Gentoo isn't for n00bs.

Story: Dispelling the myths of Gentoo Linux, an honest reviewTotal Replies: 6
Author Content
reub2000

Mar 23, 2004
9:58 PM EDT
"In addition to some sundry and easy steps that are outlined in the handbook, there are some steps here that separate the men from the boys. This part of the installation is the most involved - you have to do a lot of the work yourself, and this is the area in which I believe Gentoo could improve the most. Really, manually creating files like fstab is fine if you've been sysadmining Linux for years, but for newer folks, it just isn't acceptable. I appreciate the power and control that Gentoo gives me, but there is no good reason to have to create your own grub.conf and fstab."

Gentoo is meant for n00bs. The moment they add a script for installation that automaticly detects hardware and writes config files, I'll find a diffrent distrobution.
robT

Mar 24, 2004
5:05 AM EDT
Amen, sort of ... Actually Linux is for p***ies - far too easy to use for dorks without a Ph.D. in comp. sci. I'm coding my own OS, which will only require a modest amount of Assembler programming interface to properly configure the boot sequence. Just borrowing this cra**y pre-built PC (yeah, I only use PC's I've manufactured, and by "manufactured" I mean I build or create everything - any n00b a**hole can slap a pre-fab CPU onto a pre-fab mobo - none of that sh*t for me) from a friend to post. Well, we're off to go hunting - nothing like the kill and smell of fresh blood.

Frank Lee Testosterone
dave

Mar 24, 2004
5:26 AM EDT
(chuckling) I could have done without the explitives, but the humour was definitely not lost on me. :)
robT

Mar 24, 2004
5:49 AM EDT
C'mon Dave, *real* men are scatological. Although I must confess that I do find that I'm somewhat old to easily pick up "l33t-speak". I find I'm often searching for intended meanings - sort of an attempt at cross-generation scripting. Just remember, there are really only two simple axioms for many members of the "Linux community."

1. Don't dis my distro. 2. Anything you say that's positive about another distro is dis-ing my distro.

Now there are corollaries to those axioms, like

A. My distro is best because I'm smart and I chose it. B. I chose it because it's [ 'fastest' | 'hardest' | 'easiest' | 'newest' ]

"May the gods of Gentoo not smite thee, and keep thee from kernel panic."
RyanSmith

Apr 13, 2004
9:15 AM EDT
Gentoo is fastest, hardest, easiest, AND newest. :)

Feel free to say something positive about another distro. I will, however, respond to dissing my distro.
richardbcranium

Apr 13, 2004
5:06 PM EDT
Not only have I compiled everything I also built my own car, smelted all the metal myself over a campfire. Why would I buy a prebuilt car when I can do it myself? I can do it better than they can and its faster too!!! I will call my car hairfire for obvious reasons. I could go on but I have a program compiling and I don't want to miss a 100th of a second of it.

Sorry but I do compiling in the bathroom while I am on the phone. Ok then bad joke.

disclaimer: Gentoo is a good distro for the right person and I am in no way dissin your distro just pokin at it.

RichadBcranium
lb25

Jun 08, 2004
4:53 AM EDT
Gentoo certainly isn't for noobs, but if you have a spare hard drive to play with I encourage anyone to try installing it, though patience is a virtue. If you're like me, it will probably take a few attempts to get it right and understand what you're doing and why you're doing it, but the handbook on the install CD or the website for that matter is quite good. Portage is a godsend. Makes installing packages and keeping up to date so easy. It certainly isn't without its faults, but as you progress you discover that they aren't always necessarily faults: they are often misunderstandings or misconfigurations on your part. Many a time I have cursed Gentoo and later discovered I didn't quite understand some critical details.

If you have any intention of installing packages precompiled for your processor from another CD (something that's possible and speeds things up considerably), then using "emerge sync" early is a bad idea. Once your system is reasonably set up you can copy the contents of the packages CD to /usr/portage/packages (you'll have to make the packages directory), then to install packages from this location and avoid the long compilation times that Gentoo is so famous for, use "emerge -k packagename". It's much quicker. When your system is up and running nicely, then you can think about using "emerge sync" and "emerge -u world". "etc-update" (often used after "emerge -u world") is also a fun tool to use, and a bit of investigation is advised before letting it wield its powers as it's a dangerous tool in inexperienced hands.

Given a few trials (well, it could be many if you've got less than expert Linux knowledge), it's not too difficult to install. You just have to read the instructions. I love Gentoo, though it's not for people expecting to throw a disc in and answer a few simple questions, reboot and have a perfectly working system 10 or 20 minutes later. Nor is it for people only wanting a working system without bothering with the guts of Linux per se. You have to earn your keep. Your reward for your hard work is experience and knowledge.

Luke This message was edited Jun 9, 2004 6:43 AM

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