Crux

[Dapper Dan]

This is a split off of this thread.
I downloaded the Crux live cd and it loaded really fast! No GUI and it is very basic, but I like their concept of keeping it lean and clean. I thought about installing it to HD but was intimidated by the prospect of figuring out how to get my NIC working since I didn't see any Ethernet drivers. I started reading the How to's on their site but got bogged down with something else.

Anyone here run Crux? How do you like it?

[budman7]

I read about Crux.
And thought about installing it, after reading

It's the only distro I've been too intimadated to try

And then I was confronted with the lack of a package manager.
Even with Slackware I use Slapt-get.

[oz]

Sure... I ran it for about a month right after crux 2.1 was released and liked it very much. It felt to me like it was probably the fastest distro I've ever used. The only reason I left it was the long compile times involved with upgrades. It reminded me a bit of Gentoo in that respect.

[Dapper Dan]

I don't remember seeing any ethernet modules when looking through the cd. How does one go about establishing an ethernet connection with Crux?

[oz]

When I first installed Crux, I had already performed successful installations of Gentoo using their fantastic handbook, so I decided I should also print out and use the Crux handbook to prevent any wasted efforts:

http://www.fukt.bth.se/~per/crux/doc/handbook.html

Network configuration can be found in section 5.1.4. Basically, you install the base system from the CD, then do some admin basics, then set it all up to connect to the web. Most of that is done in /etc/rc.d/net and /etc/rc.conf. I did have to add the sk98lin module to /etc/modprobe.conf to get my lan/modem working. Once there, the compiling of additional packages began. Note that this was quite a bit of work since dependencies weren't automatically detected and installed.

Once it was up and running, it booted especially fast, and the entire system seemed quite snappy in performance, and was rock solid. I intend to install it again within the next few months, or I might wait for the next release.

When I was using it, Crux was definitely my favorite distro. It's just that I change distros very often (mostly because I enjoy experimenting with them) and don't like to deal with the long compile times during each reinstall. I think you'll really like it if you have the patience to stick with it.

Hope all that helps, and good luck with your install...

[oz]

Hey, Dan... just wondering how that Crux installation is coming along?

[Dapper Dan]

Haven't gotten around to it. Too many things to do before I settle down with it. I downloaded the new Morphix-IceWM and haven't even had a chance to burn it yet either. Thanks for asking though.

[Dapper Dan]

I'm downloading Crux 2.2 as this moment. I think I'm ready to give it a shot!

[oz]

That's cool! I was thinking of this thread just a few days ago and wondering if you had tried it yet. It's a real experience, but it's fun. I'm hoping to install it again in the near future, but gotta find some spare time to do it.

Good luck with the install.

[Dapper Dan]

Hi ozar,

You are now my Crux guru...

Before I begin, when I get to the part of editing /etc/fstab and the rc.* files, do you think it'd be ok to just copy and use the configurations I already have for Slackware on the same box, (making exceptions of course for /home and root partition locations)?

Thanks!