James <[email protected]> writes:

> If we have some quick way to install, then systems could be setup,
> customized, used for testing and torn down again, all in a few hours? I'd
> focus on simple, minimized installs and it would give the user base a way to
> duplicate  systems for problem verification and resolution.

+1

Gentoo is really nice, and I too would like to see a way of installing a
minimal system in a faster way.  Now I need to boot the live DVD and
follow the manual to get a starting point, which takes a lot of time
which I don't have.


As to updating, it kinda turns into a PITA because you might run into
dependency problems, and you just /might/ be able to solve them --- or
not.  I can *not* have the servers in a /maybe/ operational state, so my
only choice is to *not* update them.  That, of course, isn't really a
choice either, and it leads to unreasonably long intervals between
updates, which in turn become even more difficult because more has
changed.

The same is true for my machine at home, and after the last update with
these dependency problems, I haven't had the time to compile the new
kernel that came with it --- and I probably won't because there will be
another one next time.  I didn't dare to even try to update the servers
at work after that, and I didn't dare to reboot at home.

What do you guys do?  Take the risk of having the machines down for
hours due to an update?


For those who might argue that I shouldn't put Gentoo on servers: ZFS is
required, and Gentoo appears to be the safest and easiest distribution
when you need ZFS.  Even when you don't need ZFS, there's still an awful
lack of alternatives nowadays.


-- 
Again we must be afraid of speaking of daemons for fear that daemons
might swallow us.  Finally, this fear has become reasonable.

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