[ltp] Gentoo on thinkpad?

[azazello]

I've used gentoo for a while on my T40 and it's generally good:
http://horizon.ath.cx/gentoo/
The above is a set of commands to replicate my install. I found the most 
painful things to be configuring ACPI (you need to find and install your 
own scripts - I have a bug filed against Hans on this =) ), configuring 
X, the kernel, and ALSA if you want to use an external sound card. Also, 
it takes some time to get used to portage and its features (for 
instance, I think the -avt flags should really be default for an 
interactive emerge invocation). Given my fast enough machines (none are 
over 4 years old), I now never install packages from binaries except 
when unpacking a stage3. Be prepared for about a day's worth of 
compiling before your system is usable, though.

Frankly, I think gentoo is not appropriate for an older Thinkpad like a 
T2x unless you know and need the specific advantages of gentoo's 
portage. I don't even think it's appropriate in general as compared to 
kubuntu unless you like to tinker a lot with your system.

Also, if you have any kind of broadband connection, *you don't have to 
keep anything* in /usr/portage/distfiles or /var/tmp/portage/. Just make 
a cron job which will delete them nightly or whenever unless emerge is 
running, e.g.:

#!/bin/sh
echo 'Cleaning portage install files...';
if [[ `ps -e|grep emerge` ]] ; then
         echo 'Cannot clean portage files while emerge is running';
         /bin/false;
else
         rm -f /usr/portage/distfiles/* > /dev/null 2>&1
         rm -rf /var/tmp/portage/* > /dev/null 2>&1
fi

(ok those last two should really be an xargs call, and niced :) )