[linux-audio-dev] Hello - FYI - intro

[John Check]

On Tuesday 24 August 2004 07:17 am, james at dis-dot-dat.net wrote:
> Don't give up just yet!
>
> On Tue, 24 Aug, 2004 at 12:38PM +0200, mark at kfm.co.za spake thus:
> <snip>
>
> > energy - to drown people - to open portals of thought and
>
> Drown people?  That's a Freedom that linux doesn't really give you.
>
> <snip>
>
> > My linux thought is that the main difference between linux and
> > windows is that under windows everything is packaged i.e. that
> > one installation will actually get that desired product to work -
> > while under linux a lot more time is spent on finding the correct
> > patches mixes matches reading than end time using/producing.
> > Obviously linux has flexibility power stability way beyond the
> > confines of windows or mac but it is the tieing up of those 'loose
> > ends'  which make it easier for a new user to get going that make
> > the ultimate difference. While windows users have licence issues
> > some linux users have other.
>
> I know where you're coming from.  As an experienced user, I have no
> problem with manually keeping a system udpated, patched ans running
> smoothly.  Generally, I know where problems that occurr are likely to
> come from.  The thing is, I don't want all that hassle.  If I did,
> I'd use LFS.  Instead, I use Gentoo.
>
> Gentoo isn't just for ricers.  Personally, I find it has the nicest
> package management (although that's probably not the best way to
> describe it).  I've also used Debian, but I still prefer Gentoo -
> mainly because it's a little more configurable (like USE flags and
> such) and it's a lot more up to date - Debian is safe, stable and
> tested to death, Gentoo has regular updates to all components, and
> still seems more stable than Debian Sid.
>
> Now, I recommend you give Gentoo a try.  Sure, there'll be some pain

I wasn't going to say anything till you said this. Yes, Gentoo has USE flags,
but Debian comes in more flavors than "stable". Unstable... I had KDE 3.3
and didn't realize it until I saw a /. announcement that it'd been released.
And I didn't have to wait around for 24 hrs while it was compiling.

This guy is lamenting not being able to spend his computer time doing 
production. Gentoo is not an appropriate response to that.
If he wants to do the Gentoo thing, tuning it as a workstation is as good an 
excuse as any to go for it though.

> - the install process consists of some instructions and a command
> prompt - but it's worth it.  For a start, you know how your system is
> constructed to some degree.  Secondly, installing stuff and keeping
> stuff updated is a doddle.  To install Jack, I type "emerge
> jack-audio-connection-kit".  When Jack gets updated, my system
> updates next time I do an "emerge world".  Thirdly, the documentation
> is really nice and #gentoo on irc.freenode.net is a very helpful
> channel.
>

And how long does that take vs apt-get update && apt-get dist upgrade?
Take all the milliseconds you shave with flags and deduct 'em from the build 
time and pig-dog slowness of a package management system that runs on an 
interpreter, then amortize that against the runlevel average. 
I've tried playing quake to kill time waiting for an update to build. ;) 
It's a dubious argument.

> Now, I know that other people will favour other distros.  I know that
> Gentoo isn't for everybody.  But I like gentoo, and I think you
> might, too.
>

It does rock pretty hard, it's just a big commitment. It could be the
right answer, but not to this particular question.

> Give it a whirl.  If you're reinstalling all the time anyway, why not
> try it out.
>
> Have fun.
>
> James
>
> <snip>