Mailing List Archive

Re: [FIXED] New install - Wayland and graphical login
On 28/06/21 20:23, antlists wrote:
> On 26/06/2021 13:00, Michael wrote:
>> On Saturday, 26 June 2021 11:50:01 BST antlists wrote:
>>
>>> I just want a working systemd/wayland desktop system. So basically, a
>>> full-weight normal desktop.
>> [snip ...]
>>
>>> I've got this one selected, /desktop/plasma/systemd
>>
>> Select default/linux/amd64/17.1/desktop/plasma/systemd (stable).
>>
>> Then update @world. You should be good to go as long as video drivers
>> and
>> firmware are in place, but if X11 is not working this could be an area
>> meriting further investigation.
>>
> Okay, ...
>
> One new kernel later (along with some grub debugging :-), world updated,
> ...
>
> X11 still isn't working - first it complained it couldn't find twm, so I
> emerged that, now startx just runs and exits, and the log doesn't seem
> to show anything wrong ...
>
> Wayland is interesting ... if I try to startplasma-wayland, it comes up
> with the starting plasma stuff, and there's a mouse cursor, but nothing
> except a black screen and the cursor. When I kill it from a root tty,
> there's an error
>
> Failed to create wl_display (No such file or directory)
>
> which a google tells me I haven't got a compositor ...
>
> I also get further errors, but they're probably a consequence -
>
> Could not load the Qt platform plugin "Wayland" in "" even though it was
> found
>
> and the same error for xcb.
>
So simple. I was missing "emerge plasma-meta".

This is where it would be nice to have something like the handbook, or a
chapter in the handbook, on bringing up a working graphical environment.
Now to get something like sddm working :-)

(Plus updating my SUSE version to 15.3, re-organising my hardware, blah
blah blah :-)

Cheers,
Wol
Re: [FIXED] New install - Wayland and graphical login [ In reply to ]
On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 08:49:49 BST Wols Lists wrote:
> On 28/06/21 20:23, antlists wrote:
> > On 26/06/2021 13:00, Michael wrote:
> >> On Saturday, 26 June 2021 11:50:01 BST antlists wrote:
> >>> I just want a working systemd/wayland desktop system. So basically, a
> >>> full-weight normal desktop.
> >>
> >> [snip ...]
> >>
> >>> I've got this one selected, /desktop/plasma/systemd
> >>
> >> Select default/linux/amd64/17.1/desktop/plasma/systemd (stable).
> >>
> >> Then update @world. You should be good to go as long as video drivers
> >> and
> >> firmware are in place, but if X11 is not working this could be an area
> >> meriting further investigation.
> >
> > Okay, ...
> >
> > One new kernel later (along with some grub debugging :-), world updated,
> > ...
> >
> > X11 still isn't working - first it complained it couldn't find twm, so I
> > emerged that, now startx just runs and exits, and the log doesn't seem
> > to show anything wrong ...

X11 will ask for twm if there is no other Window Manager available, or a
Display Environment not configured.

Have you sorted out your ~/.xinitrc, or have you added your startup command in
/etc/env.d/90xsession?

There used to be a time when you could drop in your startup command in /etc/
X11/Sessions/, but I think this is no longer used.

You should spend sometime reading:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Xorg/Guide


> > Wayland is interesting ... if I try to startplasma-wayland, it comes up
> > with the starting plasma stuff, and there's a mouse cursor, but nothing
> > except a black screen and the cursor. When I kill it from a root tty,
> > there's an error
> >
> > Failed to create wl_display (No such file or directory)
> >
> > which a google tells me I haven't got a compositor ...

In Plasma this would be kwin, which acts as a window manager and a compositor.
If you had installed Plasma in accordance with the URL I shared in previous
emails you shouldn't have this problem, because from what I recall kwin is
being drawn in as a dependency of Plasma.


> > I also get further errors, but they're probably a consequence -
> >
> > Could not load the Qt platform plugin "Wayland" in "" even though it was
> > found
> >
> > and the same error for xcb.
>
> So simple. I was missing "emerge plasma-meta".

Heh! Yes, you can't expect a DE to work if major packages are missing. ;-)


> This is where it would be nice to have something like the handbook, or a
> chapter in the handbook, on bringing up a working graphical environment.

It is not in the Handbook, which has the purpose of installing the Gentoo OS
itself, but it is in the Gentoo Documentation - look at the dropdown menu
'Documentation' of the Handbook web pages:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Category:Desktop

In your case, as I posted previously, you need:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/KDE

But, from the errors you've been getting with startx it seems you haven't read
relevant Xorg documentation either.


> Now to get something like sddm working :-)

For SDDM you better read this first:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/SDDM


> (Plus updating my SUSE version to 15.3, re-organising my hardware, blah
> blah blah :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Wol

Glad you got your desktop going! :-)
Re: [FIXED] New install - Wayland and graphical login [ In reply to ]
On 29/06/2021 10:44, Michael wrote:
> On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 08:49:49 BST Wols Lists wrote:
>> On 28/06/21 20:23, antlists wrote:
>>> On 26/06/2021 13:00, Michael wrote:

>
> X11 will ask for twm if there is no other Window Manager available, or a
> Display Environment not configured.
>
> Have you sorted out your ~/.xinitrc, or have you added your startup command in
> /etc/env.d/90xsession?
>
> There used to be a time when you could drop in your startup command in /etc/
> X11/Sessions/, but I think this is no longer used.
>
> You should spend sometime reading:
>
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Xorg/Guide
>
Well, I hadn't originally intended to set up X, so I was a little
slapdash. I will investigate deeper at some point, I expect ...
>
>>> Wayland is interesting ... if I try to startplasma-wayland, it comes up
>>> with the starting plasma stuff, and there's a mouse cursor, but nothing
>>> except a black screen and the cursor. When I kill it from a root tty,
>>> there's an error
>>>
>>> Failed to create wl_display (No such file or directory)
>>>
>>> which a google tells me I haven't got a compositor ...
>
> In Plasma this would be kwin, which acts as a window manager and a compositor.
> If you had installed Plasma in accordance with the URL I shared in previous
> emails you shouldn't have this problem, because from what I recall kwin is
> being drawn in as a dependency of Plasma.
>
And Plasma is a dependency of what? Again, this is down to me not fully
understanding everything, but surely if I selected the
desktop/plasma/systemd profile, that should call in the basic plasma
packages by default? Maybe even the kde ones?

(Having re-read the KDE page, it's suddenly making a lot more sense, but
that's with hindsight. But am I right that the profile modifies the
system set of packages?)
>
>>> I also get further errors, but they're probably a consequence -
>>>
>>> Could not load the Qt platform plugin "Wayland" in "" even though it was
>>> found
>>>
>>> and the same error for xcb.
>>
>> So simple. I was missing "emerge plasma-meta".
>
> Heh! Yes, you can't expect a DE to work if major packages are missing. ;-)
>
>
>> This is where it would be nice to have something like the handbook, or a
>> chapter in the handbook, on bringing up a working graphical environment.
>
> It is not in the Handbook, which has the purpose of installing the Gentoo OS
> itself, but it is in the Gentoo Documentation - look at the dropdown menu
> 'Documentation' of the Handbook web pages:
>
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Category:Desktop
>
> In your case, as I posted previously, you need:
>
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/KDE

I'm currently emerging kde-apps-meta, because I discovered that plasma
(once I'd got it working) was missing all sorts of things - like
konsole! But that kde page you pointed me at only mentions it in passing!

It's the classic problem that man pages are very good as reference, but
if you don't know what they're talking about they are very bad at
enlightening you.

A "dummies guide to plasma" would have been very useful telling me the
packages I needed to emerge and why would have been very useful. Now I'm
getting my head round it it's all falling into place, but I've been
unable to see the trees for the forest :-)
>
> But, from the errors you've been getting with startx it seems you haven't read
> relevant Xorg documentation either.
>
>
>> Now to get something like sddm working :-)
>
> For SDDM you better read this first:
>
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/SDDM
>
And I'll probably be tearing my hair out screaming because I'm straying
into unknown territory again :-) I doubt many people run multi-seat, so
that'll be fun ... (and I gather some of these greeters don't support
it, either :-(
>
>> (Plus updating my SUSE version to 15.3, re-organising my hardware, blah
>> blah blah :-)
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Wol
>
> Glad you got your desktop going! :-)
>
Thanks. At least I'm back on familiar territory there.

Here's hoping for a lot more foresight :-)

Cheers,
Wol
Re: [FIXED] New install - Wayland and graphical login [ In reply to ]
On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 11:32:52 BST antlists wrote:
> On 29/06/2021 10:44, Michael wrote:

> > In Plasma this would be kwin, which acts as a window manager and a
> > compositor. If you had installed Plasma in accordance with the URL I
> > shared in previous emails you shouldn't have this problem, because from
> > what I recall kwin is being drawn in as a dependency of Plasma.
>
> And Plasma is a dependency of what? Again, this is down to me not fully
> understanding everything, but surely if I selected the
> desktop/plasma/systemd profile, that should call in the basic plasma
> packages by default? Maybe even the kde ones?

The make.profile choice switches on/off certain USE flags and specifies a set
of system packages for the particular profile. These will in turn drag in
other packages as dependencies when you update your system. Therefore, unless
you go for a minimalist make.profile you should not need to be emerging
packages one at a time to get a functional desktop, although you will need to
emerge individual applications of choice if these are not already included in
the DE default set of packages. More details:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Profile_(Portage)

KDE applications are mostly grouped in meta packages. These are meant to be
installed selectively. For example I install 'kde-apps/kdepim-meta' because I
use Kmail, but will not install 'kde-apps/kdegames-meta' because I don't run
any games applications.


> (Having re-read the KDE page, it's suddenly making a lot more sense, but
> that's with hindsight. But am I right that the profile modifies the
> system set of packages?)

Yes, as I mention above, it modifies USE flags and specifies a set of system
packages too.

You could have started with a stripped down profile, like 'default/linux/
amd64/17.1/systemd (stable)' and then spend a lot of time tweaking USE flags
and installing various packages and meta packages to get to the same end
result. Thanks to Gentoo devs, all this work is no longer necessary since
there are more make.profile options to choose from. :-)