Re: [gentoo-user] Is Gentoo still on the right path?

[Mark Knecht <markknecht@gmail.com>]

On 11/16/05, Derek Tracy <tracyde@gmail.com> wrote:
<SNIP>
> (DISCLAIMER: Let me start off by saying that this is truly not a flame but
> more of a concern.  So please do not flame me for stating my
> opinions/concerns.)
<SNIP>

Understood. I certainly didn't take it that way.

>
> I have been an avid Gentoo User for 2 and 1/2 years now.

About the same as me.

<SNIP>
>  In the past I
> have always leaned toward ~x86 (I love bleeding edge).  But since this was
> going to be a new install I decided to do the preferred method and set all
> ~x86 flags via /etc/portage/package.keywords for specific packages.

Right.

>
> Now since we have the background we will get to the questions at hand.
> During this install I have run into nothing but problems.
<SNIP>
... with a slight modification I am using LVM2 for /usr /usr/portage
> /opt /var /tmp /home (I figured I would take advantage of some setuid
> security procedures).  Part way through the online handbook I noticed that
> they standardized the Stage3 install.  I figured that since the developers
> thought it was best to use a Stage3 install then why not give it a shot.  So
> I installed everything according to the handbook and all went well until I
> restarted.

Yes, but I've done FC installs that did the same thing. It's not
limited to Gentoo.
<BIG SNIP --- IT'S ABOVE MY PAY GRADE>
>
> So now I am waiting for the whole system to recompile using ~x86 (the so
> called "Unstable" packages) and I will see if that works or not.

Bummer. The Gentoo install is a lot of work. To completely restart is
painful. Was there really no other option? I don't remember you asking
about this. Did I miss it?

>
> I am seriously reconsidering finding another OS to use, this whole headache
> has been totally ridiculous.  I could see this if I would have emerged all
> of the unstable packages to begin with or even perform a Stage1 install
> after the developers decided to make the Stage3 the default.  But I didn't I
> did everything according to the documentation (and I triple checked that I
> did not skip anything).
>
> So with all of this said if the developers do not start testing everything a
> little more thoroughly then I predict there will be a serious drop in the
> number of Gentoo Followers out there.  Especially if a Gentoo Veteren has
> this hard of a time installing the operating system that I love.

In some ways I agree. I have an AMD64 machine (I'm writing you from
it) that has a LOT of packages as ~amd64 to make it usable. I
recognize that this is newer hardware and I expected this would be
required, but recently I've noticed portage getting hinky about ~x86
vs. ~amd64. My /etc/postage/package.use file is getting weird trying
to keep up. Portage is trying to downgrade things that are marked
~x86. I change them to ~amd64 and it lets me keep them. Something
feels wrong about that.

But at least my system works. (mostly...) I have no complaints. Just concerns...


>
> When a branch is marked stable all of the packages in that branch should
> work, yes there will always be configuration glitches but the problems I
> have had during this install were not from configuration glitches.  They are
> what looks like incompatible packages and numerous other things.  If Gentoo
> is going to continue to grow then we as a community need to speak up about
> things like this.
>

Well, yes and no. I don't think that 'stable' is the same as
'guaranteed'. None the less I agree with what I think is the sentiment
of your statement. In some of the online polls it seems that Gentoo's
popularity has dropped a bit lately. Personally I'm more and more
impressed with it every day. It's only been on my AMD64 machine that
I've seen many issues.

I will admit that I have a big concern about an upcoming MySQL update
that is probably going to break my whole TV network here. Due to my
fear I haven't upgraded MySQL and will likely come back ranting myself
sometime in December when I'm probably forced to do it. We'll see...
;-)

Best of luck getting the problems worked out.

cheers,
Mark

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