and an X server (xserver-xorg-core or xserver-xfbdev), with xserver-xorg-core needing at least evdev and a video driver. evdev can handle mouse and keyboard, if I recall correctly; xfbdev doesn't need drivers, besides a working kernel framebuffer (which isn't always available...)
Besides that you'll need at least one client, preferably a window manager and terminal.
I have set X up like this, from a bare minimum install.

[ubungeeek]

evdev can handle mouse and keyboard, if I recall correctly; xfbdev doesn't need drivers, besides a working kernel framebuffer (which isn't always available...)

You're right about the mouse and keyboard. But one thing I didn't understand - does kernel framework need drivers or not?

[Ibidem]

You're right about the mouse and keyboard. But one thing I didn't understand - does kernel framework need drivers or not?

Not sure I follow the question.
Do you mean to ask whether you need kernel drivers as well as the X drivers, or X drivers as well as the kernel drivers?

If so, yes. But the kernel drivers are built into the stock kernel.
The kernel must have drivers for most peripherals you plan to use (excepting those with libusb, FUSE, or CUSE drivers, or raw access like a graphics card used by a VM--which isn't the standard configuration). In the case of proprietary drivers, these are provided by the *-dkms, *-kernel-(*-)source, or *-source packages (fglrx-dkms, fglrx-source, nvidia-kernel-legacy-96xx-source...)

X needs its own drivers to use the devices. These drivers won't work properly unless the kernel drivers are loaded and working (except, the fglrx X driver can do 2d graphics without the kernel module).

If you want to use Mesa, you also need a mesa (gl) driver. These are included in the Mesa packaging. Proprietary drivers require their own glx library, using the kernel and X drivers that are bundled with them.

Does that confuse things more for you?

[suttiwit]

Here is my setup:
I installed Debian Wheezy 7 from the first DVD without selecting "Desktop environment" at tasksel because I wanted to install MATE as my desktop environment.
So, here is what I did once I logged in (as root):
1. Add 'wheezy backports' to /etc/apt/sources.list:

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deb http://http.debian.net/debian wheezy-backports main

2. Run

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apt-get update

3. Install xorg

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apt-get install xorg

4. Install MATE

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apt-get install mate-desktop-environment-extras

5. Log out of root and get back to normal user
6. Let X start automatically after login without typing 'startx' on every login

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echo "startx" >> ~/.profile

That's it! Once X is started, it looks like the good old GNOME 2