New Gentoo 2007.0 Release Gets Mixed Review

lisah writes "Gentoo's recently released version 2007.0 gets a fair-to-middling review from Linux.com. Installation was a headache from the live CD and DVD versions, but the Gentoo Linux Installer saved the day and gets high marks for being 'far better than it's predecessor.' The user experience is also mixed — on the one hand, the distribution boots quickly, has great hardware support, and new, user-friendly artwork. On the other hand, 'for some strange reason, the installed Gentoo doesn't allow normal users to run any administrative applications.' Overall, it doesn't look like Gentoo offers any compelling reasons to switch to 'Secret Sauce' if they're happy with their current, uh, flavor."

Comments

for some strange reason

[wiredog]

The reason is "security". Login root or sudo to run admin apps.

Re:Update difficulties

[NeoThermic]

Portage will remind you that it has an update and you should install it after you `emerge --sync`. Updating portage should be the first thing you do before you `emerge -NDu world`

If you're getting to the point that you're getting incompatible updates with your existing setup, then you can always try `emerge -NDuep` and look at the resulting list it'll give you (p is for preview). From that, `emerge -C` anything you don't use any more, and then drop the 'p' from the command above and re-run it. It'll re-compile everything on your system with the latest packages, meaning that you should hopefully avoid the incompatibilities you're referring to.

Then again, if all that looks too much to do, Gentoo might not be for you? ;)

NeoThermic

Reinventing the Wheel

[MostAwesomeDude]

'for some strange reason, the installed Gentoo doesn't allow normal users to run any administrative applications.'

Gentoo is set up the same way as older Unices for privilege escalation. You cannot su if you are not a member of the wheel group.

Re:Gentoo-Linux-Zealot Translator-o-matic!

[garlicbready]

Like with everything else it has it's advantages and it's disadvantages
it all depends on what you want to use it for
(it's a bit like hitting a screw with a hammer and saying, hmmm this isn't going into the wall very well)

if you want something that's going to work first time, and that your not going to have to arse about setting up
(e.g. a commercial environment) then go with a rpm solution like redhat or suse (this way you've always got the option of support as well at the same time)

If you want something for running the latest cutting edge software and damned the consequences
the sort of person that would make the attempt at building his own conservatory on the side of his house go for Gentoo

Disadvantages
1. it's source based
which can mean less stable / well tested
ultimately gentoo is a source based dist, which means any binary files you end up with won't have been tested
and there's no guarantee of behavior as it all depends on how things have been linked

2. rpm's do some amount of checking when installing the binary, with gentoo it's assumed that whatever has been compiled is correct
(unless make install throws up an error during the build process or you write some checking into the script it's not always possible to guarantee that everything is installed the way it's supposed to be
admitily problems are rare but do crop up now and again

3. it takes ages to compile / install etc
the trade-off here is having access to the latest stuff, so I'm happy with this one

Advantages
1. if you want to get something working that's only just been released
      it takes me 5 mins to write an ebuild script
      it takes much longer to write an rpm spec file
      (this especially comes in handy when your trying to add / remove patches / custom graft as part of the script)
      the reason for this is a lot of the common stuff has been functionalised (is that a word?) into eclass files
      this makes the whole thing default to a certain common behavior unless overridden in the script

      also you don't have to list all the files that should be installed as it works it out for itself all auto-magically
      in an ideal scenario for rpm you'd at least have both options depending on the use of the system (do some checking, don't do some checking)
      ideally I'd really like rpm to take on some of the same advantages as this one (why not?, it might need testing / change of spec files but it'd be well worth it)

2. a lot of the scripts that form the bootup are much more up-to-date
      again most of the stuff in the /etc/init.d scripts has been placed into common functions referenced elsewhere
      it's part of the whole "if it's not broke don't fix it" thing, which in principle gives advantages to commonality if everyone is using the same sort of
      startup scripts if your writing a RPM for several dists and may be more stable / tested
      but the gentoo method is much simpler to write for / more automated

3. it's sourced based
      which means it'll run on pretty much anything, any weird ass bit of hardware you can throw at it (usually)
      (PS3 hint hint)

Personally I'm confident I can fix most things when they go wrong in the portage tree, via an overlay (or at least have the patience to wait for it to be fixed). but for the average Joe user in an office that couldn't give a monkey's for that sort of thing something binary / rpm is better suited

There's probably lots of stuff I've missed here but the general idea is
if you like home brew go to Gentoo (mmm tasty brew)
If you like it plain and flat go for Red Hat

Re:A little "hands on" experience with 2006.1

[AeroIllini]

I hear your frustrations, because I've been there before. I've been running Gentoo exclusively on all of my varied machines for a little over 4 years now, and non-exclusively (dual booting Windows) for almost 6.

But Gentoo is not a distribution. It's really more of a meta-distribution. It can be tailored to just about anything you want, but you need to be willing to take ownership of it and work with it.

If you're looking for your server to Just Work (tm), then by all means, go get SuSe or Mandriva or Ubuntu or Fedora or some other distro with precompiled binaries and a slick installer program. Gentoo's not for everyone. But, if you're looking for fine-grained control over your operating system with some handy scripts to help you out along the way, then you have to be willing to get your hands a little dirty.

I picked up Gentoo as an educational tool; I figured building it from scratch was the best way to learn about Linux, and I was right. Since then, I've stayed with Gentoo because I like the flexibility it gives me, and because at heart I really just enjoy building things. Right now I have Gentoo installed on two servers, a desktop and a laptop at home, and I'm working on building a tiny MythTV frontend that will boot from a USB key (under 100MB). Gentoo's flexible enough to allow me to do that, but then again, I'm willing to sit with it until it's right.

Gentoo never has been and never will be a Just Works (tm) operating system. It's for the hobbyists, the administrators, the students: anyone who wants a much finer grain control over their system. If that's not for you, then no one at Gentoo will hold a grudge.