Tony Nelson wrote:
> now I'm at the point where this happens:
> # ./startx
> xinit: not found
> 
> so then i type
> # ./xinit
> and i get a page of messages saying so and so not found.

This is (almost certainly) because /usr/X11R6/bin isn't in your path.
startx runs commands by name and any commands without an explicit
directory in their name must be found somewhere along your path.  You
need to set up your path so that the scripts and binaries can run :

	if you run csh, type 'set path = ($path /usr/X11R6/bin)
	if you run sh, type 'PATH=$PATH:/usr/X11R6/bin export PATH'

You should then be able to run startx from anywhere.  You'll probably
want to add this to your shell startup files (csh = ~/.cshrc, sh =
$HOME/.profile), so that this is set when you login or open a new window
(xterm).

> previously i had the
> xinit: libXext.so.6.1 not found
> error, so i typed
> ldconfig -m /usr/X11R6/lib
> 
> is that the correct way to make the dynamic link editor aware that the X
> libraries exist?  the FAQ file is rather unclear on this point, at least
> for a beginner.  it also mentions something about editing /etc/ld.so.conf
> to contain /usr/X11R6/lib.  however, my system does not have this file.
> what's the problem?

ldconfig -m is fine, this adds the libraries in /usr/X11R6/lib to the
shared library cache.  Not sure about /etc/ld.so.conf, but to get this
to happen automatically on bootup, I edited my /etc/rc.local and changed
the line :

	ldconfig

to :

	ldconfig /usr/X11R6/lib

J

-- 
           'Intel Inside' isn't an accolade, it's a warning label.