Is 1.4 rc3 okay to use?

Remillard · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 12:05 am Post subject: Is 1.4 rc3 okay to use?

Hello,

I have thought of coming over to Gentoo (from Mandrake, with Debian fantasies). I did try it once, but getting the kernel compiled was a complete disaster.

Anyhow, I'm considering it again. Now I could start with 1.2. I still have the 1.2 CD floating around somewhere. So many cool things have happened since (Gnome 2, XFree86 4.3) though that I'm thinking maybe 1.4 should be the one I go for. With Mandrake, I don't touch release candidate issues. It's just not worth risking it. But Gentoo, with everything built from source, and something a little more apt-get like, what does Release Candidate really mean in this instance?

So the fundamental issue is, is the RC3 okay to use with Gentoo?

Regards,
Remillard
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masseya · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 12:12 am Post subject:

I would absolutely recommend 1.4_rc3 over 1.2 for many many reasons. If you want more than just a simple recommendation, please reply and I'm sure that the details will be easy to fill in.
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Remillard · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 12:18 am Post subject:

A simple recommendation is probably sufficient. Before I never got past the kernel compilation stage (or rather a kernel that actually booted anyhow). I'm not sure I ever got to a part where 1.2 is significantly different from 1.4

.

Maybe I'll try doing that instead of putting Debian on my hdb. 3G ought to be enough to just sort of test it out and see if I can't get it to work, and then I have my original installation to fall back on in times of trouble (and forum posting.)

Thanks.

Regards,
Remillard
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gilesjuk · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 1:42 am Post subject:

I suggest you read up about kernel compilation etc.., getting a Gentoo system going is hard work if you've never built a custom kernel.

Tips to to make life easier

If your filesystem is ext3, reiser etc... then add support into the kernel for these filesystems, otherwise you need a ramdisk and those are fiddly to get working for the beginner.

If you use DHCP, don't forget to add DHCP and the other auto configuration options into the kernel

Pressing '?' in the text based kernel config system will print a description of the item highlighted. This is often very descriptive and tells you if this option is safe to enable (safe as in it won't affect your system if the hardware is missing for example)

For modules that aren't required for booting the system but might be required after, if you're not sure you need them make them a module.
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Remillard · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 3:30 am Post subject:

Well I've actually built a kernel once. It went fairly well as far as I could tell. Unfortunately this was about three years ago, and the number of options in the kernel compilation had escalated dramatically!

I never did figure out what the problem was. I tried to keep things that I thought were possibilities for the system in the future as modules. I tried to put things that I knew I'd use and were critical as compiled in. I tried not to go hogwild with "neato" things. Just wouldn't go when I rebooted and grub did its thing.

Well I'll give it another shot as soon as I get the 1.4 rc3 iso downloaded.

Regards,
Remillard
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allucid · Veteran Joined: 02 Nov 2002 Posts: 1314 Location: atlanta

TecHunter · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 124

i'm using 1.4_rc3 now.haven't seen any problem.
if u want to build a new system,use rc3.
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hielvc · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 4:06 am Post subject:

I keep my first kernel as simple as possibl. I get video going(vesa fb), net, file system, mouse, parallel port and ide-scsi or scsi. Once you have a simple straight foward kernel :wink:

going, then you can try the fancy stuff and emerge -u world.

2 fast mirrors for the west coast ( stay away wrong coast :lol:

) are

" http://gentoo.orgenstate.edu/ " and even better
" ftp://mirror.iawnet.sandia.gov/pub/gentoo/ "

hiel

BradN · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:01 am Post subject:

Going more towards the original topic:

I think it was stated somewhere else that the differences between 1.4rc1 and rc3 are almost all related to just the live CD. The actual installs from any of those should be the same (and should work fine).

masseya · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 8:50 pm Post subject:

The Khan Artist · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 12:14 am Post subject:

Can't you use a 1.4_rc3 stage tarball with a 1.2 LiveCD?

cyrillic · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 1:28 am Post subject:

masseya · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 5:07 pm Post subject:

Can I copy my redhat kernel settings? has been split off.
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Ari Rahikkala · Guru Joined: 02 Oct 2002 Posts: 370 Location: Finland

Mandark · Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:17 pm Post subject:

I do not think of Gentoo in terms of releases. Gentoo evolves. It keeps track of the newest developments in GNU-space, and makes it available by managing the dependancies for you. (Or you chose to take a safer path, and stick with the ultra stable branches of the software packages.) Therfore I find the numbers 1.4-rc3 meaningless. (in comparisson to binary distro's)

masseya · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:14 pm Post subject:

Mandark, this is a very good way of thinking of things.
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if i never try anything, i never learn anything..
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