Re: [PLUG] Re: why Gentoo

[Luke Renn <goseigen@comcast.net>]

* Pat Regan <thehead@patshead.com> [2005-07-16 09:03:47 -0400]:

> I will have to expose my ignorance of Gentoo...  Does Gentoo actually
> distribute changes via patches instead of full tarballs?  If so, then I
> am more impressed with their package manager than I was before.  That is
> very smart.

Well, sometimes yes, sometime no.  Mostly no.

> If a vulnerability is released with a patch you don't need to be running
> a source based distribution to recompile a single package.

No, but most people wait for the new binary package wouldn't you
agree?  And when you do, it can be a pain in the butt.

> I didn't have high expectations on my attempt to optimize Firefox.  I
> just wanted to see if all the crazy optimization flags the Gentoo guys
> use lived up to the hype :).

I would say it doesn't live up to the hype.  However, I'm glad my
binaries won't run on a 386, and are optimized for my processor, even
if I don't always notice the difference w/ high visibility apps like
Firefox.  If you're running servers you usually want to compile a few
things from source anyway, apache, php, etc, just so you don't get a
bunch of crap you don't want...so might as well optimize while you're
doing it.

> I don't compile too many things from source, but I have at least one or
> two packages handy to check out.  My 2.6 kernel tree is 330 MB, source +
> object, is almost 10 times bigger than the tarball.  I still have a copy
> of Freeciv 2.x laying around from before there was a Debian package.
> The tarball is 8 MB, source plus object is 126 MB.  I use Emacs CVS, I
> don't seem to have the source around anymore, but I recall it taking up
> quite a bit of room after compiling.

emerge emacs-cvs

Another nice thing...the most popular packages already have cvs
ebuilds.  Which means, you can track a project's cvs builds, but still
have it managed by your package manager.

> I don't have the patience for ultimate control anymore, but I am glad it
> is there for those that need it.  I know there have been plenty of times
> when Debian unstable has been behind enough version to ALMOST make me
> want to roll my own.  My laziness nearly always kicks in first :).

Debian is so far behind, I wouldn't consider using it, but thats just
me.

All and all, I wouldn't recommend Gentoo to anyone who needs
convincing.  It's either something that you immediately want, or its
not going to be for you.  One great way to get BSD snobs (like myself)
back to linux, it to show them gentoo.  Essentially, all BSD distro's
are like Gentoo, Gentoo just took what BSD started and made it 10x better.

-- 
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
                   -- Benjamin Franklin
                      Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
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