[gentoo-user] Re: minimal installation CD iso is where?, &&

[James]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon <at> gmail.com> writes:


> On 06/08/2015 11:13, Felix Miata wrote:
> >> Gentoo is not supposed to be easy, but if you'd just followed the
> >>  handbook you would have got what you wanted.
> >> Choosing non-defaults breaks the flow, especially when a branch
> >> explanation ends before an answer emerges. It probably would have been
easy if only the
> > first 3 or 4 Distrowatch columns existed and it had an empty systemd row.


I think the Handbook is getting better and better. However the
systemd-openrc choice is something that needs to be explained early in the
handbook from a neutral prospective. Let's face it, lots of folks become
interested in Gentoo, often when they hear that you do not have to run
systemd. I'm not saying push one over the other, but explain and delineate
that choice
*early* in the handbook. WE owe the larger linux community that wisdom::
that gentoo has made peace with systemd and openrc:: imho.


> Forget everything Distrowatch says about Gentoo. It is written by
> Distrowatch people trying to fit Gentoo into the Distrowatch mould, and
> it does not work.

Distrowatch is a fact of life. On the gentoo home page, maybe WE need to
explain this concept and articulate the wisdom and peace that gentoo imparts
on it's community:: albeit at the price/cost of investing time learning
about linux and particularly gentoo. WE owe the larger linux community,
clearly explained concepts on the homepage, imho.



> Some folks complain about all the config choices that have to be made
> when setting up a Gentoo system initially. Well, these folks entirely
> miss the whole point of Gentoo - it is highly configurable, which means
> choices. These choices have to be made and indicated at some point, at
> the point to do that is right at the beginning, right in the middle of
> the install process. It's how the distro works.

Agreed. But we can (maybe eventually) offer more frequent live versions
of gentoo, in a canned dvd(w/persistence) so that folks can test-drive
gentoo, add a few packages and get comfortable before undertaking that long
and winding manual install road? All it would take is spinning out more
livedvd/sticks imho. Or, We could also point them to existing gentoo
derivatives for a test-drive:: pentoo,  lilblue, sabayon, calculate etc etc
first, if we are not going to roll more frequent live* images?

 Maybe GRS (blueness) offers a bit more of a quickie?


> I get the feeling from reading your posts that you are trying to
> understand Gentoo by comparing it to a binary distro to find common
> ground. That won't help, you run out of similarities very quickly.
> Gentoo has to be understood on it's own terms, not in terms of how it
> compares to say Fedora

Kids always compare new foods to chocolate; that's just how it is.
Delineating why gentoo is superior (and it is when you are mature enough)
is what we do not do formally. Somebody (like Alan or Neil) really should
write up article on this, put it on the home page and call it 'The Wisdom
and Wonders of Gentoo' or some such marketing hyperbole. If for no other
reason, so we do not have to continue with this 'educational intro to
gentoo' on gentoo-user.


Of coarse the 'old farts' are right about what they spew here on the list.
But, the simple, fundamental question is this:: do we really want to be a
collective of intellectual smoots, or do we want a kinder and gentler 
reception for noobs to dabble in? Personally, I do not play basketball with
folks my age:: it's a bummer to watch them struggle. I do play full-court
basketball, with college age kids and it is the most wonderful joy a former
athlete can have. That glistening of the youthful minds is great company
for old farts. You guys really want to continue to frustrate these kids?
Most of them have already had the 'shit kick out of them' intellectually in
a globalize world; why do you think they seek refuge in gentoo?

Let's jazz up our gentoo-sex-appeal  on the home page so we ALL look good.
Moose anyone?


Just a few random thoughts:: no intentions of scratching loose any dandruff.


peace,
James