Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Neil Bothwick <neil@××××××××××.uk>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Basic queries regarding installation from an outsider looking in
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:12:00
Message-Id: 20090614121156.1de87564@krikkit.digimed.co.uk
In Reply to: [gentoo-user] Basic queries regarding installation from an outsider looking in by AG
1 On Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:02:50 +0100, AG wrote:
2
3 > (1) Looking through the background docs, it occurs to me that if I
4 > wanted to install Gentoo on my system, I would need access to a second
5 > machine that is running all of the on-line docs that guide one through
6 > the installation process. Is this correct? If not, how does one refer
7 > to the (seemingly quite comprehensive) guidelines whilst in the middle
8 > of an installation?
9
10 Look at the alternate install docs. Although these relate to using a live
11 CD like Knoppix, you can also use an already installed system for this.
12 So you can install Gentoo from a chroot in your existing Debian system
13 (you will may a live CD to repartition). That way you can not only read
14 the docs, you can read your email, browse the web or play games while the
15 installation proceeds.
16
17 > (2) When Gentoo installs its libraries, does this duplicate the
18 > libraries already on my machine? For instance - if I have OOo and KDE
19 > and Xfce4 loaded as part of my Debian Squeeze system, will Gentoo also
20 > install its own version of OOo, KDE and Xfce4 alongside the Deb files?
21 > I was thinking that this would have a number of implications in terms
22 > of space and (potentially) in how the drive is partitioned for the
23 > Gentoo installation ... unless I'm missing the point?
24
25 Your Gentoo and Debian systems would, and should, be totally separate,
26 apart from shared user data.
27
28 > (3) What differences would I likely experience between running my
29 > Debian installation and the Gentoo installation? After all, up to a
30 > certain point GNU/Linux is GNU/Linux, and if I configured all the bells
31 > and whistles the same way as I have currently got them set up (i.e.
32 > preferred WM, desktop settings, applications, email and Net
33 > preferences, etc.), I'm not sure there would be any ostensible
34 > distinction between the two.
35
36 From a user perspective, you are right, Linux is Linux and different
37 distros tend to be different ways of arriving at a similar point. The
38 main difference is in the system administration.
39
40 > Any installation commitment will have to wait for a couple of weeks yet
41 > though: I'm in the process of completing my MSc thesis and need to keep
42 > a stable environment for the time being, so will look at taking this on
43 > in a few weeks. This is thus background research - a bit of a
44 > reconnaissance mission, so to speak. Any thoughts/ shared experiences
45 > would be welcome ... unless there is another, more appropriate forum
46 > for these kinds of experiences to be shared/ discussed.
47
48 Installing from within your existing system means you can fit the Gentoo
49 installation process in around your other computer usage.
50
51
52 --
53 Neil Bothwick
54
55 WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed. Buy a new
56 one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Basic queries regarding installation from an outsider looking in AG <computing.account@××××××××××.com>