Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 43

Thread: Long time Gentoo-ers

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    http://longbeach.ca.u$
    Beans
    257
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Long time Gentoo-ers

    What's up.

    I'm wondering how other Gentoo users came about using Ubuntu.

    1. If you have switched, why did you switch?
    2. Do you still use Gentoo?
    3. What is your overall comparison of the 2?
    4. Do you still recommend Gentoo?
    5. How long have you used Gentoo?

    I became frustrated the day baselayout broke my wifi connection (beginning of April). I ran an ~x86 laptop so I did expect breakage on occasion. Unfortunately, that breakage came at a time where I just didn't have time to troubleshoot. So, I made my way over here and downloaded Feisty beta and have used it ever since (on my laptop). I have only switched the distro preference that I use for my laptop. I have switched because Ubuntu installs in 30 minutes and I can be working within the hour. In a nutshell, everything 'just worked'.

    I still use Gentoo. In fact, I only use it for servers. I am currently testing out Ubuntu server edition but it's just not the same. I really do prefer a source based distro for servers since you have 100% control of how a particular service is installed and with what support. In the end, as long as Gentoo exists, I will use it. Same applies to Ubuntu.

    While Ubuntu is bloated, it must be if it is to attract people from the windows world. I don't mind the bloat to be honest since it doesn't slow my system down. I have plenty of hard drive space and 2 gigs of ram. No issues here.

    I would only recommend Gentoo to experienced users.

    I started using Gentoo November of 2002 with the 1.2 LiveCD. It took me nearly 2 months to get the hang of Gentoo but luckily, I was unemployed at the time and had LOTS of time to invest into learning it..
    :: La repuesta de la vida, el universo y todo es 42.
    :: Do you really think anyone cares about your computer specs?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Zagreb, Croatia
    Beans
    98

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    1. I switched from ubuntu to gentoo, but never reverse
    2. I do
    3. Can't compare distros which target different groups of users
    4. I do, especially for learning linux
    5. I use it for 8 months, but I must add, that I use linux for 10 months, these first two I used fedora and ubuntu, but it wasn't what i wanted

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Katy, TX
    Beans
    6
    Distro
    Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    I've used both.

    In fact a couple of years ago I was entirely Gentoo, both at home and on my office workstation (using VMware to do .Net development).

    I am currently using Ubuntu at home. The reason for my installing Ubuntu at home on my PC is because I was already running on my wife's PC. I put Ubuntu on my wife's PC because of the notable "it just works" side of Ubuntu. I decided since my wife was running Ubuntu and I had no experience in it, that it would be a good idea to run it as well.

    Advantages to Ubuntu Include
    -Quick up and running (30-60 minutes depending on machine)
    -Easy/Quick install of additional applications

    Disadvantages to Ubuntu:
    -Poor development support. I think there should be a meta package for developers that will install all the dev libraries of the default applications. Also there should be an option in apt-get or synaptic to install -dev DEBS when they are available for a package.

    Advantages to Gentoo:
    -Ability to have a completely customized system from the ground up. I have done the benchmarks and have seen the proof first hand that compiling from a stage 1 install in Gentoo results in a faster system (albeit it's marginal most of the time)
    -Dev libraries installed along with packages (this is a result of compiling the applications from scratch)

    Disadvantages to Gentoo:
    -Length of time to getting a fulling working PC (complete with GUI and equivalent to Ubuntu) takes almost 5-10 times as long depending on the system
    -Lots of terminal activity to get up and running. This scares most new users, however this can also be an advantage in that it helps newbies become familiar and less frightened of the command line.

    Overall, now that I have figured out how to install the dev libraries, I've come to like Ubuntu for it's easy to get up and go. However, I will probably eventually end up back on a Gentoo system within the next year or so.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Beans
    19
    Distro
    Hardy Heron (Ubuntu Development)

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    1. I tryed gentoo because a friend recommended that I try it

    2. not currently

    3. I love portage over apt-get howver I had so much trouble geting a xserver going that I gave up in dispair. Gentoo is a great OS, especially as a learnig expeariance, however is difficult to setup. Ubuntu is great iff you just need an operating system that just works but is not optimized for you system

    4. yes

    5. 5 weeks


    I plan to try getting a gentoo sytem up and running again whe I finnally have the cash to replace the desktop I have now.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Beans
    689
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    1. I switched from Ubuntu to Gentoo. I use Ubuntu on machines that I use occasionally and Gentoo on my PC, which I use most often.
    2. Yep.
    3. It's hard to compare the t wo. Ubuntu's good for a quick setup. Gentoo takes some dedication. You get out of Gentoo what you put into it; it's a learning experience, and if you put for the effort to learn, the dividends are terrific. Ubuntu gives you a great OS with little effort. I'm sure there's a binary distro out there that I'd like better than Ubuntu... but the dedication and vision of the Ubuntu team prevents me from switching. I've never tried using PCLinuxOS, but I believe it's on par with Ubuntu's usability. Gentoo will always be Gentoo, but Ubuntu is very dynamic. I'll keep using both of them as long as they suit my purposes.
    4. Gentoo is only good if it does what you need it to. I wanted to learn more about Linux and Gentoo didn't disappoint me. The support Gentoo users provide is second to none. If you want to work a little closer to your operating system, Gentoo is a good place to start. Do an installation from a minimal CD. If you follow the step-by-step instructions, it's a cinch. You'll get a lean, fast Linux box, especially if you take the time to set your USE flags. Gentoo allows you to take it to the next level with customizing your computer's setup.
    5. 2 years.
    Last edited by bmartin; July 16th, 2007 at 04:13 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Beans
    689
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    (dupe)
    Last edited by bmartin; July 16th, 2007 at 04:13 AM. Reason: dupe

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Québec, Canada
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Gutsy Gibbon Testing

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    1. I am not, I do not plan to switch, but I use them side by side.
    2. Yes.
    3. None. They seem to me to be total opposite, and that is what I like of having both.
    4. Any time to anybody that has time to spend and that is willing to learn Linux. A great experience!
    5. 4 months.

    We have only one computer at home and it is use by me and my wife. She is a Linux illetrate so I have to be carefull when I make changes. That is why Ubuntu stays as the "Safe Base" Everything works and works well so I barely don't touch anything there. Gentoo is my playground, on a different partition, and I install it to test, play with settings, try other things without the worry that it will break the system. On an other hand, I want to build the system that will be as usable as my ubuntu install, and as optimized as I can bring it to be. Different tools for different purposes!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Mississippi
    Beans
    907
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    No long time gentoo-er here (linux neither for that fact), so I can't answer your questions. I just wanted some moral support as I am about to embark on doing the gentoo. Printing out the nandbook as I type this.

    Many acquaintainces with my local LUG use gentoo. After reading a comment on a digg article (leading me to install gentoor) I feel like these people may have been laughing behind my back, being as I was sort of boastful about no longer using windows, but Ubuntu instead.

    Hopefully, I will come out this fairly unscaved (sp) and will be better acquainted with linux as a whole. This just has to work for my own satisfaction and so I can report to my fellow LUG'ers of my experience.

    Any pointers...? other than RTFM of course. Have been doing that for about 2 hours now, plus printing the handbook off.

    I'd of posted on gentoo's boards, but they may be a little territorial with a fresh Ubuntu user stepping on their turf!

    Thank ya!

    ~Steve
    ... in myself i am nothing exactly no thing i am only a mirror in which others see aspects of themselves and attribute the resulting concepts to me but i am also an other to my self

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Beans
    689
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    Ubuntu is a beginner's distro. Gentoo is much more advanced. You should be very comfortable with the terminal before trying Gentoo; if you're using the handbook and a minimal installation (which is what I recommend), you'll be using the terminal exclusively to install. The installation is very straightforward; read everything closely and type in what you're told to and you'll pull through just fine.

    Set aside a whole day for your first Gentoo installation. The Stage 3 tarball is huge (but not too huge) and you'll have to sync with Portage, which takes a couple minutes. You'll also have to compile a lot of software before your system's usable at all. GNOME or KDE will take several hours to compile, so if you've used Fluxbox before or are willing to give it a try, it comes highly recommended so that you can get a decent WM up and running. You might as well be able to play with some programs while you're waiting for everything else to compile.

    BEFORE YOU COMPILE ANYTHING (and when the installation first mentions that you can set them), set your USE flags and optimization flags. You can check what optimizations are supported by your processor by looking at the optimizations on the Swiftfox site for your architecture (http://www.swiftfox.com). Good machine-independent optimization flags are -O2 -pipe.

    Gentoo's a big step from Ubuntu. It's going to take a lot of patience at first. Other than Portage, there aren't a lot of tools to help you out. My two suggestions are to read the instructions carefully and use the minimal install CD. If you've already burned a different installation CD (e.g. the Live CD), you can simply open a terminal on that and install from there. It's very helpful to have internet access on another PC or laptop during the installation so that you're not stranded on a brick, in case you mess up.

    Oh yeah, and the genkernel program is the way to go, especially if this is the first kernel you've ever compiled (use the lspci program to see which modules you need). I wish you sincere good luck. It only took me one try. The instructions the Gentoo team provides are that good. If you ever have a problem, they're the best group of people to get tech support from.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Mississippi
    Beans
    907
    Distro
    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: Long time Gentoo-ers

    Thank you for your time, bmartin! I dipped my toes in, for 18 hours roughly on two attempts. The first attempt was a busted grub install, so I took the easy way out (yeah right) and tried the whole thing again! The second attempt landed me on the grub splash screen, but soon landed with a bad file or bad filesystem error.

    I don't mind waiting on Gnome, I am more comfortable with it.

    The first time I *tried* to dl the stage3 tarball, the docs didn't make mention to push "d" for downloading it. I just hit enter and soon found out after reading ahead while waiting on it that I had pulled a I-D-10-T error! Great! I learnt something else the hard way!!!

    I opted to use for cfflags march=athlon-xp -03 -pipe. I'll probably just use the defaults this next time. For use flags, I just opted for what was suggested in the docs for an optimal gnome system. I'll have to pour back over the info page for other things that I'll be using I guess.

    Did use the minimal cd. Really want to do a manual compilation of the kernel (though I did use genkernel the second round), but I have a whole lot of catching up to do for that task!

    I won't quit now that I've started. Who in their right mind would let an inanimate object get the best of them?
    ... in myself i am nothing exactly no thing i am only a mirror in which others see aspects of themselves and attribute the resulting concepts to me but i am also an other to my self

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •