KDE binary?

Nordog · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:13 am Post subject: KDE binary?

I know Gentoo is all about choice and all about source and so far I have no complaints. The only time this bugs me is when I emerge --update world and portage wants to recompile the whole of KDE. This is a slight problem since I only have a graying laptop and I have to leave it compiling through the night while it almost melts (it has a P4 processor). Anyway, my question is: Is there any possibility to install KDE binary packages instead of always having to recompile kde etc? I'm thinking of something along the lines of firefox-bin and azureus-bin.

didymos · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:33 am Post subject:

How seldom are you updating the system that every time you emerge --update world, you have to recompile all of KDE? As far as binaries for KDE, you're mostly SOL. There is the Koraraa project, which is a binary install method for Gentoo. Sabayon installs binaries initially, but then builds stuff like base Gentoo. Vidalinux has a binary repository, but how well it would integrate with base Gentoo, I don't know. With Sabayon and Koraraa, you could use the discs as a local repository, but that'd kind of be a pain in the ass. A lot of people have done a lot of talking about some sort of binary repository for Gentoo, but as far as I know, it's never really gone anywhere.
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broken_chaos · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:38 am Post subject:

You can always not update that often - once every month or so, set aside about a day for compiling and fixing any issues that arise, if you can. Also, if you want to be able to use (at an acceptable speed) your laptop when emerging something, look at setting PORTAGE_NICENESS in /etc/make.conf - I find PORTAGE_NICENESS="10" to be a good value, but you can go higher (for a lower priority - meaning more 'bias' towards your non-portage tasks).

And I agree with didymos on thinking about how often you actually have to recompile KDE - it's not that often, unless you're running ~arch.

keenblade · Veteran Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 1087

Nordog · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:58 am Post subject:

I have to admit that I'm indeed running ~x86 so I guess it's my own damn fault

. I really can't remember the reason for running it, but I seem to recall that it has something to with driver support. All in all it has served me well and updating hasn't yet messed up my comp (yet).

I do indeed try and update every month or so and that seems to work out ok. Most of the updates are small packages relating to the base system and I will quite happily compile them so as far as a Gentoo binary repository I'm not really all that interested. It's just that I don't really use KDE except for the apps Konqueror, Amarok and Kate so I must have the dependencies and for that reason it's kind of lame recompiling the whole thing because of a minor change in a dependency.

Thanks for the PORTAGE_NICENESS tip. I've seen that in passing but never bothered to follow up and find out what it's for.

I study physics and work at the research labs and I have resorted to cooling my laptop with liquid nitrogen when things get out of hand. Hopefully I won't have to resort to that again now.

Anyway, this is no biggie. I just thought that as there are binary packages of openoffice and firefox there would perhaps be a KDE one lurking around.

keenblade · Veteran Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 1087

Nordog · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject:

Whoa, why have I never heard of this before? Thanks for the tip, I've already installed it. Seems to be working.

didymos · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:39 am Post subject:

Also, avoid ACCEPT_KEYWORDS and go with /etc/portage/package.keywords. It's more maintenance than just the single variable in make.conf, but it'll save a lot of grief and a lot more maintenance from the constant updates with their inevitable bugs and incompatibilities. That way, you can just unmask the drivers you want and a couple dependencies if they're needed. Of course, you'll probably get stuck downgrading all sorts of crap if you make the changeover. Just don't downgrade the toolchain. You probably want to leave python as is, too. Actually, I've never thought about this before: how would you safely move from a completely "~arch" to a mostly "arch" system, with the minimum of wailing and gnashing of teeth?
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Phenax · l33t Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 972

broken_chaos · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 1:54 am Post subject:

sonicbhoc · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:02 am Post subject:

It's not worth it, Just stay with the unstable and upgrade bi-weekly like I do. I don't get much KDE stuff to build actually, and I don't have problems with stability and not many breakages. If anything, let stuff compile overnight if you have a crappy computer like mine.
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Nordog · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:44 am Post subject:

I think I've just opened up some kind of pandora'x box. Everything has gone haywire in my computer: fonts and colours are strange and the mouse has disappeared. So now it's either to fix this problem or consider a reinstall.

beatryder · Veteran Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 1138

RoundsToZero · Guru Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Posts: 478 Location: New York, NY

If your CPU has speed step and you are using the ondemand governor you can use niceness to this affect by echoing 1 to /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/ondemand/ignore_nice_load. This option makes it so that low priority processes won't cause the CPU speed to be raised, while still allowing the CPU to go to full speed for normal processes like web browsing, etc.

keenblade · Veteran Joined: 03 Oct 2004 Posts: 1087

Nordog, there is a new xorg-server v1.2 in portage. You may give it a try. I would not go from "~arch" to a "arch" without a new install.

beatryder · Veteran Joined: 08 Apr 2005 Posts: 1138