Is Gentoo worth the work?

Korean Ian · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 95

Hi,

I've been using different distro's of Linux for a couple of months now. I have tried most of the major distro's (Redhat, Mandrake, Slack) and been completly unimpressed by 'dependency hell'... i keep thinking my computer is dependent on me dickin around for hours to find all the required RPM's... for one program! It's crazy.

I started to use linux to learn. The idea of solid software is very appealing to me. I have grown bored of the standard Windows 9x, Windows NT interfaces, although I am still dependent on them.

I came to Gentoo as a suggestion of a buddy of mine in a CCNA Year 1 at my high school. He told me how long it took to setup for his system (a full build.. 3 days) and I thought it was mad, although, I admit:

emerge 'whatever prog you need'

Seemed really appealing. So I started reading the Gentoo Install Guide and have decided to go with a stage 3 install, updated to the newest sources.

If I like it alot, if I make it through my first install. I might go back and do a custom build.

One question.

Is it worth it? (Funny place to ask that question...)

Korean Ian

By the way, PHPbb is sexy. I ran it on a webserver for a while. GPL rocks.

puggy · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 2:52 am Post subject:

The initial hassle of setting up is offset massively by the portage system. Even my parents could use this once its set up(Although they would phone me before doing anything...just to be sure that the computer won't explode:-D).

Also, its just generally worth it, as I've learnt a lot from Gentoo and these forums especially.

Puggy
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taskara · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 3:25 am Post subject:

is there a poll option "HELL YES!" ?? if so I'd surely have picked that one.

secondly, what do you mean by "work" !??

it's not work, it's play!!!!!

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Netikular · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 4:30 am Post subject:

Being a FBSD user and used to having an extensive ports system. Gentoo I so worth the work. I find that if you follow the install guide to the letter you should not have any troubles with gentoo - on the other hand i can not say about the linux kernel. I find that that is where most of my problems come from hardware compatibility and the like.

Netikular · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 4:33 am Post subject:

Being a FBSD user and used to having an extensive ports system. Gentoo I so worth the work. I find that if you follow the install guide to the letter you should not have any troubles with gentoo - on the other hand i can not say about the linux kernel. I find that that is where most of my problems come from hardware compatibility and the like.

Naughtyus · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 4:50 am Post subject:

Installing Gentoo was worth it for me, just because of what I've learned about my computer in the process. I feel that I could use most any linux distro now, and be much more capable in what I was doing.

IamtheOne · Apprentice Joined: 27 Sep 2002 Posts: 158 Location: Iowa

Hands on is good!

I don't like things to be swept behind the curtain. Because what happens when it breaks? You have to fix it. Using other distros I had no clue and it took me forever to figure it out.

With gentoo, I know every detail of my system, and that's the way I like it. I can build kernels eft and right now and decide what is bloat and what I need or want

Gentoo is about power to the people. YAY Gentoo!!

bs · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 5:45 am Post subject:

Gentoo is much better than the other distros i used (SuSE, RedHat, Mandrake).

It doesn't install lots of programs you don't need or even don't know of. With Gentoo you can determine yourself what software is installed.

The portage system is by far better than the install and upgrade mechanisms of the other distros.

charlieg · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 9:56 am Post subject:

This is probably not the best place to post such a poll because those that frequent this forum are either those who use Gentoo or those that are starting to use Gentoo.

There are very few, if any, people in this forum are those who have found Gentoo a troublesome experience to the degree that they found it 'not worth the effort' and stopped using Gentoo.
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Jimboberella · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 10:09 am Post subject:

Gentoo is worth the effort to have a system exactly the way you like it. I think portage is the best thing going around at the moment.

I am about to embark on weening my wife off XP. Mandrake 9.1 dual boot is the first step, then if she likes that ok I'll think of going to Gentoo. The question of upgrading is less important though so we will have to see what the rection is.

moss · n00b Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 18 Location: UK

jimlynch11 · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 11:48 am Post subject:

umm....yeah :lol:

frippz · Guru Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 460 Location: Sweden

Gentoo is definately worth the work (or fun as some of you have put it). I even got my girlfriend to show some interest in Linux, wich is good...!

idl · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 12:14 pm Post subject:

What work?

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Lovechild · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 12:26 pm Post subject:

emerge rsync && cd /usr/portage && scripts/bootstrap.sh && export CONFIG_PROTECT="" && emerge system && ln -sf /usr/share/Europe/Copenhagen /etc/localtime && emerge gentoo-sources

sleep, continue in the morning.

nerdbert · l33t Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 981 Location: Berlin

If you define holiday as sitting the entire day in front of a computer tweaking things gentoo is simply heaven.

Buy a Mac if you don't like computers (don't want to offend anybody - maybe I did - sorry).[/list]

d3c3it · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 1:35 pm Post subject:

in a word, yes
gentoo made me like linux, distro's like mandrake put me off linux using it was to like windows gentoo gave me an insight in the world of linux and better for it
btw start from stage1, adds more time to install but worlds worth it:)
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panserg · Apprentice Joined: 16 Apr 2003 Posts: 188

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Considering that there was minimal "work" involved, yes.
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nerdbert · l33t Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 981 Location: Berlin

zephyr1256 · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 7:55 pm Post subject:

klarnox · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 7:58 pm Post subject:

I think Gentoo is definitely worth it. Although I have several computers at home, so I still had a functioning computer while I worked my way through learning how to setup a Gentoo box.

Portage's ease of use makes the install worth it in my opinion... not to mention I rather enjoyed the install itself just because I learned so much from it.

ebrostig · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 8:07 pm Post subject:

Gentoo???

yes... yes... oh yeah, uhuh, oh oh oh yes yes yes yes Ohhh God!!! YEEEEEEEESSSSSS!

ummmm oh yess.... that was soooooo gooood!
You gotta love Portage! Best tool ever.... and it feels sooooo gooooodddd...

You haven't tried it yet? You don't know what is missing from your life until you try it.... Oh I'm getting soooo just by thinking of it... I gotta use it again!

emerge anything

Ohhhh yessss. That was good!

:twisted:

Erik

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Korean Ian · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 95

I think i'll have a friend help me set it up or perhaps, print a hard copy of the instal guide for refrence during the install. I've run into a few problems but I won't bore you with the details because I don't know enough to know exactly what they are

I find often the best way to learn is from experience, be it your own screwing up or be it someone who knows what they are doing.

Thanks for all the replies. I have to do some work tonight so i can't afford to battle the monster of gentoo install. Perhaps try again this weekend.

I think this is an awesome community! From what I read, even though I'm maybe a bit over my head.

The documentation is amazing too. Kinda like windows yet unlike, (readable and it contains real information)

Thanks
Korean Ian

jimlynch11 · Posted: Mon May 12, 2003 9:52 pm Post subject: