Stage Files vs. Binary Packages

tomgan · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:28 pm Post subject: Stage Files vs. Binary Packages

How come the installation uses a prepackaged root (stage files) instead of emerging separate (binary or not) packages into /mnt/gentoo?

The only difference here is that a user cannot control what gets installed as it is now. Portage is a pretty clean way of doing things, but is not used all the way... Does anyone know why?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:42 pm Post subject:

tomgan,

Stage 1 is a working compiler toolchain. bootstrap.sh builds the toolchain from sources, so the compiler that builds the compiler is the only binary you use.

Purests will build the toolchain several times. You use Gentoos supplied binary the first time, the output of that compile the second time, then you build it again and compare the second and third builds - they should be identical.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

tomgan · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 5:59 pm Post subject:

Yes, absolutely. (I just wish I had better computers to be able to use stage1.)

But, still, one could argue that stage2-3 also could be split up into simple binary ebuilds (GRP packages perhaps?). This would avoid the requirement of keeping tar.bz2-files up to date (the less duplicates of the same files the better).

So, stage1 would be installing a binary compiler and building the rest.
Stage2 would be installing even more binary packages.
Stage3 even more.

(Besides, building a bootstrap compiler could be done with a compiler on the CD, and then recompile everything on disc. Hmm, I think my main point is that everything could be built from the CD / netboot compiler, avoiding stage-files.)

Selecter · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject:

What speed performance will I get from compling from stage1, not stage2?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 6:50 pm Post subject:

Selecter,

Not a lot. Stage 1 is the toolchain. Stage 2 is the rest of the system, except the kernel, logger and boot loader.

The toolchain is updated fairly often so you will build it as part of your regular upates - then it will be used for updating other things as they change. No matter what stage you start at, if you do regular updates, you will eventually end up with a stage 1 system.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Genone · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2004 1:10 am Post subject:

I'm not sure I understand the problem here, what would the benefit of stage3 as GRP packages ?