On Fri, 23 Nov 2001 07:09:35 -0500 "David A. Bandel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Collins Richey wrote: > > > On Thu, 22 Nov 2001 08:26:27 +1130 Mike Andrew > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > [snip] > > > > My biggest problem with LFS is that they resolutely stick to the > > maxim: linux is the basic *nix command-line product, potentially > even > > without communications capability. If you want a gui environment > or > > much else, you're on your on. Sure, there's another LFS follow-on > > group to provide more, but I can't begin to count the times I > heard > > the response from the core LFS bunch: "We're not interested in > doing > > that." Also I got really tired of posts to LFS user groups which > > resulted in: "You're posting to the wrong group; go away or try > > lfs-xxx (one of the many other lfs groups); I never could keep > them > > straight.. > > > Well, the LFS groups seem to be populated by children with nothing > more > to do than make childish comments. I was on one or two lists and > tried > to help folks. Some seemed to appreciate it, but several very vocal > morons who never helped (that I saw) had a lot of denigrating > comments. > They did their best to drive folks away. > > Nothing wrong with the distro itself. I find it a great source for > the > latest version of some of the basic packages. But as I said, early > on > you have to add essential libraries like PAM. And if you don't know > how > (and when) to do this, you can't. I have a very nice LFS system > (actually several) that run a whole lot more than what they have > (including blackbox on X, could run KDE since I have Qt and GTK, > etc.). > But you have to know how to fix broken compiles, etc. > > Some of what's missing: > PAM (said that) > cron (how do you run a system without cron?) > openssl/openssh (how do you administer a system remotely without > these) > devfs (cause I like it) > ntp > lynx > any kind of ftp program (netkit-ftp) > most of the netkit stuff > inetd > dhcp > bind > basic mail (sendmail, procmail, mailx) > mail clients (mutt, etc.) > X > xv > lprng (or cups) > > just the beginning. > > > > > OTOH, the LFS book is a worthwhile intro to the basics of a linux > > distribution. > > > I didn't find it any great shakes either. > A shameless plug for gentoo. Once you've done the basic install for gentoo (excellent instructions on the gentoo site), all of the minimal stuff David is looking for in a distro (plus my personal essential package, the Sylpheed mail client) is provided. I use xinetd, as (so I have been told) it is a little more secure. At present, almost all the packages (gentoo calls them ebuilds) are installed from source, which means that you can optimize everything exactly the way you like it.. You need to do a little admin work on your own, so this isn't the distro for the total newbie. Most new functions you add don't come with a good set of post-install functions, so you have to integrate them into the init.d scripts yourself. If you have the system resources and patience to do the compiles, you can tailor the system to do what you want it to do. I currently have almost the complete gnome and kde series available, for example, but I use xfce as my regular wm and only invoke gnome/kde apps from the xfce menu as needed. Except for galeon, which is now my preferred browser, I find that I need depressingly little from among the gnome/kde apps. The gentoo-dev and gentoo-user lists are quite responsive, if you encounter problems - even typical newbie questions are dealt with rather professionally. Like most other "lists with a mission" they don't tolerate the variety of off-topic stuff that our list does. Eventually, gentoo will offer a binary distro that is more suitable for newbies, but not until they get everything else right. Try it; you'll like it! -- Collins Richey Denver Area gentoo_rc6 k2.4.15-pre5+ext3+xfce+sylpheed+galeon _______________________________________________ Linux-users mailing list Archives, Digests, etc at http://linux.nf/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
