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
Unfortunately, as I have not used Linux Mint, I won't describe it to ya, but you should know that it's a well-recieved, fast, Ubuntu-based alternative, located
here.
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.
DEBIAN CONS:
- 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.
ARCH LINUX
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 -Syu
ARCH 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!
ARCH CONS:
- 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!
UBUNTU MINIMAL ISO
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!
UBUNTU MINI CONS:
- 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...
In the end, I hope this will help you choose a good distro! Yes, it totally deviated from your original question on Gentoo
, 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.
