Gentoo? Is it for me? Yes I've tried it please read

BlueIceCream · n00b Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 2 Location: The Moon

I've had it with rpm whateveryouwanttocallit.rpm that needs 5, 10, 12, you name it other files before it works and even when you get them sometimes it doesn't work.

Here's the deal, I want to use Linux but I don't have the means to connect to the net with a distro yet, and won't for probably a long while. I've discussed elsewhere why I can't right now and it's not worth going into so here's the thing:

I've tried several distros but all require me jumping on the net at some point on my winderz box to download additional files, which is FINE if it were simple. But my latest experience with mdk9.2 pissed me off to no end, hunting here and there for this rpm and that, oh can't find it on one mirror, time to go into mdk cooker and satisfy MORE dependencies!!!

So I tried Gentoo stage 3 install since I couldn't do a stage 1 or 2 install because THAT would require a net connection.. But I never managed to get my sblive configured with Gentoo, everything else was fine following the stage 3 install.. The problem came in when I wanted to get additional files and had to go online and the people I met in IRC regarding Gentoo just wanted to comment on how "that is a strange way of doing it" by manually downloading updates. Sure it may be odd, but that's the way I HAVE to do it right now..

So tell me, is there a simple way of using Gentoo and d/l'ing updates on a Winderz box and transferring the files over via CD-ROM? (I have the transfer of files part down I just need file links)

What URLs do I need to bookmark? Any special tips? I am more than pissed with my experiences with mdk9.2 and I'd like to switch back to Gentoo. But with my Linux box not being connected to the net it's been a real pain in the ass to find one distro that works well NOT connected to the net!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate any helpful replies.

shade266 · Guru Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 593 Location: Internal

You aren't being specific as to what type of files u want updates for but I also did a stage 3 install sans eth0 connection as well. The LiveCd u have (or maybe you don't have) typically keeps pretty much all files as updated as possible for the particular kernel type contained on the disk. Do you have access to any box that has an online connection? If so just download to that one copy the files and take them home to install there. Again I have no idea what type of files u r looking for. But my advice may suck .... i feel bad when i see a lonely post w/o a reply. But then again being obscure will cause that to happen.
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BlueIceCream · n00b Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 2 Location: The Moon

reillyeon · n00b Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 44 Location: Boston (ish)

Ok, this is what you're going to have to do:

Get a copy of the fill GRP install CDs for your processor type. They are availible on most gentoo mirrors as iso images. These CDs contain precompiled copies of most packages that you will need to set up your system. Run through the installation using the Gentoo Install Guide and follow the GRP instructions carefully. If everything works uot you should be able to install the base system plus extra common apps (X, KDE, OpenOffice.org, etc.) from the CD.

Basically, the way these work is by keeping a fully setup image of the installed program (just like an rpm does) on the CD. When portage needs to install a package or dependancy it looks on the CD first instead of downloading the source and compiling it on the fly.

Upgrading packages that are already installed will be a pain. The Problem is that Gentoo needs to download a new package database from the internet first before it can even update the system. Also, new versions of the precompiled packages don't come out very often. Somewhere there are tarballed package databases that you can download, I don't know how often those come out but if you could update the database that way then you could download the source tarballs from the mirrors.

They are listed by name in each ebuild file and so all you would need to do is:

1. run emerge -p to see what packages need to be installed.
2. look at eacd one's ebuild file to see what source tarballs are needed.
3. Download those files from the Gentoo mirrors and place them in the /usr/portage/distfiles folder.
4. emerge the package normally and portage will see that the source packages that are needed have already been downloaded and won't try to get them itself.

I hope this in understandable and helpful.
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