[AuckLUG] Help Requested With Installfest

[Kent Wilkinson]

Josiah Spackman wrote:
> Nevyn wrote:
>> On 4/10/07, Kent Wilkinson <kent_wilkinson at xtra.co.nz> wrote:
>>> Sigrid Roehling wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Note: This is a University of Auckland Linux User Group event and 
>>> will
>>> > be held at the University of Auckland city campus.
>>> >
>>> > Linux savvy volunteers are needed to help out with an Installfest
>>> > to be held on a Sunday (yes, Sunday, because of the parking situation
>>> > near campus) the 6th of May. We will need you from 10am onwards 
>>> and plan
>>> > to finish at 3pm at the latest (earlier if attendance is low). If you
>>> > can only do part of the time, that's fine. Reply with your name, 
>>> which
>>> > Linux distributions you're comfortable installing, and contact phone
>>> > number.
>>> >
>>> > This Installfest will be open to the public, so we're expecting a 
>>> higher
>>> > turnout than last time.
>>> >
>>> > -Sigrid
>>> > UALUG Coordinator
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > AuckLUG mailing list
>>> > AuckLUG at linux.net.nz
>>> > http://www.linux.net.nz/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aucklug
>>> >
>>> I could help out with a Gentoo install, although it would have to be
>>> from the live cd with pre-built binaries. Not really a noob distro 
>>> though.
>>> I could also offer my laptop as a demo machine to show case a desktop
>>> different to KDE or Gnome. I have a Gentoo  system with a modified
>>> ROX-Session with beryl as the window manager, no gnome or kde libraries
>>> installed.
>>>
>>> Phone number off list
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> Kent
>>
>> Would be interested in getting a few tips in kicking off a gentoo
>> install. Never been able to install it successfully myself.
> Dont worry, since the new GUI Live CD, after 8 attempts I still havent.
>
> Was fine back in the days of 2006.1, 2004.2 etc :-/
>
> I'd be interested in a few tips too :D
>
> _______________________________________________
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> AuckLUG at linux.net.nz
> http://www.linux.net.nz/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aucklug
>
The first few times I tried installing Gentoo I had no success either. 
It usually takes more than a day to get the system completely built and 
running properly with all software and updates done. Unless you have a 
seriously grunty machine. I have never tried the GUI install, although 
I'm pretty sure it would result in a system thats too out of date.

I found on my laptop I had to pass noapic to the boot loader on the 
install cd just to get it to start, took ages to figure that one out.

1st tip.     Once the install cd has booted, ALT F2 to a different 
terminal and load the install instructions in a text based browser with 
the following command (obviously you would replace amd64 with your 
architecture).
#links http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml
Now you can use ALT F1 for your install terminal and at any time 
including when you have chrooted to you install system, you can use ALT 
F2 to go back to the install instructions. It's a good idea to follow 
the instruction for changing the name of the chrooted terminal (#export 
PS1="(chroot) $PS1") as I once found myself typing all my commands in 
the wrong terminal, made a right mess of the install.

2nd tip.    Follow the install instructions to the letter, even the 
seemingly pointless ones.

3rd tip.    Do a live install, not from a pre-packaged cd, they tend to 
be too out of date.

4th tip.    Don't over optimise, cflags = "-march=amd64 -O2 
-fomit-frame-pointer -pipe" would be all I would use for a first time 
install. (Don't use -fomit-frame-pointer if you plan on debugging apps)
( I have recently got a -O3 system running on my AMD64, but like my 
laptop it is a pretty basic system, no Gnome or KDE libraries installed, 
in the past I have found some binaries don't work and can cause compile 
problems when using -O3)

5th tip.   Unless you are really comfortable with manually setting up 
grub, then use lilo. (I have never managed to manually set up grub and 
I've followed the instructions to the letter).
Good old lilo! works every time and is easy to configure.

Gentoo takes a lot of work to get it running nicely, configuration is 
with text files. Once running you will never look back.
All you need to update using portage is #emerge --sync | emerge world
There is no need to setup special repositories for some of the more 
legally questionable software out there, they are all available through 
portage.

There can be issues with updates sometimes, configuration files 
sometimes need updating, this can override files that you have modified 
(you have to tell it to do that though), and masked packages can be 
annoying. masked packages are packages that are considered unstable or 
pose security risks.

You can reach me by phone (off list) if you have specific questions.

Google for "gentoo software name" when you are configuring the system, 
the Gentoo wiki's are really good. ie: "gentoo wpa_supplicant" if you 
need help setting up your wifi.

I could possibly come over and help one weekend, depending where you are 
and what weekend, I'm in Mt Wellington.

Cheers

Kent