On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 6:27 PM, Robert Simpson <[email protected]> wrote: > Thank you all for the input. I have never tried Gentoo but I have in the > past used Slackware and am familiar with compiling and dependency hell. > This project is strictly something to play with and I intend to try it on > one of my old Slackware boxes stashed in the attic. I currently use Ubuntu > 8.04 using wubi to load it under windows and Slackware 12.1 in virtualbox. > Thanks > Bob Simpson > > On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 11:15 AM, Jonathan Moore <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 7:12 AM, Robert Simpson <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > >> > I was wondering if anyone here has tried this? I have loaded and setup >> > various distributions but have never built a Linux distribution from >> > scratch. >> > http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ >> >> I've read their book, and finished about 2/3 of an install. It was >> enjoyable, and I think I learned a lot about various things doing it. >> Though, I don't really ever see myself using a system built that way. >> >> As for the Gentoo comparison. It's alot like a stage 1 install, but >> with a bit of a twist. In gentoo, you've still got a distribution of >> sorts. They provide the sources, etc. With LFS you're going out to >> the individual sites and downloading source. Kernel source comes from >> kernel.org, etc. >> >> They do have a CD that includes alot of the basic packages, but that's >> really just to speed things up. >> >> End comment, if you're wanting to "play" with something.. go for it. >> If you want a system you intend to actually use. Find something else >> :-). >> >> -jon
I, like Chris, have used Gentoo for a long time. I have had only marginal "fiddling" needed to get a system going, after I realized that Gentoo's documentation is broader and more detailed than any distro I have used. Like every Linux installation and/or distro, the hardware being installed will color the installer's experience separately from the distro chosen. I have not yet done an LFS install but it has always intrigued me. I kinda feel all Linux admins, if not all users, should do an LFS or at least a Gentoo install at some point. Linux (well actually, the GPL) is about source code availability. If everyone uses bins, getting to the source is superfluous. Use it or lose it. I know Linux so much better for having used Gentoo. Portage hugely simplifies the maintenance of software on the system and the IRC channels are an example of what irc community support can be when done well. Other distro forums often link to a Gentoo doc to help a poster, even though the question is about an un-related and bin-based distro. When I google for a gentoo page I find at least as many links to ubuntu forum threads that are pointing to gentoo.org or a Gentoo wiki, as there are links about the issue itself. That does not count the other distro forums using the Gentoo references which is not and insignificant group. In IRC I have found myself chatting directly with the maintainer of the pkg I have a question about. #gentoo on irc.freenode.net is a low noise channel with zero flames. #gentoo-chat is great for everything not gentoo (or also gentoo) One of my more interesting projects was building a G3/ppc Gentoo hdd in my AMD desktop by hand, then putting that hdd in my old imac and having it boot and run like I booted then install cd and ran the install on the imac itself (it had no cd drive at the time). Probably the only time I will use the advanced partition selections in the kernel. But if I only ran bins I would not have had the tools to solve the very esoteric situation. Even though I have been compiling kernels since 2.0.32 or earlier, had I not been using Gentoo I dont think I would have attempted it. Having done it I know it isnt as hard as I thought. I have great experinces with other [bin-based] distros too. Having both bin and src distros to choose from is what keeps Linux fun and relevant. In the sincere interest of avoiding yet another distro war thread, I do wish to note that I spell Linux with an upper"L" and distro with a lower"d". I have 3 other distros installed on other systems (all bin-based), I am not anti-bin in the least. I just spouted Gentoo since it was on topic ;^) I will second Chris' offer to help with gentoo installs or other queries. Ask away. ./aal -- I'm a PC(x86 AND ppc) AND I RUN LINUX!!! Bertrand Russell - "Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NLUG" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nlug-talk?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
