[ltp] Re: Preferred distro for Thinkpads?

[Brian D. Ropers-Huilman]

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I happen to be a Gentoo user as well. Somewhat like Chris Sawtell, I have
been a Linux on the desktop user since 1998 and used it on servers before
then. I have been through Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and the
like over the years. I moved to Gentoo in the Spring of 2002 and have not
looked back.

Why do I use Gentoo? Ultimate configurability. Their portage system is a
beautiful blend of the BSD ports system with RPM functionality, but without
"dependency hell," which was the main motivator for me to ditch Red Hat at
the time.

As to learning more about your system, I do believe that a Gentoo user will
have a better understanding not only of their system, but applications,
dependencies, interaction of components, and the like.

Regarding having to compile everything, I will freely admit it is a PITA and
while I "perceive" a speed-up, I have not taken the time to measure anything
to prove it. I, personally, learn nothing more about Linux by compiling my
code all the time and, if anything, I dislike loosing those CPU cycles.
However, I will put up with that for the immense flexibility Gentoo gives me.

This flexibility comes at a cost. Compiling all your code is one of them.
Another is that you have to install and configure everything on your own.
You want APM to work? You'll have to install (compile) it and write your own
scripts to handle suspends and resumes. Wireless? -- the same thing.
Bluetooth? -- even more work.

But, at the end of the day, you will be intimately familiar with your
machine, your setup, and it's functionality. It is almost empowering to know
that, first off, you _can_ go out there and do all these things on your own,
and secondly, that you _have_ done it and really have started to learn more
about Linux.

Just my US$0.02.

André Wyrwa said the following on 2005-08-15 21:37:
> Hi,
> 
> 
>>>I am, personally, unconvinced that watching software compile grants any
>>>sort of magical knowledge of how it operates, or the best way to
>>>configure it. ;)
>>
>>I agree, but seeing the software compile and configuring it reinforces your 
>>knowledge about what s/w you have installed on your machine.
> 
> 
> Believe me, it doesn't. ;-) I'm on LFS and if i wouldn't have my nice
> little installation documentation file...i wouldn't remember anything.
> 
> I think the best advantage of compiling things yourself is that you can
> choose your own dependencies. You don't have to have stuff installed
> that you don't use anyway.
> 
> André.
> 

- --
Brian D. Ropers-Huilman  .:. Asst. Director .:.  HPC and Computation
Center for Computation & Technology (CCT)        bropers@cct.lsu.edu
Johnston Hall, Rm. 350                           +1 225.578.3272 (V)
Louisiana State University                       +1 225.578.5362 (F)
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-1900  USA              http://www.cct.lsu.edu/
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