[CLUE-Tech] Debian: gpm not installing by default

[Randy Arabie]

On Sun, 21 Apr 2002, Collins wrote:

> On Sat, 20 Apr 2002 22:02:43 -0600 (MDT) jbrockmeier at earthlink.net
> wrote:> On Sat, 20 Apr 2002, Collins wrote:
> > 
> > *snip*
> > 
> > > I've been a gentoo afficionado from the early days (mostly on
> > > gentoo since early last year).  It is now a really good (tm)
> > > product.  If you can handle "build a system from source" with all
> > > the downloads and compiles (3-5 days for a complete system), it's
> > > the only way to fly.
> > 
> > I read a recent review of Gentoo - according to the reviewer,
> > some of the compile scripts (I forget what they're called) aren't
> > of the best quality. Have you had any problems with any of the
> > packages for Gentoo. (I realize they're not pre-compiled
> > packages, but I can't recall the word for their ports scripts...)
> > 
> 
> If you install a system from scratch, you won't encounter any of these
> problems, and your system will be rock solid.  The KDE 3.0 package,
> for example, was perfect if you hadn't tinkered with the Beta
> releases.

I've not had any compile problems in my "install from scratch" thus far.
I did build Opera 6.0, and when I tried to launch it it couldn't find 
libpng.so.2.  I fired off an email to the gentoo-newbie list and quickly 
got a polite response with a solution.  I have to build the library, then 
upgrade it.  However, I don't think I'll bother due to Collins mention of 
the libpng problems.

> The other side of the coin is this.  Like every linux distro,
> installing on a laptop or on unusual new peripherals (RAID, etc.) can
> be problematic.  Also, gentoo requires you to download lots of source
> packages.  If you have only a 56K modem, this will be a trying time. 
> My cable router/modem works OK, but some people have had difficulty
> with getting some of the more unusual DSL setups to play nicely.

All my hardware is pretty generic, older, well supported stuff.
I had no problems at all, WRT networking.  However, my DSL connection is:

ISP --> CISCO678 --> Firewall/Router Box --> LAN

My firewall/router box does DHCP & DNS for my LAN.  Thus, all I had to do 
was make eth0 dhcpcd enabled.

All said, my 72 hour opinion of Gentoo is that the distro VERY good.  I should 
add that I have never tried Debian or Slackware.  I have done many RH installs 
and one each Corel and Turbo linux.

Gentoo is not a beginner distro.  There is no GUI partition & HD format tool.  
The install doco doesn't really coach you through a recommended partition scheme 
or sizing.  You have to do it yourself with fdisk.  There is no install script.  
You issue commands at the prompt, you install your system from a single-user mode 
shell.

-- 
Cheerio!

Randy

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Randy Arabie
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