Debian GNU/kFreeBSD Squeeze on the desktop status
Work In Progress
This is work in progress. This page is subject to change. Since the release of Squeeze, the status of the Squeeze release of Debian GNU/kFreeBSD is (nearly) unchanging.
Squeeze GNOME
This covers the state of the uncustomised GNOME desktop in Debian GNU/kFreeBSD in Squeeze at time of writing, from my investigations, focusing on the bugs. The GNOME desktop is the default Debian desktop and is the desktop installed if a "Graphical desktop environment" is selected during install.
Broken with no fix yet:
libgtop2 (GNOME desktop system monitoring library) doesn't properly understand kfreebsd [598901]. This affects, at least, the following application:
gnome-system-monitor (Applications->System Tools->System Monitor), when viewing the Processes tab, spews out errors to stderr and lacks responsiveness now just does not show processes [598901] which is the same as [596142]. An issue with libgtop2 on the 8.x kernel is the cause.
gnome-nettool (Applications->System Tools->Network Tools) is largely non-functional in kfreebsd [598848]. gnome-nettool hasn't been adapted to kfreebsd TCP/IP stack and network tools (and some of the network tools might not have been adapted).
gksu (used to run administrative tools from the menu as root) does not complete and so neither does any program gksu was meant to grant privileges for [600365]. This affects, at least, the following:
gnome-system-log (Applications->System Tools->Log File Viewer)
software-properties-gtk (System->Administration->Software Sources)
synaptic (System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager)
update-manager-gnome (System->Administration->Update Manager)
update-notifier (Icon in Notification Area)
gdmflexiserver (Applications->System Tools->New Login in a Window) does not work, it flashes up a window for an instant but then disappears [601106].
consolekit ("framework for defining and tracking users, sessions and seats") does not add the Shut Down... entry to the GNOME System menu [600377].
upower ("abstraction for power management") upowerd tries to consume 100% [596721]. Does not occur on all systems, all of the time.
CD/DVD drive not detected/accessible. (Might be related to CD-ROM access issues like those seen in [601273] and/or those seen in [601144])
nautilus (Applications->System Tools->File Browser, Places->CD-ROM Drive) fails to mount CD-ROM.
sound-juicer (Applications->Sound & Video->Audio CD Extractor) fails to detect CD-ROM drive.
brasero (Applications->Sound & Video->Brasero Disc Burner) fails to detect CD-ROM drive.
gnome-netstatus-applet (listed as Network Monitor in the "Add to Panel" applet choosing window.) does not understand the way the kernel presents its network information so the applet fails to monitor network interfaces [601902].
gnome-applet applet CPU Frequency Scaling Monitor is listed in the "Add to Panel" applet choosing window but cpufreq-applet does not exist on kfreebsd so the applet fails to run [601901].
Broken but fix available:
gnome-settings-daemon ("daemon handling the GNOME session settings") does not properly understand kfreebsd. A patch exists, see [594891]. This affects, at least, the following application:
libwebkit-1.0-2 (embeddable web content engine) on kfreebsd-i386, but not kfreebsd-amd64, crashes due to an issue with the Javascript JIT [559925]. This can be fixed by applying the JIT fixing patch or disabling Javascript in the application, see [598956]. This affects, at least, the following:
epiphany-browser (Applications->Internet->Epiphany Web Browser, icon on top desktop panel, the default GNOME web browser) crashes with a core dump when attempting to load web pages [550362].
liferea (Applications->Internet-Liferea Feed Reader) crashes when moving into the web pane [598956].
software-center (System->Administration->Software Centre) crashes with a core dump of python2.6 [598894].
system-tools-backends does not know about Debian GNU/kFreeBSD, a patch has been submitted [594898]. This affects, at least, the following:
network-admin (System->Administration->Network) pops up a message saying the platform is unsupported [594898].
services-admin (System->Administration->Services) pops up a message saying the platform is unsupported [594898].
shares-admin (System->Administration->Shared Folders) pops up a message saying the platform is unsupported [594898]. Note this menu entry is currently not list on the kfreebsd default GNOME menu. When patched using [594898] patch then shares-admin pops up a message saying: "Sharing services are not installed You need to install at least either Samba or NFS in order to share your folders.". This might be resolved by adding the missing NFS support to kfreebsd [549412].
users-admin (System->Administration->Users and Groups) pops up a message saying the platform is unsupported [594898].
time-admin (System->Administration->Time And Date) pops up a message saying the platform is unsupported [594898].
Working:
gdm3 (GNOME's graphical login manager) now works as a login manager. This is great news. (Note: Debian Squeeze GNOME will use gdm3 not gdm as its login manager, see [586539])
openoffice.org (Application->Office->OpenOffice.org) works although the splash screen core dumps [598898].
iceweasel (Applications->Internet->Iceweasel Web Browser, part of the default desktop install) works. This is very good as its popular and widely used.
consolekit ck-collect-session-info core dumping bug [570015] does not appear in an up to date system.
gnome-system-monitor crashing on start up bug [568404] does not appear in an up to date system.
The other items in the default desktop menus have no kfreebsd specific bugs, at least from a cursory investigation. BUT investigation continues!
Summary:
In Applications->
Accessories: Everything works.
Games: Everything works.
Graphics: Everything works except OO.o Draw core dumps splash screen but still works and haven't tested XSane with a scanner.
Internet: Everything apart from Epiphany and Liferea but disabling Javascript or applying webkit JIT patch makes them work.
Office: Everything works.
Sound & Video: Everything works except CD/DVD drive accessing and CD/DVD mounting.
System Tools: Everything works except Disk Usage Analyser mistakenly reports 100% usage, Log File Viewer doesn't launch, Network Tools is largely non-functional, New Login in a Window doesn't work, Power Statistics works in VM but not sure about a real system, System Monitor is largely unusable.
Universal Access: Everything works but I am not an expert on them.
In Places->
Everything works except CD/DVD drive accessing and CD/DVD mounting (could this be related to mount issue in [601144]?).
In System->
Preferences: Everything works.
Administration: Only Printing entry works, though not added printer. Network, Services, Shared Folders (currently not in menu), Users and Groups, Time And Date say unsupported platform, Software Centre1 crashes, Software Sources, Synaptic Package Manager, Update Manager do not launch.
Beyond the default desktop install
Broken with no fix yet:
Broken but fix available:
libwebkit-1.0.2-1 issue fixable by applying webkit-1.2.4-fix_jit_on_kfreebsd-i386-1.patch in [598956] to src:webkit. This affects, at least, the following non-default applications:
Working:
Further work
Please investigate the desktop on kfreebsd-* further and report any bugs.
Bugs:
[594891] [ gnome-settings-daemon ] baobab: In kfreebsd on Gnome login baobab displays message saying fd has 0 bytes remaining.
[598901] [ libgtop2-7 ] gnome-system-monitor: On kfreebsd System Monitor spews "LibGTop-Server: kvm_read (si): Bad address".
[596142] [ libgtop2-7 ] gnome-system-monitor: shows empty process list in kfreebsd-i386
[598848] [ gnome-nettool ] gnome-nettool: On kfreebsd is mostly non-functional.
[600365] [ gksu ] gksu: On kfreebsd gksu never runs the program requested to run.
[601106] [ gdm3 ] gdm3: On kfreebsd 'New Login in a Window' (gdmflexiserver --xnest) does not work.
[600377] [ consolekit ] gnome-menus: On kfreebsd "Shut Down..." is missing from System menu.
[596721] [ upower ] upowerd consumes 100% CPU after user logins into gnome on kfreebsd
[601273] [ installation-reports ] installation-report: kfreebsd-i386 install: non-fatal ad0 cache flush issue.
[601144] [ freebsd-utils ] freebsd-utils: mount can't mount /media/cdrom0 using /etc/fstab.
[601902] [ gnome-netstatus-applet ] gnome-netstatus-applet: On kfreebsd, does not understand the kernel network information.
[601901] [ gnome-applets ] gnome-applets: On kfreebsd, cpufreq-applet not included but still listed in "Add to Panel".
[559925] [ libwebkit-1.0-2 ] libwebkit-1.0-2: on kfreebsd-i386, segfaults when opening pages with javascript
[598956] [ libwebkit-1.0-2 ] On kfreebsd going into web pane segfaults Liferea.
[550362] [ libwebkit-1.0-2 ] epiphany-browser: Crash loading any webpage
[598894] [ libwebkit-1.0-2 ] software-center: On kfreebsd the program segfaults.
[594898] [ system-tools-backends ] gnome-system-tools: In kfreebsd Network Administration Tool says the platform is not supported.
[549412] [ freebsd-utils ] freebsd-utils: fails to mount nfs: mount_nfs not found
[586539] [ gdm ] gdm on initial start at kfreebsd bootup does not allow keyboard input
[598898] [ openoffice.org-core ] openoffice.org-core: On kfreebsd running openoffice.org creates a oosplash.bin core file.
[547177] [ libwebkit-1.0-2 ] midori: segfaults when starting under kfreebsd-i386
[570015] [ consolekit ] consolekit: ck-collect-session-info coredumps on kFreeBSD
[568404] [ gnome-system-monitor ] gnome-system-monitor: crashes at startup on kfreebsd
Squeeze KDE
My investigations into the KDE desktop on Debian GNU/kFreeBSD has not started yet. I have only investigated kdm so far.
Broken with no fix yet:
Broken but fix available:
kdm (KDE's graphical login manager) on boot, does not accept keyboard input [586540]. This is an unpleasant start to the KDE desktop. A workaround exists and a fix exists, see [586540].
Working:
Summary:
Bugs:
GNOME on FreeBSD
FreeBSD Ports: Gnome Large page
KDE on FreeBSD
CategoryDesktop CategorykFreeBSD
I'm using the British English version which correctly uses Software Centre rather than Software Center. (1)