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On Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:02:50 +0100, AG wrote: |
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> (1) Looking through the background docs, it occurs to me that if I |
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> wanted to install Gentoo on my system, I would need access to a second |
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> machine that is running all of the on-line docs that guide one through |
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> the installation process. Is this correct? If not, how does one refer |
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> to the (seemingly quite comprehensive) guidelines whilst in the middle |
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> of an installation? |
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Look at the alternate install docs. Although these relate to using a live |
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CD like Knoppix, you can also use an already installed system for this. |
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So you can install Gentoo from a chroot in your existing Debian system |
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(you will may a live CD to repartition). That way you can not only read |
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the docs, you can read your email, browse the web or play games while the |
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installation proceeds. |
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> (2) When Gentoo installs its libraries, does this duplicate the |
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> libraries already on my machine? For instance - if I have OOo and KDE |
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> and Xfce4 loaded as part of my Debian Squeeze system, will Gentoo also |
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> install its own version of OOo, KDE and Xfce4 alongside the Deb files? |
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> I was thinking that this would have a number of implications in terms |
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> of space and (potentially) in how the drive is partitioned for the |
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> Gentoo installation ... unless I'm missing the point? |
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Your Gentoo and Debian systems would, and should, be totally separate, |
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apart from shared user data. |
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> (3) What differences would I likely experience between running my |
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> Debian installation and the Gentoo installation? After all, up to a |
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> certain point GNU/Linux is GNU/Linux, and if I configured all the bells |
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> and whistles the same way as I have currently got them set up (i.e. |
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> preferred WM, desktop settings, applications, email and Net |
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> preferences, etc.), I'm not sure there would be any ostensible |
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> distinction between the two. |
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From a user perspective, you are right, Linux is Linux and different |
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distros tend to be different ways of arriving at a similar point. The |
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main difference is in the system administration. |
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> Any installation commitment will have to wait for a couple of weeks yet |
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> though: I'm in the process of completing my MSc thesis and need to keep |
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> a stable environment for the time being, so will look at taking this on |
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> in a few weeks. This is thus background research - a bit of a |
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> reconnaissance mission, so to speak. Any thoughts/ shared experiences |
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> would be welcome ... unless there is another, more appropriate forum |
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> for these kinds of experiences to be shared/ discussed. |
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Installing from within your existing system means you can fit the Gentoo |
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installation process in around your other computer usage. |
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-- |
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Neil Bothwick |
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|
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WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed. Buy a new |
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one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore. |