Gentoo questions

**Chris H** · 10-26-2003

Had a nose at previous posts but still got a few questions. Also got Gentoo 1.4 on DVD and have booted from the DVD. It loaded summat up and left me with a command prompt. Assuming I need to install by hand.

* the documentation talks about untarrigng a file. Question is where does it untar to? hda has XP and hdb has RH9 on it. Is it going to overwrite something?

* how would I get it to install to hdb instead of hda? Kids would riot if I trashed their games

Ta.

**Giro** · 10-26-2003

IIRC you have to mount a drive as /mnt/gentoo/ and then you extract it to that. So just mount hdb as /mnt/gentoo/. You should re-read the install instrctions.

**Chris H** · 10-26-2003

Originally Posted by Ol Man

You should re-read the install instrctions.

I just did :P

Have decided it's too damn complicated. And then there's the desktop to install after the Gentoo install. RH9 has become rather appealing again. Least til Gentoo bring out an installer.

**sarumont** · 10-27-2003

AFAIK, Gentoo does not plan to release an installer. That's just how the distro and the views of we who use it is. It's staying away from a friendly, graphical installation tool (Windex-style) so there's at least one distro out there that REQUIRES knowledge of linux to run and install.

**lordnothing** · 10-27-2003

amen brother!

but, seriously.. it's not that complicated... just follow the instructions step-by-step... will onlytake about 3 days to build the base system on a decent (read:500mhz or >) puter

**Chris H** · 10-27-2003

Originally Posted by lordnothing

amen brother!

but, seriously.. it's not that complicated... just follow the instructions step-by-step... will onlytake about 3 days to build the base system on a decent (read:500mhz or >) puter

3 days

Do you have to code it yourself?

**Nerderello** · 10-27-2003

Chris, just did what you're looking into.

I have, and still have, Redhat 9 on one hard disk, and in two (count them two) partions of a different hard disk I've just done a GPR install of Gentoo.

This requires that you have both CD one and CD two.

What you do is
1) Goto http://www.gentoo.org and download then print the installation procedures (34 pages)
2) The have a look through their forum for the checklist that some guy has put on and print that (very uyseful for ticking off things)
3) Then do a GRP install, an interesting way to pass a rainy day.

Points to understand, Gentoo ends up reasonably fast because the stuff that you put on ("emerge -k" in Gentoo terms) is compiled for YOUR PC. So, if, as I do, you have a PC with a processor better than a 386, then the kernel and most of the programs will be compiled to take advantage of the whizzie things that these processors can do.

Personally I'm not that enamoured with Gentoo. The 'emerge' idea (similar to RPM in concept) never really worked. I kept coming across files that it didn't have on CD 2 (my mobo has an Intel i810 graphics chip, which requires the correct kernel modules to run, and these weren't on the CD neither were they on the web. I ended up having to re-sync the emerge database (a 1 hour download on my modem connection) and then download the correct file, only to find that the 'make' didn't work (no such target as 'i810')). I got around such problems by compiling my own kernel, but I still have problems with any multimedia programs.

So, while Gentoo did teach me a bit about Linux (as did Linux From Scratch - or Linux for masochists as I call it), I'm happy to continue using Redhat 9 (again with a kernel I built). It does all of the things that I want at an acceptable speed.

have fun

Nerderello

**Chris H** · 10-27-2003

Ta for the post Nerderello, tis appreciated.

I think I'll have to save Gentoo for a rainy day and a spare box.

**sarumont** · 10-27-2003

The biggest problem with doing a GRP install is that you can't fit every program on a CD, so there will be some things that you may have to download. Emerge, IMHO, works extremely well. It resolves dependencies fully (more than anyone can say about RPM, from what I've heard). As for anything failing make, that's just something that you have to deal with while running a source distro. Every program won't compile perfectly for every system. That's when the fun begins...you get to search the forums and find out what's going wrong.

**thedukane** · 10-27-2003

I started out using Redhat and have tried Debian and Mandrake. The Gentoo install is very command line oriented but the result is a very stable,up to date distribution. I find RedHat and Mandrake boring and besides I like to download my software without having to pay a subscription.

I was impressed by Debian but it was just not enough on the cutting edge
for me.

I might also suggest to the original poster that they try Libranet, it is Debian based with a nice installer. It gives you a very functional Linux desktop without all the install hassle presented by Debian and Gentoo.
It will cost you around $60 but that is still cheaper then XP.

Regardless with Linux, pick the distro that fits your needs and enjoy the freedom.

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