Re: [gentoo-user] can one tell me: gentoo vs opensuse

[Dale]

Pandu Poluan wrote:
>
>
> Indeed! Especially control freaks like me :-)
>
> But seriously, I personally found Gentoo to be the most logical Linux
> distro. Yes, the initial barrier (installation) is daunting, so to
> speak, but after doing it successfully, one can immediately intuit
> "what's going on". Installing and configuring other packages becomes
> piece of  cake.
>
> The logical way of Gentoo even extends to its packages. For instance,
> packages that are meant to be run as services/daemons will *certainly*
> have a pair of files in conf.d and init.d. Customizable environs are
> in env.d and profile.d. And so on.
>
> I've used Linux exclusively as servers, and I have dabbled with Red
> Hat, CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch, but Gentoo wins hands down for
> its logicality.
>
> Not to mention that I can customize my servers exactly to my
> specifications, instead of having to put up with cruft that the distro
> maintainer feel as a "must have". Case in point : how many distros
> allow you to choose which cron daemon you want to use?
>
> Another plus point is the almost complete devel tools provided out of
> the box: the gcc suite. Now if I happen across an open source project
> that hasn't made it yet to the portage tree, I can just download and
> compile it myself.
>
> Related to that, is the great job Portage did regarding dependency
> hell. Since I am no longer hostage to the whims of the distro
> maintainer re: versions of libraries installed, if a program needs a
> library that's newer than the current 'stable' version, I can just
> keyword the needed version and compile away.
>
> Rgds,
>


This is true but the OP may not really need this type of control.  Most 
people, newcomers especially, just want something that is easy and sort 
of learn a bit and see if Linux is for them.  Some people just aren't 
wanting to be geeky at all.  They want a OS that will take care of 
everything for them.  In that case, Gentoo is not going to be worth the 
effort.

Me, I have a Desktop with no real special needs.  I just wanted to be 
able to learn about Linux, not have some bunch of junk that I never ever 
intend to use installed and be able to update without standing on my 
head with my small toe up one nostril trying to jump hoops.  Mandrake 
had a horrible update process and I got tired of it quick.  If you could 
insert CD, install and not need to update anything, then you were good 
to go.  If you install and then need to update something, oooops.  Flip 
upside down and assume the position.

Gentoo does have a lot of good points, especially for me.  It is just 
not going to be easy and hand holding at first for a newcomer.  The OP 
will learn a lot and as I pointed out, it can be addicting.  Just turn 
off the quiet output setting and see what Linux is really all about.  ;-)

Dale

:-)  :-)

-- 
I am only responsible for what I said ... Not for what you understood or how you interpreted my words!