Re: [gentoo-user] Re: decrapify your kernel config WAS: ps shows pegasus process running - what is it?

[Stroller <stroller@stellar.eclipse.co.uk>]

On 8 Nov 2009, at 22:51, Alan McKinnon wrote:

> On Monday 09 November 2009 00:41:08 Stroller wrote:
>> Any time I spend messing with obscure kernel config options is time I
>> could be spending reading a good book, instead [1].
>> Sorry, spending time configuring my kernel loses, as does this  
>> thread.
>
> And yet you use gentoo....
>
> Considering what gentoo is and how one interfaces with it, should  
> you not
> rather be using a binary distro where someone else does the heavy  
> lifting?
> Something like Fedora, OpenSuse, Ubuntu?

Not at all.

Are you taking this discussion combatively?

I like Gentoo, I'm used to it, familiar with it (at least fairly so),  
I find it easy. When I've tried other distros I've found myself  
wasting time for various reasons.

I find CLI configuration reassuring - this is basically why I switched  
away from Windows - because at the command line I "know" that an  
operation has performed successfully, instead of having to rely on a  
checkbox which is supposed to work like magic.

I suspect that, ultimately, it's the USE flags that save me time. If I  
have to recompile _by hand_ just one or two programs because a binary  
distro doesn't include the options I need, or because it adds GUI  
dependencies which I don't want "cluttering up" my headless server,  
then that is probably a bigger waste of my time than using Gentoo.  
Remember that if I do that I also have to manage those packages  
manually, check for updates, worry about them getting clobbered by the  
distro's own updates, have hassle when other installed packages demand  
a dependency which I have fulfilled with this manual installation.

What do you think is demanding or time-wasting about Gentoo?

I just don't see why I should spend time messing with something, just  
because you (or Volker or anyone, not to make this personal) doesn't  
like the way it "looks". When it works perfectly!

Stroller.