have been two years, I never doing hard linux installation since in touch with ubuntu :=)). Ubuntu comes with tremendous method and boosting-up the linux-users all over the world. For sure you can use ubuntu for fun by tweaking whatever you wants. But I wish to put 2 extreme distro in T61 Lenovo. Gentoo and ubuntu (regret lovely BlankOn have not amd64 system YET. During xubuntu installations, a 10 GB space have been prepared for Gentoo resident. I do realize, installing Gentoo will timed long in which I touched gentoo only at week-end and week day dark.
my processor is intel T7300 Core 2 duo Santa Rose; chipset model 965 it was EMT64 according to intel sites
Preparation
Went to Gentoo Sites and picked up Installation Guide printed out 9 sheets installation guide :=). I dont want to launch links, elinks or lynx during installation. With help of xubuntu, downloaded install-amd64-minimal-2007.o.iso. amd64 is historical name in Linux community, since amd has been pioneering in linux-64 computing; thus the code amd64 and x86_64 refers to the identic processor model. In which ia64 is for itanium (native 64 bits intel). Visited and picked up stage3-amd64-2007.0.tar.bz2
and portage-latest.tar.bz2. I lived in Tuban/East Jawa/Indonesia. I have to take snapshots from Famous Kambing Linux Mirror. But dunno why, the latest snapshots was corrupted and failed to pass the md5sum check. I have no time to report this small thing to kambing admin :=)). Now I have everything in hand: a machine,internet connection,stage3-gentoo, and latest portage. I just add optional tools for installing gentoo a mug of coffee and cigarette and 9 sheets printed out quick installation guide.
suggest : download gentoo-sources or your favourite kernel sources from fastest mirror from your area to shorten installation process. I forgot at that time.
Installation
Partition :
Partition 1 10 GB ext3 for ubuntu /
Partition 2 10 GB ext3 for gentoo /
Partition 3 117.5 GB ext3 for /home
Partition 4 2.5 GB for swap space
all primary partition
After tar-ing the stage3 and snapshot, chrooting to gentoo environment and emerging gentoo-sources-2.6.22-gentoo-r9 the fun is start. 3 (three) times my compiled kernel can not boot with message kernel panic can not mount root partition unknown block/device bla bla bla.... Holla... googling and found hundreds post shared the same problems; but very little solution. The installation guide did not cover trouble shouting. The installation guide is great but poor informations, especially for newbies. My solution after compiling and configuring kernel emerge udev(and other minimal requirement, networks, filesystem progs, and logger) all clearly stipulated on the installation guide; JUST FOLLOW.
kernel configurations
suggest on hda-intel:if you have same machine or similar sound card, it was HDA-intel please do not compile the alsa into kernel at least if you are using 2.6.22 or older ones. The alsa will never work in gentoo. I got tired to read many post on web, but I have been inspired during installing ubuntu. CMIIW. Ubuntu by default puting alsa modules on their backports modules (at least in gutsy) Not in the SUPER FAT gutsy kernel hehehe. I realized this matter after fought for hours to make my hda-intel works; emerging alsa-drivers from portage complaining the alsa have been natively compiled into kernel and IT WAS THE BEST WAY .... but when the best way NOT WORK, it's wise to try better way see my alsamixer appearance after emerging alsa-driver and alsautils.
suggest on nVidia Quadro NVS Mobile 140M if you have this card, dont compile into kernel 2.6.22. take out <> support for Nvidia framebuffer. Just go to nVidia download page Picked your appropriate driver and used it. Or you can use Super Vesa Driver compiled in the kernel. Or you can emerge later; since gentoo provide the similar version. Again my solution if follow ubuntu way. ubuntu shipped restricted manager to manage propertiary drivers for their users on the post-installation. For sure, you can used linux native super driver vesa; but you will not able to install popular eye-candy.
suggest on intel wifi adaptor iw4965 A/G/N: Dont compile any driver in the kernel. Just visit intel wireless page. with very easy to understand guide. I guessed ubuntu kernel hacker have put the iwlwifi on their kernel, due to after fresh install the card is work flawlessly.
Bluetooth, and other hardware is safe to be compiled in the kernel. I spent hours to make sound-card and and wifi works. If you drop to this page and wish to install gentoo on your box; the above suggestions will safe your time and cigarette
Desktop
Gnome reside on my first desktop environment installation; but the metacity "box line"(dunno how to named when minimizing windows annoying me. I'm not using eye-candy. If you big fans of gnome; there are many solution to keep gnome in your box by tweaking another window manager, either using xfwm4, fluxbox or openbox which great integration onto gnome environment. I shift to XFCE4 finally. Im not capable reviewer on linux desktop. It's merely a taste and I feel comfort with xfce.
Dont get me wrong, I still put nautilus for some reasons, especially for the good response in detecting usb flash-disk. Its stupid simple solution, since I believed thunar will also capable in that respect; I just make it simple with cost "bad integration". I also reside Amarok as this media player very good ini accomodate many of codecs and Nice appearance. Thus I used cross-environment. And my choice for movie player is Mplayer.
I have funny experience with Amarok; all we are aware, amarok well equipped with "eye-candy" by displaying the picture of the "artist" by searching from the net. When I tried this feature on sunday 09th/dec/2007 the following guy always appear in the first time we browse the artist image. Is he amarok's developer favourite's (???) or just incidental ... hehehehe
OpenOffice
I was doubt before compiling open-office in Gentoo box, dowloaded about 103 MB, minimal requirement for about 4 GB free space in /tmp as per gentoo developer suggestion and no guarantee for success, moreover in the amd64 system box. Finally I decided to grab open-office and compilling into gentoo box; its took 5 hours for downloading and compiling with flag USE="branding -java - fortran" under global optimation "-march=nocona -O2 -pipe" and "-j3" make options. After emerging openoffice I went bed and woke up on the next day I have below :
openoffice booting
Simple Xfce4
Box Usage
Im not heavy computer users, my box just for surfing internet, accessing email to assist my daily job running a medium size shipping agency and little fun by listening music and watching movie.
week day box's job
week ends box's job
Extreme Distros
Really newbie opinion, Gentoo is extreme difficult Linux distro with amazing "portage" management; but the time and energy invested to install gentoo is really worth (since most configuration have to be finalized by hand); you will gain fast responsive box. After having X boot, we can administrate the box while we are working. Otherwise we will boring to administrate gentoo box. However, most users will away from gentoo due to (considered) as difficult to be install. I believed gentoo is best linux distro but NOT POPULAR one; at least comparing to the celebrity distro UBUNTU
emerging Amarok
ubuntu sit on other axis of extreme; this distro is very easy to install with great hard ware detection; huge community support as the distro was debian base. Ubuntu have been gaining more user to convert into Linux. The geek face of Linux have been turned pointing into user friendly desktop box by ubuntu people. For one who new to Linux, I will never offered Gentoo but happily offered ubuntu. But ubuntu desktop gave us (sometimes) un-neccessary software and if we were removed it, the integrity will be bothered. The ubuntu team decision to generic-ize the kernel have to be paid with slow performance (in the gentoo/other tar ball distros point of view) minute booting time and a basket of software which could be never used.
However all of above IT's JUST A CHOICE the most important is Using LINUX
We call the "box line" a wireframe animation. You can turn it off by typing
ReplyDeletegconftool-2 -s -t bool /apps/metacity/general/reduced_resources true
at the commandline (there's probably some dialogue box somewhere that does it too).
Lots of people don't like the wireframe animation, but it will be superseded by the compositor soon.
-- Thomas (metacity maintainer)