[TIP/TRICK]: Speed up your stage 1 multiple installs

[Ateo]

This TIP is geared towards those new to Gentoo but can be implemented into an existing install of Gentoo || users without access to a local network distfile server. I suggest cut, pasting and printing this since you most likely won't be accessing the forums during your install. This can be applied to a stage 1, 2 or 3 install && to users that are planning a reinstall.

Requirements: Semi large hard drive to create 2 usable partitions. I suggest 40GB only because that's the smallest drive I have. You just need to remember that Gentoo is NOT a small distro. Average disc space used for workstations can reach up to 2-3GB, not including downloaded distfiles.

Synopsis
By default, Gentoo's installation process makes it's repository of files downloaded for emerges in a default folder. This folder resides on your / (root) drive. The first time you install Gentoo is exciting yet makes you feel like you are watching paint dry. This becomes especially redundant when your first install fails and you try again (this is especially true for users that start at stage 1 such as myself). Think about your 3rd, 4th or 5th install failing. Think about the installs failing at first reboot. Each time you attempt a reinstall, you format your drive and wipe out everything you've downloaded. How's about that? Don't worry, a pretty large percentage of gentoo users have walked this walk.

An alternative to this default behavior would be to create a local network distfile server as described here. If a local network server is not feesable, the next decent alternative would be to add an additional partition and saving all downloaded files to that partition. Doing either one of these alternatives not only reduces the amount of time consumed during downloads but you also help reduce the amount of overhead placed on gentoo distfile servers.

Step 1: Create Your Partition
If you are reading this part, I'm going to assume that you're in the process of installing Gentoo linux or you are running an existing Gentoo installation and simply wish to use this tip.

If you already have an extra partition usable under linux, you can skip this. If not, you'll need to create an extra partition using fdisk. After creating partition, make sure you create your file system and format.

If you follow the Gentoo Install docs, it walks you through fdisk and creation of required partitions. You can use this as a guide in creating your extra partition. You'll need to make sure it's large enough for a decent sized repository of files. I suggest, at minimum, 5GB just to be safe.


Step 2: Mount Your Spare Drive
If you're reading this part, I'm going to assume you are at the point of a Gentoo install where you are instructed to mount your root and boot drives and proc or you are running an existing Gentoo installation and simply wish to use this tip.

For newly created partition
- This portion applies to you if this is your very first install.

Once you have mounted the required mount points, it's time to mount your extra partition. Since the actual install takes place in a chrooted environment and your chroot is '/mnt/gentoo', you'll need create the mount point for you extra partition somewhere in /mnt/gentoo. I suggest

[2sheds]

Man I love this trick! I have to pay for bandwidth and so after 4 unsuccessful attemots at getting my Stage 1 install to work perfectly, I was starting to get $#@#$! off. Great suggestion - it shoul be added to the install guide, as it seems not only noobs like me are having difficulty getting it right first time.

Thanks again - now for install no.5....