Gentoo 2005.0: A Live CD And [No] Graphical Installer

Sunsetbeach writes "zdnet.co.uk reports in this article that 'The next version of Gentoo, 2005.0, will also include a graphical installer that will allow users to automatically install the same set-up of Gentoo on multiple machines, according to Gianelloni.' " The article distinguishes the upcoming live disk from the (available) Gentoo Live CD; the new one will contain a fully functioning system ala Knoppix. Update: 11/30 23:09 GMT by M : Gentoo now has a clarification posted; the next Gentoo release will not have a graphical installer, although it is planned for the future.

Comments

Gentoo becoming user friendly

[b0lt]

Over the years I've been using gentoo, I've noticed that it has become MUCH more userfriendly. The documentation has improved dramatically, and now there's a graphical installer. Will this increase gentoo's install base?

-b0lt

Breaks Gentoo as a learning tool

[neomage86]

One of the best things about Gentoo for me (the performance difference was negligble) besides portage, was the bootstrapping process. I know it took forever, but you actually are learning more about linux. Redhat (my first *nix) hid everything, and slackware (my second love) gave me a little more access. Only gentoo allowed me to see (and attempt to understand) a true view of the install.

Re:Breaks Gentoo as a learning tool

[SavedLinuXgeeK]

Not only the install, but honestly having to compile your own kernel, just makes things work better. Everything about Gentoo is right, you know whats going in, and you know whats coming out. I don't run lsmod and see about 20 modules just floating there, like I did with mandrake, I know whats going on, I pick the modules that will be there. Its not just about access, its about actually using a pc, after years of submitting to MS's craptacular tendecies of hiding everything and sticking you with the bill, its liberating to actually know what module does what, and what program is running what service, etc. That is the true power of linux.

Re:Breaks Gentoo as a learning tool

[onesandzeros]

I often see this written. With the exception of a few lines in various /etc files, to be honest, I didn't learn so much about linux from Gentoo. I learned "scripts/bootstrap.sh" and then "emerge world" and the whatever else I wanted to install.

That's not to say I don't like it. I do. I think it's great. But, the last time or two that I did an install, I used Knoppix to do it. I think it's great that they might have a full GUI available during the build. And, I think we can expect them to have the CLI type install available as well.

I use it because of the clarity and thoroughness of the documentation on their website. I'd like to try Debian, but I can't find a single, succinct install doc like Gentoo's.

Chris

Re:This is exactly what Gentoo needs

[oexeo]

I am not really sure if this is *really* good to have many more people... I mean that gentoo isn't an easy to handle distro

You don't actually provide a valid reason why it's not a "*really* good to have many more people" use Gentoo. The explanation I see implied from your condescending post is that you're afraid you won't look "1337" if too many people start using your distro of choice.

Re:this will totally crush BSD

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it won't.

If you really want a rock stable system FreeBSD is still the way to go, as great as gentoo is, it can't compete in this area.

You'll also still have to compile all the software for your system, something you don't have to do, but can do using FreeBSD.

And of course there are many people that think that the BSDs have some security functionality gentoo or linux in general still lacks, e.g.: jails.

Finally, it is simply beyond me why you think that anything killing FreeBSD is a good thing. If gentoo fits your needs better than FreeBSD, use it, but what do you think gentoo or anyone else would gain from destroying FreeBSD?

offtopic rant

[Zork the Almighty]

Don't you just love it how first posts are always modded redundant. I mean, all you did was make a comment. You expressed your opinion. I wonder, what is it that the moderator expected ?

I've noticed a lot of redundant mods lately, and negative mods in general. I think Slashdot should attach statistics to each story showing the percentage of positive versus negative mods. I would also like to see these statistics for editors, who have unlimited mod points. We should get to see how they were meta-modded as well. On one final note, Slashdot needs a forum to discuss issues like this, so that people don't have to resort to offtopic posts.

Newbies and Gentoo

[fdesibert]

I, myself, am fairly newbieish (a couple of years using linux, certainly no toothy, beared old UNIX veteran); but I found Gentoo, contingent upon RTFM and a little ingenuity, to be the easiest to fully install. When I use the term fully install, I mean install, finalize and gain complete control over. Things that could use improvement: 1) Fonts 2) Stupid, Bloody X configuration. Should be in Installation Docs not Desktop section. Many hours of frustration.


This is a receipt for $0.02 expended upon "My Opinion." Please retain for tax purposes.

Re:This is exactly what Gentoo needs

[stinky wizzleteats]

You don't actually provide a valid reason why it's not a "*really* good to have many more people" use Gentoo.

Yes, actually, he did:

I mean that gentoo isn't an easy to handle distro, you have to spend time to understand it and able to use it.

Because installing Gentoo currently is about 2 steps away from installing LFS, you simply cannot do it without learning a LOT about GNU/Linux at a very low level. If you want to install Gentoo, you MUST invest the time to learn how everything works. This frankly provides an idiot barrier to the support community. The only people who can ask questions about Gentoo are those who have made it through the installation. As of right now, you can ask a question on the Gentoo forum and get a useful answer usually within minutes. If you ask a question on the Mandrake forum, it disappears into a black hole of untold thousands of forever unanswered posts. Once the number of utterly clueless users exceeds the ability of the community to disseminate knowledge, support goes underground - with answers only trading hands among people who've made contact with the gurus by some means beyond simply showing up and asking questions.

Gentoo's current installation process makes it impossible to have a functioning system without knowing the following:

• How partition and disk structure works
• How GCC actually functions
• How the kernel is installed and configured
• At least something about runlevels and init scripts

I don't think it is unreasonable for this to be minimum knowledge to access support.

gentoo can't have it both ways

[mgkimsal2]

The gentoo fanboy community can't have it both ways.

1. Requiring intimate kernel-level knowledge of a system to install it.

2. Shouting 'use gentoo!' to every passerby who expresses any sort of question about another distro (like, how do I install an RPM? or something similar).

It's like people saying Macs are the bestest most awesomest systems ever, but that they're also cheaper than x86 alternatives. It doesn't work both ways.

Be content with having a difficult-to-install system that forces people to learn more than most people would want. That's fine. But don't shout that as the answer to every single problem as well - most people don't have the time or motivation to do that.