[NTLUG:Discuss] Anyone here use Gentoo?

[JR Newsletters]

Chris Cox wrote:

>  I agree that recompiling
> from source on Redhat/SuSE does increase performance though
> (esp. when they were always/only delivering i386 binaries).

However it is a hassle to recompile everything in RedHat to get better 
performance, and I've found from experience that even if you do compile 
your own packages, you end up hitting a ceiling that you simply cannot 
upgrade beyond, unless you upgrade to the very next RedHat 
distribution.  Gentoo, OTOH, compiles the entire X-windows system and 
the Window Managers used and that adds a lot of performance over Red 
Hat, and I've yet to encounter any type of limitation on upgrades.

> I know there are several of us in NTLUG that are going to create
> a gentoo server for fun.  It reminds me a lot of BSD Ports.
>
> I'd also like to add (inspite of my "all SuSE" remarks sometimes),
> that I love things like Debian (which I installed on my Alpha)
> and Knoppix (an impressive Debian based dist that's fast,
> contains many bells and whistles and can run entirely
> from the CD). 

Gentoo is definitely in the league of Debian except that it is kept very 
up-to-date.  Packages are added to Gentoo's portage system (Similiar to 
Debian's apt-get) usually a week after they have been released.  The 
only real 'catch' with Gentoo I've found is that it is very heavily 
reliant on a network connection, and it does take a long time to 
initially install or upgrade major packages (for example, It took 8 
hours to compile the entire X system, and took 12 hours to compile KDE 
on my dual P3 650MHZ system over a dedicated 128k ISDN line.).  I will 
agree that Gentoo is not for the first time Linux user.

> ... I just don't like RH that much. 

You're not the only one.  RH's continual drive to keep me upgrading to 
their next distribution, if I want to keep my programs current, is tiresome.