Comments on: Why I Use Gentoo http://mike.crute.org/blog/2007/03/03/why-i-use-gentoo/ import random; return random.shuffle(mike_crute.thoughts) Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:31:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Rojs http://mike.crute.org/blog/2007/03/03/why-i-use-gentoo/#comment-13701 Rojs Wed, 30 May 2007 13:44:04 +0000 http://mike.crute.org/blog/2007/03/03/why-i-use-gentoo/#comment-13701 I'd have to agree with the previous commenter. I learned a size-able chunk of my Linux skills spending a few days installing Gentoo. Their documentation takes you step by step from manually partitioning your hard drive all the way to installing KDE/Gnome (if you want it). Like building a model car rather than buying one pre-built. As for making it your primary server OS, it has its own plusses and minuses. Yes it will run a bit faster, but updates will take a lot longer -- too long for a machine that needs to be available 24/7 but perfectly acceptable for a 9-5 in-house box. The best tool for the job depends on what the job is. I’d have to agree with the previous commenter. I learned a size-able chunk of my Linux skills spending a few days installing Gentoo. Their documentation takes you step by step from manually partitioning your hard drive all the way to installing KDE/Gnome (if you want it). Like building a model car rather than buying one pre-built.

As for making it your primary server OS, it has its own plusses and minuses. Yes it will run a bit faster, but updates will take a lot longer — too long for a machine that needs to be available 24/7 but perfectly acceptable for a 9-5 in-house box.

The best tool for the job depends on what the job is.

]]> By: Sgt http://mike.crute.org/blog/2007/03/03/why-i-use-gentoo/#comment-4942 Sgt Mon, 05 Mar 2007 02:35:02 +0000 http://mike.crute.org/blog/2007/03/03/why-i-use-gentoo/#comment-4942 For those who, like myself, want to REALLY LEARN Linux, Gentoo is a wonderful way to go. As Mike indicated in his narrative, Gentoo has a great deal going for it in many respects including tuning applications to take fullest advantage of hardware and security. For my part, though, when I installed my first Gentoo system, I was a complete novice at Linux. And though I still have a great deal to learn, the idea of building a new kernel to extend or retract capabilities of a machine is not a problem. I know what the sources are, I know how to select the best (for me) of those sources, compile, and move to the appropriate directory, modify configuration files and off I go. Or keeping the system up to date with portage, changing configuration files with etc-update, adding and removing services as needed. These are all things I learned by virtue of having Gentoo installed. I would not dismiss all those great distros that do most things for you. Some people don't want the hassle of the maintenance of a tuned system preferring instead to have a system that takes care of itself. I'm really glad there are such systems out there for those people. For those who want to learn Linux nothing in my experience beats Gentoo. For those who, like myself, want to REALLY LEARN Linux, Gentoo is a wonderful way to go. As Mike indicated in his narrative, Gentoo has a great deal going for it in many respects including tuning applications to take fullest advantage of hardware and security.

For my part, though, when I installed my first Gentoo system, I was a complete novice at Linux. And though I still have a great deal to learn, the idea of building a new kernel to extend or retract capabilities of a machine is not a problem. I know what the sources are, I know how to select the best (for me) of those sources, compile, and move to the appropriate directory, modify configuration files and off I go. Or keeping the system up to date with portage, changing configuration files with etc-update, adding and removing services as needed. These are all things I learned by virtue of having Gentoo installed.

I would not dismiss all those great distros that do most things for you. Some people don’t want the hassle of the maintenance of a tuned system preferring instead to have a system that takes care of itself. I’m really glad there are such systems out there for those people. For those who want to learn Linux nothing in my experience beats Gentoo.

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