XFCE Desktop on NetBSD 10.1 — Using Desktop-installer
.png "XFCE Desktop on NetBSD 10.1 — Using Desktop-installer")
XFCE Desktop on NetBSD 10.1 — Using Desktop-installer
Table of contents:-
Can a desktop-installer actually run on NetBSD 10.1 (and what “works” really means)?
Preparing NetBSD 10.1 for desktop-installer: package repos, pkgin and readiness checks
Running desktop-installer and choosing XFCE: step-by-step with what to watch for
NetBSD-specific configuration and safe housekeeping after installation
Troubleshooting: common problems and practical fixes
Final notes, real expectations and recommended practices
Can a desktop-installer actually run on NetBSD 10.1 (and what “works” really means)?
Short answer up front: yes — the desktop-installer project explicitly supports NetBSD and includes NetBSD-specific code; you can install it on a fresh NetBSD 10.1 system and use it to set up XFCE. (GitHub)
That sentence deserves two quick clarifications so you know what to expect. First, “desktop-installer” is a post-installation automation script originally written for FreeBSD that the author extended to work with NetBSD (and OpenBSD in parts). It automates the common steps of turning a minimal, command-line NetBSD installation into a comfortable graphical desktop: enabling binary package repositories, installing Xorg and the desktop packages, configuring a display manager or .xinitrc, and flipping the usual rc.d switches so services come up at boot. The project README documents the NetBSD usage (install with the NetBSD package manager wrapper and run the desktop-installer command). (GitHub)
Second, NetBSD’s packaging and init layout differ from FreeBSD’s in small but important ways. NetBSD uses pkgsrc and the binary package wrapper tools (commonly pkg_add and the higher-level pkgin) and NetBSD’s rc.d//etc/rc.conf startup system is a close cousin to FreeBSD’s. Desktop-installer has NetBSD-aware logic, but you still need to prepare a minimal NetBSD installation correctly (enable binary packages or configure PKG_PATH) and be ready to handle a couple of NetBSD-specific tweaks (for example, about dbus and which display manager to use). I’ll walk you through the exact, practical steps to go from a fresh NetBSD 10.1 install to a working XFCE desktop and explain the likely pitfalls and fixes. (pkgsrc.org)
Preparing NetBSD 10.1 for desktop-installer: package repos, pkgin and readiness checks
The smoothest route is: install NetBSD 10.1 with the standard installer (choose a minimal/system install) and enable binary packages during sysinst, or be ready to set the system PKG_PATH manually if you skipped that step.
Practical checklist and commands (run as root; I’ll explain why each step matters):
Confirm you’re on NetBSD 10.1:
Seeing “10.1” avoids confusing package paths later. NetBSD’s binary repositories are release-specific, so using the matching release number keeps things smooth. (netbsd.org)
If you didn’t enable binary packages during installation, set a PKG_PATH that points at the official CDN (an explicit 10.1 path is simple and robust):
This tells NetBSD’s lower-level installer tools where to fetch prebuilt packages. Using the release number (10.1) avoids ambiguous “_STABLE” naming. (pkgsrc.org)
Install the pkgin wrapper if it isn’t already installed:
pkgin is the familiar apt/yum-style command for binary package management on pkgsrc; desktop-installer’s NetBSD instructions expect it to be present (and the project README directs NetBSD users to install via pkgin). (GitHub)
The NetBSD package will place the desktop-installer command and the NetBSD plugin scripts on your system. From here the script will guide you through choices, but preparing X and pkgin first avoids interruptions. (GitHub)
Why these steps? NetBSD’s package ecosystem is intentionally flexible: you can build everything from source via pkgsrc, or rely on binary packages delivered by the NetBSD project or third parties. Desktop-installer is designed to use the system’s native package manager and is therefore happiest if pkgin and a correct PKG_PATH are in place. If you prefer to build from source (pkgsrc) it’s possible, but expect longer install times and more build-time troubleshooting—binary packages are faster and the recommended path for this workflow. (netbsd.org)
Running desktop-installer and choosing XFCE: step-by-step with what to watch for
Once desktop-installer is installed, run it as root at a console or via SSH (ideally on a machine you can reboot or access locally):
A few practical notes about the interactive flow and what the script will do under the hood:
• The script presents a simple menu of supported desktop environments (XFCE is one of the original targets). Follow the prompts to select XFCE. Desktop-installer will then: install Xorg and associated drivers (from NetBSD’s binary packages where available), install the XFCE metapackage (or the set of XFCE packages known to the NetBSD package tree), and try to configure a login method (an X display manager or .xinitrc) and essential services (for example dbus). The repository and README explicitly list NetBSD among supported platforms, so this flow is supported by the upstream code. (GitHub)
Example of the manual dbus enablement (you may find desktop-installer has already done this; if not, run):
If you prefer a display manager (xdm, lightdm, slim, etc.), ensure the appropriate package is installed and add the corresponding xdm=YES or lightdm=YES line to /etc/rc.conf. Otherwise, signing in at a text console and using startx or startxfce4 from your user account works perfectly and is the classic NetBSD approach. (netbsd.org)
What desktop-installer will not magically do (and what you might need to check afterward)
Video drivers and GPU acceleration: NetBSD supports many GPUs but support varies by vendor and model. If your X server session starts but is sluggish or has graphical glitches, you may need to switch to a generic driver or consult the NetBSD hardware notes. Building and installing more recent Xorg drivers from pkgsrc is possible but may require extra steps.
Missing binary packages: if pkgin reports a missing package for your CPU/architecture, desktop-installer may fail or skip optional bits; if so, consider building the missing package from pkgsrc or choose a lighter set of packages. (pkgsrc.org)
NetBSD-specific configuration and safe housekeeping after installation
Desktop-installer gets you most of the way there; a few NetBSD-specific housekeeping tasks will make the desktop reliable across reboots and less likely to surprise you.
Confirm and tune /etc/rc.conf entries
After the script finishes, inspect /etc/rc.conf. Look for entries the installer should have added (for example dbus=YES, xdm=YES or lightdm=YES) and check for any duplicate lines or unwanted entries. The NetBSD rc.d system reads /etc/rc.conf at boot and individual service scripts in /etc/rc.d consult the rc variables, so this file is the single place to persist service choices. If you need to add a service manually:
The NetBSD guide and rc.d chapter explain this mechanism and why /etc/rc.conf controls startup behavior. (netbsd.org)
Check the login path you prefer
If you prefer graphical login, use xdm/lightdm. If you prefer to log in on a text console and run startx or startxfce4 from your user account, ensure ~/.xinitrc calls exec startxfce4. For many desktop users on NetBSD the single-user startxfce4 pattern is simple and avoids display manager configuration headaches. Example ~/.xinitrc:
Make it executable: chmod +x ~/.xinitrc
Fonts, input methods and locale
XFCE looks best when common fonts and input methods are present. Desktop-installer typically installs a sensible set, but if you see missing characters or non-Latin text rendering issues, add font packages (for example fontconfig, dejavu, noto- families) via pkgin and run fc-cache -f -v. Locale variables in /etc/profile (or system defaults) matter for some apps.Power management and laptop tweaks
If you installed it to a laptop, make sure to enable relevant daemon(s) for battery/power management. Tools such as acpi or powerd exist in pkgsrc; desktop-installer may suggest them, but verify and add to /etc/rc.conf where appropriate.Backups and fallbacks
Keep a shell login or single-user boot option handy until you’re confident with X and the display manager. If X fails to start because of a driver issue, being able to edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/* from a console session will save you a lot of time.
These small steps make the desktop reliable day-to-day and a better base for further customisation.
Troubleshooting: common problems and practical fixes
If things don’t behave as expected, here’s a short toolkit of likely issues and straightforward responses — think of it as “debugging by elimination.”
Desktop installer stalls or pkgin fails to fetch packages
Confirm PKG_PATH and that your network is working; try pkgin update and pkgin search xfce4.
If the package for your architecture is missing, either build from pkgsrc (longer) or choose a lighter window manager that has binaries. NetBSD’s binary repository can be incomplete for niche architectures or very new releases. (pkgsrc.org)
XFCE starts but apps fail with dbus errors
Ensure dbus is running system-wide (service dbus status) or let user session start dbus: startxfce4 normally spawns a session bus when necessary, but a system dbus is more consistent for service discovery. If the installer didn’t enable dbus, enable it as shown earlier. (netbsd.org)
Blank screen or flicker at X start
Try safe X with the generic vesa driver, check /var/log/Xorg.0.log for driver errors, and compare with the hardware support notes for NetBSD. If using Nvidia/AMD proprietary features, check whether NetBSD has the equivalent driver package or whether you must use the framebuffer/generic driver. GPU support on NetBSD is improving but always check the driver status for your specific card.
Slow performance inside a VM
Ensure VM additions (e.g., VirtualBox guest additions) or paravirtual drivers are installed where supported, or fall back to generic drivers. VM graphics acceleration tends to be the usual bottleneck.
The core troubleshooting mantra is: check packages, check services (service <name> status), inspect /var/log/Xorg.0.log, and try a minimal session (simple window manager) to verify X works before adding XFCE extras.
Final notes, real expectations and recommended practices
Desktop-installer is a pragmatic tool: it automates a curated list of well-known steps and gives you a working XFCE desktop fast on NetBSD 10.1. It is not a magic bullet for every unusual hardware edge case or for missing binary packages on unusual architectures. If you have a common desktop laptop or a standard AMD64 VM, the path is friendly and fast; on rarer hardware be ready to build a package or pick a lighter environment.
If you care about reproducible installs for multiple machines, consider snapshotting pkgin output (the list of installed packages) or using configuration management after the installer finishes: copy a curated /etc/rc.conf and personal dotfiles so multiple seats look and behave the same.
NetBSD’s excellent documentation on X and pkgsrc is the best companion to this script. If you run into trouble, the handbook’s X chapter and the pkgsrc guides are where pragmatic solutions are documented. (netbsd.org)
Conclusion
Desktop-installer does indeed work on NetBSD 10.1 and it provides a convenient, tested path to a polished XFCE desktop from a minimal install. Use NetBSD’s binary package trees (or set PKG_PATH), install pkgin, install and run desktop-installer, and then perform the small NetBSD-specific followups (dbus, display manager and /etc/rc.conf checks). For most users on mainstream hardware, desktop-installer will remove the busywork and leave you with a clean, efficient XFCE desktop that behaves much like XFCE on other Unix-like platforms.
Disclaimer
Trade names, product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. We aim for factual accuracy and fairness; steps, package names and repository locations were checked at the time of writing, but package trees and exact filenames can change with time and architecture. Always confirm PKG_PATH and package availability for your specific NetBSD 10.1 build before mass deployment.
References
outpaddling / desktop-installer — GitHub (README and NetBSD usage)
NetBSD: Using pkgsrc and installing binary packages (PKG_PATH and pkgin instructions)
NetBSD Guide — X Window System chapter (includes XFCE notes and dbus example)
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