Hello everybody!

I finally managed to register a Neowin account (www.spymac.com didn't seem to receive the registration mail ), so here I am!

I've checked the Linux and Open Source boards several times already, and I quite like it in here! (well, so far!)

The Linux distributions I've given a try so far...

1. Knoppix (doesn't run too well on a PII 64 Mb RAM)
2. Damn Small Linux (lovely!)
3. VectorLinux (still on there)
4. Linux From Scratch (heh... isn't quite progressing)

I don't know all that much about Linux yet (some basic commands, and stuff), but I intend to do a stage 1 Gentoo install as soon as I get myself a laptop :-P

So, that's it about me.
How about you guys?

Your quite mad. A stage 3 is hard enough for newbies and you want to jump right in wish the sharks wearing a steak suit...ok.

You wont notice that much of a speed gain from stage 1 to stage 3. It takes a loooong time and isnt worth it. All you are going to do is waste your time and end up with nothing. Master stage 3 and then work down...

Stage 2 actually isnt that much harder but adds extra time in comparison. Dont put yourself through needless punishment. Use flags and cflags dont net you THAT much of a speed increase. Having a 6 page make.conf isnt going to turn your PII into a P4.

My opinion on a full Gentoo install (compiling everything possible from source) is that it is:

• Well Documented.
• Possibly a way to learn, if you learn by typing in what is written in front of you.
• Going to take a long time on a slower processor. (actually, it takes quite a while on a fast processor)
• Marginally faster to run, if you set it properly (may be kind of tough to do)
• Quite likely to not be worth it
• A rite of passage for many Linux users (like, "why climb that mountain?" - "because it's there!")

Now, take those items with a large grain of salt. I have never installed Gentoo. I see what it is about and have decided it isn't worth it for me. It may be an exercise that you want to do. It certainly cannot hurt to give it a try.

Completely without disrespect but how can you have an a concise opinion of something if you have never tried it. I can say I dont like slack or ubuntu but I have never used them. For me to list off criteria on what is wrong with them and what is right is pointless as it is all founded on ignorance.

I mean some of your points are rather detailed: " Marginally faster to run, if you set it properly (may be kind of tough to do)". I am wondering how you could possibly know--enough to give advice on--if you have never used it...

Grain of salt or not, I am sure you are just excited to help, but maybe some more prudence should be used--I am not going to walk into a room and start telling neurologists how the brain works...

This is coming from a Gentoo user.

True.

But I have taken a look at some of the documentation. It is very well-written, and has a renowned reputation for being excellent. (as others who have installed Gentoo are also often quick to say how friendly and helpful online help in the Gentoo IRC channels are, as well)
Will it take long time to compile and install. Without a doubt.
Is it marginally faster? Many sources say so. However, I have not seen anything showing that there is a significant improvement in performance over say someone who properly sets up a Debian box.

The original poster has tried an LFS, and says it "isn't quite progressing". In my opinion, Gentoo probably isn't going to be what he wants. I may very well be wrong on this (as I have been wrong a great many times!), so that is why I say that "it certainly cannot hurt to give it a try".

Okay, I've forgotten a fase in my plans, and it apparently shouldn't have been forgotten

Before I do a Gentoo install, I first want to set up Arch Linux. When I get used to that, I'll give gentoo a try.
Now, that changes the entire idea a lot, doesn't it?

LFS is really not that hard, by the way. If I don't encounter any errors, it's possible to finish it.
My problem is: when I do encounter an error, I don't know what to do about it.
I can ask on a forum, but I'll probably get the answer 'RTFM!'.
I'm not asking anyone for help on my LFS installation. It wouldn't be fair to bug other people about something like that, when you're still too much of a newbie.

I don't expect a Gentoo installation to go that well, but I'm sure it's possible, even for a newbie.
I've seen the manual, and it's amazingly clear how you're supposed to do each step.

Let me know how stage 1 goes

Man, #gentoo on freenode is a nightmare. It's so busy in there that half the requests for help and guidance get washed away and forgotten. I used to hang around there and try to help people, but it really isn't practical... its just far, far too busy.

The forums rock, however, being probably the best linux support resource on the planet.

Installing gentoo is a rite of passage in the Linux world. I don't know how practical it is to use as those long compile times certainly aren't for everyone. I tried using it for about a year - and in that time I encountered many packages that simply wouldn't compile correctly. I ended up moving to Debian because I just wanted something that worked. LFS is a bigger rite of passage than gentoo though. The only problem with these is that they both tend to teach you much more about installing LFS and installing Gentoo than they do about using Linux in general - so even if you do complete the install process, you still find yourself at the end of the day with a lot of unanswered questions.

But as I said, at least it shows you have the balls for a challenge.

GJ

Why not give Arch 7.0 a try. It is fast, reliable, has pacman wich installs and resolves dependencies, possible to build from scratch and very good forums with experts helping all the way. I have tried Gentoo, Slackware, Debian, RedHat, Suse, name them all. Arch is the system for me.

I would just do a stage 3. That's what I am running, and it works fine.

--Alex

hello welcome

I mentioned that a few posts below the top post ;-) I'm going to try Arch before giving Gentoo a try.
Does Arch have a default WM? If so, what is it?

I find gentoo pretty awesome, but not for a newbie linux user, it took me a good day to fully complete the install and have a working X setup.

Try something like ubuntu, I gave it a quick look here at work, the install looked easy & with debian package management you can't go wrong

Agreed.

Or, if you are dead set on a gentoo system, how about vidalinux? Gentoo install without the headaches.

I'll see, folks ;-)
Just relax.
If I can't work with Gentoo, I'll use something else.
I'm not gonna go back to windows, I can assure you!

Now if only I would get a laptop, so I could install Linux.
Vectorlinux on an old computer... Well, it's better than nothing :-P Too bad I don't have internet access on that one

Do a Gentoo Stage 1. It shouldnt be hard for anyone (the documentation is great) it will just take ages on your hardware to compile gcc and and anything else.

I did a Stage 2 install as my first Linux distro about a year and a half ago. Now when I need to put Gentoo on a system I use Stage 1. Optimized for my hardware perfectly.