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> Hogwash. What's so hard about it, as opposed to any other Linux distro, |
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> once you get past the install issue? |
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Several points here: |
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1) The install issue is the crux isn't it? A Linux newbie would falter |
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at this first hurdle. I have recently installed two Gentoo stage 3 |
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installations, and the biggest problem a newbie would face is that if |
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something went wrong during the install (i.e. they missed a step in |
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the instructions somewhere) they wouldn't have the experience to work |
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out where they went wrong and fix it. |
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2) The install procedure is a relatively lengthy process (mainly due |
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to the time it takes to download and compile). Both of my |
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installations had to be spread over two or three evenings before the |
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kernel was built and the Gentoo system was ready to stand alone. |
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Without a good chunk of prior experiece, a newbie wouldn't know how to |
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get back to where they left off. |
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3) Linux newbies generally come from somewhere - the vast majority |
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don't stumble upon Linux as their first OS. Which means they will be |
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coming from a Windows or Mac background. Both are heavily GUI focused |
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- don't underestimate the intimidation factor of a Console to the |
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average Windows/Mac user. |
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> Just what precisely is so not-simple about Gentoo as opposed to any |
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> other distro (barring perhaps Linspire)? |
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See above and in addition, most mainstream Linux distro's out there |
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will with little work from the user provide a desktop environment with |
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all of the office and multimedia software installed, and hardware set |
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up. |
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These are not criticisms of Gentoo - I love it so far. After the |
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initial install, setting up Apache and subversion was a doddle, and |
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took far less time than when I did it on the previous Suse |
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installation, with the advantage that I now have a lean fast and tidy |
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server, rather than the bloated and messy system Suse gave me. This is |
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mainly due to Gentoo's excellent Portage system, and superb |
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documentation. But then I am not a Linux newbie, and work as a |
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software developer for a living ;-) |
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|
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JM2PW |
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|
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-- |
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Ant... |
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-- |
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gentoo-user@g.o mailing list |
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