[gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Grant]

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What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system a
lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.  I just
discovered one for xfce4:

emerge tumbler

No other config.  Really cool result.

- Grant

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Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Walter Dnes]

On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 01:53:22PM -0800, Grant wrote
> What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system a
> lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.  I just
> discovered one for xfce4:
> 
> emerge tumbler
> 
> No other config.  Really cool result.

  In general, emerging an add-on for an environment will pull in the
environment as a dependancy.  Similar to your setup, back when I used
blackbox, emerging bbkeys would pull in blackbox as a dependancy.

  My setup takes a little a little setting up, but saves a lot of work
when setting up a new kernel.  I run with 2 kernels available...
1) Production
2) Experimental

  Sometimes they're identical.  Here's a simplified version of my
/etc/lilo.conf with the comment lines stripped out

########################################################
lba32

boot = /dev/sda
map = /boot/.map

install = /boot/boot-menu.b

menu-scheme=Wb
prompt
timeout=150
delay = 50


image = /boot/kernel-3.0-production
        root = /dev/sda5
        label = Production
        read-only # read-only for checking
        append = "noexec32=on"

image = /boot/kernel-3.0-experimental
        root = /dev/sda5
        label = Experimental
        read-only # read-only for checking
        append = "noexec32=on"
########################################################

  This gives me a boot menu with "Production" and "Experimental" kernels
to boot from.

  There are also 2 small scripts...
/usr/src/makeover
***IMPORTANT*** The arch/x86 directory is specific to 32-bit i686
kernels.  Adjust accordingly if you use a different architecture.
########################################################
#!/bin/bash
make && \
make modules_install && \
cp arch/x86/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-3.0-experimental && \
cp System.map /boot/System.map-3.0-experimental && \
cp .config /boot/config-3.0-experimental && \
lilo
########################################################


/usr/src/promote
########################################################
#!/bin/bash
cp /boot/System.map-3.0-experimental /boot/System.map-3.0-production
cp /boot/config-3.0-experimental /boot/config-3.0-production
cp /boot/kernel-3.0-experimental /boot/kernel-3.0-production
lilo
########################################################

  I build a new kernel by running "../makeover" from /usr/src/linux.  It
does the make and overwrites the previous "Experimental" kernel, and
runs lilo.  It does not touch "Production".

  After the "Experimental" kernel has been running trouble-free for a
while, I promote it to "Production", by running "../promote" from
/usr/src/linux.  This copies the experimental kernel over the production
kernel.  At this point, they are identical.  Having a previous working
kernel to fall back to has saved me on a few occasions.

  Note; on a brand new install, lilo will come back with an error on the
very first run of ../makeover, because there is no Production kernel
found.  The first time you run ../makeover, run ../promote immediately
afterwards.  This copies the Experimental kernel to Production, and
satisfies lilo.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
We are apparently better off trying to avoid udev like the plague.
Linus Torvalds; 2012/10/03 https://lkml.org/lkml/2012/10/3/349

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Bruce Hill]

On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 08:23:08PM -0500, Walter Dnes wrote:
> /usr/src/makeover
> ***IMPORTANT*** The arch/x86 directory is specific to 32-bit i686
> kernels.  Adjust accordingly if you use a different architecture.
> ########################################################
> #!/bin/bash
> make && \
> make modules_install && \
> cp arch/x86/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-3.0-experimental && \
> cp System.map /boot/System.map-3.0-experimental && \
> cp .config /boot/config-3.0-experimental && \
> lilo
> ########################################################

Actually it's not only 32-bit i686 kernels:

mingdao@server ~ $ ls -l /usr/src/linux/arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage 
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Sep  6 06:32 /usr/src/linux/arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage
-> ../../x86/boot/bzImage

mingdao@server ~ $ uname -m
x86_64
-- 
Happy Penguin Computers               >')
126 Fenco Drive                       ( \
Tupelo, MS 38801                       ^^
support@happypenguincomputers.com
662-269-2706 662-205-6424
http://happypenguincomputers.com/

Don't top-post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_post#Top-posting

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Marc Joliet]

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Am Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:21:34 -0600
schrieb Bruce Hill <daddy@happypenguincomputers.com>:

> On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 08:23:08PM -0500, Walter Dnes wrote:
> > /usr/src/makeover
> > ***IMPORTANT*** The arch/x86 directory is specific to 32-bit i686
> > kernels.  Adjust accordingly if you use a different architecture.
> > ########################################################
> > #!/bin/bash
> > make && \
> > make modules_install && \
> > cp arch/x86/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-3.0-experimental && \
> > cp System.map /boot/System.map-3.0-experimental && \
> > cp .config /boot/config-3.0-experimental && \
> > lilo
> > ########################################################
> 
> Actually it's not only 32-bit i686 kernels:
> 
> mingdao@server ~ $ ls -l /usr/src/linux/arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage 
> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Sep  6 06:32 /usr/src/linux/arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage
> -> ../../x86/boot/bzImage
> 
> mingdao@server ~ $ uname -m
> x86_64

Hah, I wonder if that's because the script was written before the x86 and
x86_64 architectures were merged in the kernel :) . I remember Heise reporting
on that a few years back.

-- 
Marc Joliet
--
"People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we
don't" - Bjarne Stroustrup

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Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Walter Dnes]

On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 11:41:41PM +0100, Marc Joliet wrote
> 
> Hah, I wonder if that's because the script was written before the x86
> and x86_64 architectures were merged in the kernel :) . I remember
> Heise reporting on that a few years back.

  Probably correct.  The machine is approx 4 years old.  It's also a
32-bit kernel, because back then...

1) Flash didn't work on 64-bit kernels without jumping through flaming hoops

2) Wine required either multilib support or straight 32-bit linux

  On a new machine today, I'd probably install 64-bits, unless there was
some weird requirement for 32-bits.  I don't push my machines that hard,
and they generally last.  I've mostly bought Dell desktops (including
this one).  The exception was was because Dell wasn't offering a machine
with 8 gigs of RAM when I wanted it.  The fact that the local guy also
had a motherboard with a PS/2 keyboard connector was another plus.  I
have a couple of of IBM "clickety-clack" 104-keyboard specials that were
being thrown out by my former employer a few years ago.  I love them.

  I've bought a couple of ASUS notebooks as well.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Bruce Hill]

On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 06:59:43PM -0500, Walter Dnes wrote:
> 
> have a couple of of IBM "clickety-clack" 104-keyboard specials that were
> being thrown out by my former employer a few years ago.  I love them.

Had to leave mine in China when we moved back last year. If you want to get
rid of one...
-- 
Happy Penguin Computers               >')
126 Fenco Drive                       ( \
Tupelo, MS 38801                       ^^
support@happypenguincomputers.com
662-269-2706 662-205-6424
http://happypenguincomputers.com/

Don't top-post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_post#Top-posting

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Marc Joliet]

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Am Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:59:43 -0500
schrieb "Walter Dnes" <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>:

> On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 11:41:41PM +0100, Marc Joliet wrote
> > 
> > Hah, I wonder if that's because the script was written before the x86
> > and x86_64 architectures were merged in the kernel :) . I remember
> > Heise reporting on that a few years back.
> 
>   Probably correct.  The machine is approx 4 years old.  It's also a
> 32-bit kernel, because back then...
> 
> 1) Flash didn't work on 64-bit kernels without jumping through flaming hoops

This never bothered me *that* much. You needed, what, nspluginwrapper? I don't
remember much what my experience was like, I think it was merely annoying, but
it's been years.

Looking at my merge history, I used it from March 2007 (my first Gentoo/Sabayon
install) till December 2008. Then I see I had it installed again from June to
September 2010.

So first of all, it looks like I was using the netscape-flash alpha releases
that had 64 bit support (in tree since November 2008), and genlop verifies this.

What happened in 2010: Adobe didn't manage to deliver a 64 bit version of Flash
10.1. I see the merge and unmerge dates of nspluginwrapper coincide with
upgrading to adobe-flash 10.1 and then to 10.2, respectively.

But hey, it looks like Flash is going the way of the Dodo, so hooray!
 
> 2) Wine required either multilib support or straight 32-bit linux

My box is around 6 years old now (bought at the beginning of my studies with
my earnings from (semi-)compulsory military service). I still went with Gentoo
amd64, even though 64bit support was still... incomplete. I don't regret it,
either. Gentoos emul-linux-* packages tended to be complete enough for my
needs, and I could even work with my student edition of Matlab.

Of course, everybody has their own requirements to consider, and mine didn't
dictate a 32 bit OS.

>   On a new machine today, I'd probably install 64-bits, unless there was
> some weird requirement for 32-bits.  I don't push my machines that hard,
> and they generally last.  I've mostly bought Dell desktops (including
> this one).  The exception was was because Dell wasn't offering a machine
> with 8 gigs of RAM when I wanted it.  The fact that the local guy also
> had a motherboard with a PS/2 keyboard connector was another plus.  I
> have a couple of of IBM "clickety-clack" 104-keyboard specials that were
> being thrown out by my former employer a few years ago.  I love them.
> 
>   I've bought a couple of ASUS notebooks as well.

Hell, my workplace installs 64 bit systems by default (and has been for a while
now). If that's not a sign... well, OK, it's a research institution, but
still ;) .

I only ever owned this one computer of mine, I could never afford a replacement
or a laptop (argh!), only upgrades every now and then, like recently buying
2x2GB RAM to replace my previous 4x512MB - and it's DDR2, so 3 times as
expensive as the same amount of DDR3 :( (well, in the store, at least: about 60
€ vs. 20 €). I won't be buying more RAM without replacing my mainboard and CPU,
even though my current mainboard supports up to 8GB, but this upgrade was
definitely worth it.

-- 
Marc Joliet
--
"People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we
don't" - Bjarne Stroustrup

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Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Volker Armin Hemmann]

Am Sonntag, 25. November 2012, 20:23:08 schrieb Walter Dnes:

a lot easier:
grub with entry:
vmlinuz
vmlinuz.old

in /usr/src/linux:
make all modules_install install

no problems, latest kernel will boot by default, previous kernel .old.

see? easy.

-- 
#163933

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Pandu Poluan]

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On Nov 26, 2012 4:56 AM, "Grant" <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system
a lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.

I personally keep stage '3.5' containing pre-compiled 'must-haves'. And a
'3.9' where the world has been totally recompiled using '--march=nocona'
and gcc Graphite extensions.

This saves me a lot of time deploying Gentoo servers at the back-end.

Rgds,
--

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Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Florian Philipp]

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Am 25.11.2012 22:53, schrieb Grant:
> What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system
> a lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.  I just
> discovered one for xfce4:
> 
> emerge tumbler
> 
> No other config.  Really cool result.
> 
> - Grant

cgroups are awesome to keep the system responsive under incredible load
(make -j64 and watching a video in parallel? Sure, why not). I'm still
looking for the best way to set them up, however.

Also, having a KDE setup that is slim enough to work on a second
generation netbook (terrible SSD, 512MB RAM) is something you can
probably not do with any other distribution.

Regards,
Florian Philipp


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Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[George Karagiannidis]

Greetings.

Philipp, I am currently using XFCE and I would like to switch to KDE, 
but I consider it a bit bloated :S. Do you mind sharing the way you 
setup your KDE?

regards,
George Karagiannidis
On 11/26/2012 10:38 AM, Florian Philipp wrote:
> Am 25.11.2012 22:53, schrieb Grant:
>> What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system
>> a lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.  I just
>> discovered one for xfce4:
>>
>> emerge tumbler
>>
>> No other config.  Really cool result.
>>
>> - Grant
> cgroups are awesome to keep the system responsive under incredible load
> (make -j64 and watching a video in parallel? Sure, why not). I'm still
> looking for the best way to set them up, however.
>
> Also, having a KDE setup that is slim enough to work on a second
> generation netbook (terrible SSD, 512MB RAM) is something you can
> probably not do with any other distribution.
>
> Regards,
> Florian Philipp
>

Re: [gentoo-user] easy Gentoo tricks

[Florian Philipp]

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Am 26.11.2012 09:49, schrieb George Karagiannidis:
> On 11/26/2012 10:38 AM, Florian Philipp wrote:
>> Am 25.11.2012 22:53, schrieb Grant:
>>> What are your favorite easy Gentoo tricks?  Stuff that makes your system
>>> a lot better in some way with only a minimal amount of effort.  I just
>>> discovered one for xfce4:
>>>
>>> emerge tumbler
>>>
>>> No other config.  Really cool result.
>>>
>>> - Grant
>> cgroups are awesome to keep the system responsive under incredible load
>> (make -j64 and watching a video in parallel? Sure, why not). I'm still
>> looking for the best way to set them up, however.
>>
>> Also, having a KDE setup that is slim enough to work on a second
>> generation netbook (terrible SSD, 512MB RAM) is something you can
>> probably not do with any other distribution.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Florian Philipp
>>
> 
> 
> Greetings.
>
> Philipp, I am currently using XFCE and I would like to switch to KDE,
> but I consider it a bit bloated :S. Do you mind sharing the way you
> setup your KDE?
>
> regards,
> George Karagiannidis

Well, disabling semantic-desktop is probably the most important step.
The rest is more aggressive than usual disabling of USE-flags and
compiling with -Os.

BTW: Please don't top-post.

Regards,
Florian Philipp


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