Gentoo linux

[Martz]

Wondering if there are any Gentoo users in the vB community? For nearly 2 weeks now I have been using linux on the desktop, running KDE 3.2.x and I have to say I am very impressed so far! Never before has a linux distrubution run so smoothly and responsively. I did setup a dual boot with WinXP just incase the linux desktop couldn't provide me with everything I wanted, and I haven't been back into XP for well over a week!

I'm running a Pentium 4 2.8GHz, 1GB Ram and a Geforce Ti 4600, with a 17" TFT on both the DVI and VGA connectors. The only initial problem I had was with my SATA hard disk, but a using SATA legacy mode for the installation, and then switching back and editing the appropriate config files afterwards was the work around.

Anyone interested in giving linux a shot on their desktop should seriously consider using Gentoo, and it's excellent package system called emerge.

On a side note, the Gentoo community run phpBB (yuck!) but being since they are pro Open Source you wouldn't expect them to be running vB

[NTLDR]

Gentoo is certainly my Linux Distro of choice. Apart from the fact installing and upgrading the software via emerge is just so easy and that everything works you actually learn something when doing it.

The only problem I had was that the install CD wouldn't work with my PCMCIA network card so I had to use a Knoppix boot CD instead.

[Chroder]

I heard it takes a day (literally) to install. That true?

[NTLDR]

Depending if you want to start from the very begining and complie absolutly everything from source then yes it does take along time. However they do have pre-complied packages for all the big components like XFree68, KDE, Gnome, Mozilla and OpenOffice.org.

It all depends on the speed of your PC and the install route you choose.

[Martz]

I heard it takes a day (literally) to install. That true?

Depends which choices you make, which is what Gentoo is all about. Choices!
I did an installation from Stage 1 which took me 3 days of compiling to end up with a KDE desktop and Open Office, and everything inbetween. All built from source.
Stage 2 and 3 skip a lot of compile time and just put prebuilt binaries in their place so that things work. Recommended for anyone who wants to try it out, but the lower the stage you start at the better (but longer it takes).

I've had several heated debates with friends and people on IRC about the apparent waste of time gentoo is to install. I have given up trying to justify the initial installation. My basic way of thinking is the more you put in earlier, the more you get out later.

For 3 days, I haven't had to baby sit the computer whilst it's been busy compiling, click next or reboot to install something. It takes my computer days to install, not me. I've spent about 1 or 2 hours at the most actually reading the next part of the excellent install guide and docs and configuring parts of my system.

[Chris Stewart]

I've been wanting to install Gentoo on a machine I have, but I haven't had the time. Maybe I'll get some soon.

I do agree with the suggestion that starting at stage 1 is a great idea. Compiling source for your system is a great approach. Time consuming, but worth it overall.

[Icheb]

What is the benefit of compiling everything yourself instead of using precompiled packages?

[Shining Arcanine]

I suppose you could use Intel's compiler and optimize it for the P4. Personally, I don't use any flavor of linux for two reasons:

1. SCO owns the copyrights to code illegaly copied
2. Windows has a superior UI therefore making it less of a pain to use.

[Matthew Gordon]

SCO has nothing, and will lose their lawsuits and become irrelevant.

[Chroder]

I suppose you could use Intel's compiler and optimize it for the P4. Personally, I don't use any flavor of linux for two reasons:

1. SCO owns the copyrights to code illegaly copied
2. Windows has a superior UI therefore making it less of a pain to use.

1. What squall14716 said
2. That can be argued to a considerable degree

[merk]

SCO owns the copyrights to code illegaly copied

You seem to be one of very few people who share this view. Maybe you should read more than just the SCO press releases?

[merk]

You always struck me as someone who would end up using linux Martz

When i can afford to build my next pc the current box may end up becoming a linux box but for the forseeable future, i have no need to run linux except on my webserver box.

What exactly do you do on linux that windows cant handle?

[IDN]

Linux is just more fun and a good learning lesson on other OS's

[MarkB]

On the subject of Linux, does anyone know what IM options there are? I basically need something that ties in with both ICQ and MSN. If I could get those, I'd stick with Mandrake all the time. (as long as I can work out how to link up my wife's Win98 box to it without a router - just normal network connection - AND use the net too... it keeps dropping out when she tries to connect. But that's another thread).

[merk]

Did you try Gaim? I dont know if its a linux client, but you could see

http://gaim.sf.net