Re: [gentoo-user] it keeps growing

[Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com>]

Mark Knecht wrote:
>
>
> On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 7:14 AM Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com
> <mailto:rdalek1967@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> > Hund wrote:
> > > On June 1, 2021 3:38:30 PM GMT+02:00, n952162 <n952162@web.de
> <mailto:n952162@web.de>> wrote:
> > >> 337 packages this month to be updated.  It keeps getting more and
> more.
> > >> Pretty soon, gentoo will overtake Bitcoin in energy use.
> > >>
> > >>
> > > One might then ask why you have so many packages? And why you have
> a computer that consumes enough power for you to be worried about it?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Hund
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > I was thinking along the lines of how many packages even binary distros
> > have to update.  I've installed binary based distros before and when
> > updating those, there can be hundreds, several hundred, packages to
> > upgrade.  Thing is, those same packages exist in Gentoo.  If one has a
> > very similar set of packages installed, odds are, almost the same
> > packages will update in either a source based distro like Gentoo or in a
> > binary based distro.  The only difference is Gentoo compiles from
> source.
> >
> > If one is really concerned about compile times or the amount of power
> > needed to run Gentoo up to date, then one has to question not the
> > updates but why use Gentoo??  While some large packages are available in
> > binary, Firefox, Libreoffice etc, the vast majority of Gentoo is
> > compiled from source.  It's why most people use Gentoo, compile from
> > source with features set like you want.  If one is limited in hardware
> > or power, Gentoo may not be a good option.
> >
> > Makes one think.
> >
> > Dale
> >
> > :-)  :-)
>
> I totally get why the Linux enthusiast or an IT guy tasked with
> specific requirements runs Gentoo. I did from 2001 through maybe early
> 2018.
>
> There are numerous reasons I moved from Gentoo to Kubuntu 3-4 years ago:
>
> - Kubuntu updates take, in general, less than 1 minute, almost never
> more than 5, with an average of 2-3/week. I don't believe I spend more
> than 10 minutes on average any week maintaining my machines. Most
> important to me is in 3-4 years not a single one has failed. Download
> a little binary, install, done. Distribution updates (major rev ->
> major rev) take less than an hour and this is once a year or two. They
> are so infrequent that I typically forget how to do them and have to
> go read instructions.
>
> - Maintaining a simple Gentoo install with no desktop from source
> wasn't bad but the KDE overhead on older laptops was insane for my needs.
>
> - I personally could not perceive any speed advantages in my daily
> life running Gentoo. I'm sure there would be some if I was into
> benchmarking but I'm not.
>
> - Gentoo lost its way (IN MY OPINION ONLY, and maybe it's better now)
> 4-5 years ago in terms of a simple 'stable' release. There was a time
> when I couldn't update without ~amd64-ing some packages.
>
> - I use two paid-for non-open source applications - Harrison Mixbus
> (based on Ardour) and PixInsight. It's WAY easier to get support when
> running the same distro these vendor runs and it's been a BIG help in
> my life to get that support.
>
>    Sadly, I don't have nearly the knowledge of how things work under
> the hood on Kubuntu and the user level community is very quiet so I
> try to make general contributions here just to stay connected. This is
> still the best user group I know of. Friendly, informative experts.
>
> Just my 1.5 cents worth as I listen to Hunky Dory,
> Mark


On the few binary distros I've dealt with, they update about as much as
Gentoo does.  The ones that don't, tend to run behind.  I installed one
for a temporary test and the packages on it was several versions behind
even stable Gentoo.  It was far behind unstable on Gentoo. 

If one wants smaller updates or is concerned about power usage during
updates, Gentoo is likely not a good choice.  Compiling takes time and
uses power.  It's just the way Gentoo works. It's always been that way
and as long as it is a source based distro, it will remain that way. 
Gentoo isn't the right choice for every application. 

Just my 2 cents.

Dale

:-)  :-)