Re: [tlug] CentOS to Gentoo-Pros/Cons(if any)?

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On 13/12/05, Mark Sargent <powderkeg@example.com> wrote:

> Now, I've been toying with the idea of Gentoo, and well, am not sure if
> it will be that advantageous, or not.

Here's a Quick-n-Dirty(TM)[1] list of pros and cons:

Cons (first, since this list will be smaller):

- Gentoo will take a little work to get installed. While the
instructions are excellent, there are still a lot of steps, and
missing one can make your system funky.

- Source-based packages mean it takes longer to install software (the
first time).

- Zealots who champion other distros will hate you because Gentoo is
so much better than their distro of choice.[/troll]

Pros:

- As you have noted, there are quite a few relatively guru-esque
Gentoo users on this list (including the editor[2] of the GWN[3]) and
at least one developer (me), which means that your questions will
probably be answerable and I can make sure your bugs--on the off
chance that you encounter any--get at least one more eyeball on
Buzilla.[4]

- Source-based packages mean you can control features at compile-time,
making nasty everything-and-the-kitchen-sink, Red Hat-style dependency
nightmares a thing of the past.

- Source-based packages also mean you can optimise compiles for your
architecture, getting faster binaries. (Will you notice? No. Will you
have bragging rights? Shit yes!)

- Excellent community of users. The Forums[5] are one of the best
resources on the net for Linux users, regardless of the distro. The
search sucks, but who cares when you have Google's "site:
forums.gentoo.org" command?

- Nice configuration system; to wit: /etc/conf.d tree.

And the biggest pro, in my opinion, is that installing Gentoo *will*
teach you something about how a Linux system really works. Especially
if you start at Stage 1[6] your first time out!

So take the leap! You won't be sorry, and you will have plenty of help
from the Forums and TLUG.

Cheers,
Josh

[1] http://www.qnd-guides.net/
[2] http://dev.gentoo.org/~plate/
[3] http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/gwn.xml
[4] http://bugs.gentoo.org/
[5] http://forums.gentoo.org/
[6] http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-345229.html