x11 woes :(

Hi there,

I installed x11 on my iMac from the Tiger disk yesterday. I then tried to open Gimp 2.2.1. I got the message, Failed to start x11Gimp.app requires Apple's x11

I looked in the Utilities folder and x11 was there. However, if I clicked on it to start it, it appeared to start and then just went away. Today, I put in my Tiger disk again and reinstalled x11. Got the message, "The software was successfully installed," but the app file in the Utilities folder still shows yesterday's date and when I try to open Gimp, I get the same failed to start x11 message. If I double click on x11 to start it, it seems as if it's starting and then quits and disappears.

A weird thing: even though when I open a Finder window and look at the x11 app and see yesterday's date, when I do a search in Spotlight for x11 the application is shown with today's date. Maybe that has nothing to do with the problem, but it sure is odd.

Help!

Thanks!

Christina

Powerbook G4; Intel iMac Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Posted on Mar 29, 2006 3:20 PM

19 replies

Christina M. Author

Level 1

130 points

Mar 31, 2006 9:56 AM in response to Christina M.

In case I was installing wrong in the first place (even though I got the message that installation was complete). . .

okay, I've got the iMac disk in, I've found the x11SDK.pkg file. Now, if I double click on it, it should take me through the installation process, just like it did before (agreeing to terms, etc). Then, just like before, I should get the x11 app showing up in my applications folder. Is there anything I'm doing wrong here?

Thanks,

Christina

Christina M. Author

Level 1

130 points

Mar 31, 2006 10:32 AM in response to Christina M.

On both disks, there is a file called Xcode Tools.mpkg. I tried searching the forum for info on this and couldn't find anything useful. Is this the proper file to download? (I think I might be barking up the wrong tree here, anyway, because, like I said, I DID have an x11.app in my Utilities folder, so obviously, it DID install before, but still didn't work.)

Thanks!

Christina

Mar 31, 2006 11:08 AM in response to Christina M.

OK, I think the problem is installing X11 from a Tiger disk you "bought about 6 months ago." You need to install it from the disk that came with the intel iMac because it is based on different hardware--the old disk is no doubt a build of Tiger for PowerPC hardware, and won't work on intel hardware. That said, you should probably delete the X11 that is on the iMac, delete its pref file, and also go to /Library/Receipts and delete X11User.pkg. After that is cleaned up insert the disk that came with the iMac, scroll down to the "Optional Installs.mkpg" icon, double click it, and when you get to the list of goodies click the disclosure triangle next to Applications. You should see a list of applications. Click the check box in front of X11, then click the Install button. That should do it.

The X11SDK is NOT what you want. That is just a special piece of X11, I think it has stuff needed for Xcode. Apple has it online, but it is NOT applicable to Tiger intel machines. Xcode tools are what used to be called Developer Tools and contain things for people who develop programs for the Mac. I doubt you need them. You might take a look at this:

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/02/01/x11-on-intel-macs/

He seems to have gotten GIMP going on his intel Mac, and also had trouble finding the installer for X11. So once you find it on the iMac's disk you should be OK.
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

Christina M. Author

Level 1

130 points

Mar 31, 2006 12:08 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

Yep, Francine, that was it. Now I can start x11 and Gimp.

Thanks so much for your patience (and Tim, too) with a mistake that was based on my ignorance of things I should probably know, but don't (like using a non-Intel disk to install the app).

I wanted to bail on Gimp when I encountered all the trouble trying to get x11 going, but Adobe isn't updating Photoshop Elements for the Intel machines for a long time (they are just coming out with PE 4, which is not a Universal build), and I do a lot of photo work (can't afford Photoshop), so. . .

Anyway, thank you for persevering with me until you could see what the trouble was.

Yahoooooo!

Christina

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x11 woes :(