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I've installed Gentoo... - unfa - 06-15-2011
...But I don't use it.
Why?
Because Ubuntu boots up faster and have no trouble installing Blender, Inkscape, GIMP and LMMS.
I thought I'm gonna get a super-duper performance boost, but I couldn't get basic things working, so I'm giving it up for now.
Maybe I'll try using my custom-built kernel with Ubuntu, that might speed up some stuff...
I'm on an ASUS k52J laptop with 64-bit processor.
Anyone else uses or used to use Gentoo? Especially for audio/video work. Would you like to share your thoughts?
RE: I've installed Gentoo... - Friskydingo - 06-15-2011
I wouldn't recommend that you use Gentoo if you are used to Ubuntu. Why the huge downward usability jump? I'd recommend to you my favorite alternatives to Ubuntu:
- Debian
- Linux Mint
- Arch
- Ubuntu Minimal Install
DEBIAN
Since you seem to be coming from the Ubuntu arena, I'd recommend that if you want a great performance boost, but not leave the awesome "aptitude" and "apt-get" package manager, then why don't you install pure Debian? It's faster, more stable, it isn't overly simplified (don't worry, you can install GNOME/KDE/Fluxbox on top easily), and it's simply less bloated.
DEBIAN PROS:
- Faster startup and performance (by a lot!).
- Extremely stable and crashes less (has more stable drivers).
- Is almost entirely binary-compatible with Ubuntu .deb files.
- A good, stable, no-frills distribution that is easy to adjust to, if coming from *buntu.
- Since it has more stable packages, you probably will have less than up-to-date software.
- Its root account is enabled by default! (You can disable it by logging into a normal user account and typing "sudo passwd -l root")
- PPA repositories are an Ubuntu-only thing.
My second-favorite preference is Arch Linux, as it's kind of like Gentoo, but it's easier to use and set up and has stunning documentation! It's known to be very fast and extremely configurable. When you install it and edit your config files, you are greeted by a command prompt. Then, you can use the package manager (appropriately named "pacman") to update your repository listings and install packages, similar to aptitude in Ubuntu/Debian.
Here's a basic aptitude to pacman equivalents list:
Code:
APTITUDE | PACMAN
---------------------------------------------------------
aptitude pacman
aptitude search [target] pacman -Ss [target]
apt-get autoremove pacman -Ru
apt-get clean pacman -Sc
apt-get install [package] pacman -S [package]
apt-get remove [package] pacman -R [package]
apt-get update pacman -Sy
apt-get upgrade pacman -SyuARCH PROS:
- Blazing fast startup (better than most Debian installs)!
- Humongous repositories ("core" enabled by default, when you enable the "extra" and "community" repos, the package choice is massive)!
- Is a "rolling-release" distro; no need to upgrade to new releases every year. You can install Arch and keep it up-to-date forever.
- Easier than Gentoo and (more or less) just as fast.
- Absolutely stunning documentation and wiki! Easy to understand and simple steps. It's like you are reading a well-written, very easy to follow book on Linux at the library! It's the friggin' ultimate Linux bible!
- Very different directory structure than Debian-based distros!
- Much more technical than Debain or Ubuntu. (well, duh!) You may need to edit some config files if your hardware is non-standard.
- Like Debian, its root account is also enabled by default, but can be disabled the same way.
- A little picky about wireless drivers (on my machine).
- GET USED TO PACMAN!
If you still feel at home in Ubuntu and you don't want to switch to Arch or Debian, just stick with Ubuntu, but install a mini iso instead! It gives you the bare minimum packages to get you started and when you log in, you are (like Debian/Arch) greeted with a command prompt. You can then install GNOME/KDE/XFCE/Fluxbox/etc. and customize your packages from the ground up.
UBUNTU MINI PROS:
- Decent startup times at initial install (still a little bit slow, when compared with other distros, and will only get slower as you add more drivers or daemons).
- Still uses "aptitude" and you still have the massive Ubuntu repos!
- Still vulnerable to the Ubuntu-characteristic "slowdown" that degrades its performance over time.
- As with any Ubuntu install, it has lots of metapackages, forcing you to install bundles of independent software that you don't quite need and you end up using only that one, specific program that you wanted while the other crap sits there, taking up unneeded disk space...
, but honestly, I really do think that it's a bit overkill to use Gentoo if you are satisfied enough with Ubuntu's style of use and you prefer non-hackery distros IMHO. It's like "using a Caterpillar bulldozer to squash an annoying mosquito" kind of overkill.
RE: I've installed Gentoo... - unfa - 06-15-2011
Wow! Thanks for your detailed and well-formated reply! I didn't expect that
I just now have problems with Ubuntu, it's really sloooooowinnnnnng doooooownnnnnn. It's like running a terminal emulator sometimes takes up 10 seconds or something. Weird.
So I think I'm gonna try maybe Debian first or I don't know what...
PPA's are cool thing as KX Studio's plugins and fresh builds of LMMS and Ardour are there.
Well.
Thanks anyway
RE: I've installed Gentoo... - noobermin - 06-15-2011
By default gentoo won't boot quickly (I guess) because you have the default openrc settings. I've never really minded to tweak it, but something that might help is rc_parallel in rc.conf (it gives you one extra second? \o/). I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything, but having a faster boot time never really appealed to me personally. I've always looked for responsiveness which I think my gentoo machines (3) all do pretty well in that regard.
Gentoo isn't really about speed per se. Compiling everything yourself only has a small performance increase nowadays. What gentoo mostly has in it's favor is customizability. The gentoo site calls it the "meta-distribution" because it is very malleable in that the same distro is used to run clusters and embedded systems (at least from what I hear) or anything, the distro can be anything you want it to be. If you want to make your distro into a speed demon it is possible...with a little bit of effort.
Gentoo is a higher maintenance distro if you are not used to the more "hacker" side of things *nix, so that higher customizability isn't worth it if you're not willing put in time--not that that is a bad thing. Not everyone has to be l33t and use LFS everytime they get a new system, I don't.
I personally haven't used any other linux flavors so I wouldn't know what else to suggest. I usually suggest Arch since it is "gentoo without the compiling" ^_^ Debian(or a cat) is fine too.
May be it'd be something fun if someone forked ubuntu from canonical. Of course, the resulting distro might not have tasteful gradient window skins but it would remain the easy to use yet quick distro. Of course, their forums would most probably degenerate into threads about default applications (*hint* balance threads) so may be it's not a good idea.
Good luck on finding a distro for you.
P.S. Blender and Gimp work fine for me (though I don't use them)
RE: I've installed Gentoo... - edh - 06-18-2011
I run Arch nowadays. I used to run Gentoo but I just don't have the time these days with work. At work I'm too experienced and senior to do that kind of low level stuff which would be referred to someone less experienced. Therefore, why would I choose to use my own time in that way?
RE: I've installed Gentoo... - naryl - 06-18-2011
edh: What time are you talking about? Arch required much more maintenance time than Gentoo last time I used it.