how hard is gentoo?

[Byan]

from what I can tell, it seems that the hardest linux aviable would be slackware and the easiest would be either Mandrake or SuSE

I got SuSE 9.1, and really enjoyed it but when I got my new processor I had problems with it..
the actual reason I got SuSE was not because it was easy but because it comes with a bunch of CD's packed with software I would not have to try to download with my dial-up connection, so it was perfect..
sometime.., hopefully in the next month, a wireless broadband ISP would be avaible in my area and I plan on getting that, when that happends I will not have to worry about my slow connection anymore and I will be free to try any linux I want to..

from what I have read, Gentoo is not the hardest linux but not the easiest either, it seems to be right in the middle.., with my new AMD64, I plan on trying the new Gentoo AMD64 when I get my broadband, I would just like to know how big of a learning curve I should expect...

I had no problems what-so-ever with SuSE, other then trying to get my internal modem to work with it.. (I ended up getting an external one)..
but I also hardly ever had to touch a counsole or anything because of yast..

also, what enviroment should I use with gentoo?; I had been using KDE with SuSE.., what does gentoo come with and which one would be best for me at this point?
I have no idea how to install things like that, or I probably would've droped KDE for something like fluxbox (or w/e it is)

thanx in advanced,
Byan

[Tuttle]

I love Gentoo, but it's not really for beginners. You'll be staring at a command prompt for all of the install, and for a lot of maintenance work after that. It's also good to already have some idea of what you like to use -- there's no "default" environment in terms of KDE/Gnome/XFCE/Fluxbox/etc, you just install what you want. If you don't install anything, you get to make the text console look pretty instead. If you want Firefox, you have to install Firefox. If you want to play music, you need to install a music player. The installations are easy (emerge -av packagename), but you need to know what you want.

On the upside, if you want a distro which doesn't try to do everything for you, Gentoo is a good place to start. The documentation is excellent, and should cover most of the major tasks (getting X windows running, getting your 3D card's drivers working, setting up a mail server etc). The forums are pretty helpful too.

[Byan]

well, then, what should I use that does not act almost like windows does?
I want something so I am not a beginner anymore..
Gentoo sounds like the distro that I would like to end up using, if I don't end up using slackware..

I really wonder if it would really be too hard for me.., the biggest problem would be that I really don't know how linux works.., so troubleshooting is really hard..

[Tuttle]

That's what Google is for. Seriously. So far on my laptop I've had to deal with CPU speed adjustments not working properly, the sound card being locked down to root only each time it reboots, the whole laptop freezing if I switch out of X and back in again, and probably a few others I've forgotten by now. Each time the answer's already been documented somewhere, either on forums.gentoo.org or gentoo-wiki.com or someone's personal site.

Provided you have another working machine that you can use to access the Internet, you should be able to work past anything.

If you like the idea of Gentoo, give it a shot. I'd only suggest that you try the major environments (KDE/Gnome/XFCE/etc) on SUSE now while they're quick and easy to install, just so you have some idea of what you want to install on Gentoo. You can do it all in Gentoo if you want, but the compile-from-source thing makes it a fairly painful way to do things. Then give it a shot, and be prepared to take it one step at a time (ie get the machine booting, then get X windows working, then get a window manager or desktop running on it, then get 3D video working, then get sound working etc).

[Byan]

I know that is what google is for.., but somethings, such as trying to get that damn modem installed werent well documented..
and what i meant is that, in windows, I get an error message or something.., I can almost immediately tell what is wrong, ect. (for everything else, there is this forum)
but in linux, I see something wrong, and I don't really have much information right off.., I have to spend the time looking through google, ect.; which really isn't that big of a deal most of the time, I am going to have to get my other computer set up right next to this one..

it also sounds like gentoo would be almost impossible to use unless I get broadband because of everything I am going to need to be downloading, unless I plan ahead and spend a day downloading everything at someone else's house.., in which case I am going to forget/not know about something..

BTW- I took a look at XFCE and it looks nice, its not too minimalistic like fluxbox is.., its just right.., what enviroment do you use?

[DRead]

KDE at the moment, but i plan on changing at some stage, can anyone reccomend any display managers??

I would have to agree with you about broadband, I have been using 512Kbps at home and that can still take a while. Dialup is a thing of my nightmares!!

[Tuttle]

I'm playing with XFCE at the moment.

While Gentoo does involve downloading a fair bit, so do most other cutting-edge Linux distros. The only difference is you're downloading source code instead of binary packages.

[DRead]

Have just upgraded to fluxbox today! Getting used to it at the moment but i'll get there eventually.

[hongman]

Yeah, fluxbox is pretty cool. Transparecies and Tabs have to be the best features, plus it FAST as well. Loads at least 3 times quicker than KDE did.

Hong

[Spooky Man G]

No Gentoo. I had a friend suggest that to me. Of course, he is a programmer and has a degree in Artificial Intelligence, so it's not hard for him. I spent a good 2 hours trying just to make the network card work before installing, and I gave up. P*ssed me off to no end. And I thought Windows was a Pain in the...

[DRead]

Have you tried a pre built linux distro such as mepis, knoppix ect.. are easy to learn from...


Btw. A cheery Amsterdam good morning to you all!!!!!

[hongman]

Gentoo is good in the sense that its 'blank' and every customisable...very good documenation with it. Some say the best in fact. But yes, it means you have to configure most stuff yourself...

I agree with Dread, a nice distro to learn from is Knoppix or Mepis...

oh and Dread: You know we done like nio wokr last week? Well whilst your out 'shopping' in amserdam, I'm paying for it!!