[gentoo-dev] Fwd: noX kernel not on livecd as the <F2> options state

[Kurt Lieber]

For those of us more familiar with the liveCDs and installation process, is
this message accurate?  Do we really no longer have any sort of non-GUI
(even framebuffer GUI) way of installing Gentoo?  (Note: I don't consider
having to pass nofb as a boot flag as a viable option since that isn't
exactly intuitive and can lead to messages like the one below)

--kurt

----- Forwarded message from Brian Beck <wedgenix@×××××××××.net> -----

From: Brian Beck <wedgenix@×××××××××.net>
To: www@g.o
Subject: noX kernel not on livecd as the <F2> options state
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2003 05:56:37 -0400
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

<rant>
I attempted a gentoo install on an intel smp box sitting in my server
cabinet.  I just run an old 640x480 VGA service monitor on top of that
cabinet and nothing ever needed anything different.  The livecd will not
show any display after passing the boot: flags, I assume because it defaults
to some gui install crap at a resolution higher than 640x480.  I tried
<ctrl>-<alt>-<-> to cycle resolutions but that still gave me no display.  I
tried <ctrl>-<alt>-<(F1-F12]> and was unable to get any other consoles.  I
tried boot: noX but it told me kernel noX not found, even tho the <F2>
options said there was a noX kernel.  It's a pretty sorry introduction to
Gentoo.  I suppose my choices now are to take a monitor from a workstation
(the very concept of borrowing workstation parts to get a server going that
*should* work w/ what it's already got is annoying enough) or try a
different distro.  I believe I'll opt for a different distro.  It seems
Gentoo is yet another distro designed for the console-challenged trying to
attract windows users.  I should have guessed that when your webpage
mentioned something like "and of course, the obligitory X".  My fault for
being optimistic I guess.  All I needed on this box was an NFS server to
boot a couple diskless Alphasevers (NetBSD), Communigate Pro mail duty for a
small domain, and seti crunching...none of which would benefit from X.  The
only gui boxes I have are doze and osX.  Servers dont need it *especially*
during install, and I'd rather have my server resources DOING the install
than to be showing me an artsy-fartsy interpretation of how the install is
going.  </rant>

-Brian Beck
IT Consultant


----- End forwarded message -----