Re: default stage3 (was : [gentoo-user] Is Gentoo still on the right path?)

[Anthony Roy <antroy@gmail.com>]

> Hogwash. What's so hard about it, as opposed to any other Linux distro,
> once you get past the install issue?

Several points here:

1) The install issue is the crux isn't it? A Linux newbie would falter
at this first hurdle. I have recently installed two Gentoo stage 3
installations, and the biggest problem a newbie would face is that if
something went wrong during the install (i.e. they missed a step in
the instructions somewhere) they wouldn't have the experience to work
out where they went wrong and fix it.

2) The install procedure is a relatively lengthy process (mainly due
to the time it takes to download and compile). Both of my
installations had to be spread over two or three evenings before the
kernel was built and the Gentoo system was ready to stand alone.
Without a good chunk of prior experiece, a newbie wouldn't know how to
get back to where they left off.

3) Linux newbies generally come from somewhere - the vast majority
don't stumble upon Linux as their first OS. Which means they will be
coming from a Windows or Mac background. Both are heavily GUI focused
- don't underestimate the intimidation factor of a Console to the
average Windows/Mac user.

> Just what precisely is so not-simple about Gentoo as opposed to any
> other distro (barring perhaps Linspire)?

See above and in addition, most mainstream Linux distro's out there
will with little work from the user provide a desktop environment with
all of the office and multimedia software installed, and hardware set
up.

These are not criticisms of Gentoo - I love it so far. After the
initial install, setting up Apache and subversion was a doddle, and
took far less time than when I did it on the previous Suse
installation, with the advantage that I now have a lean fast and tidy
server, rather than the bloated and messy system Suse gave me. This is
mainly due to Gentoo's excellent Portage system, and superb
documentation. But then I am not a Linux newbie, and work as a
software developer for a living ;-)

JM2PW

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Ant...

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