[PLUG] Disto question

Auke Kok sofar at foo-projects.org
Sun Apr 2 02:27:57 UTC 2006


Bruce Kilpatrick wrote:
> I have been doing some limited reading about the various flavors of 
> Linux.  In reading some short blurbs describing the differences, I see 
> that Gentoo is highly recommended as a "compile from source" type of 
> installation.

I would above all recommend _not_ to try gentoo alone if you are 
interested in source distro's. There are a few other source distro's out 
there that are far more stable and easier to maintain and install that 
gentoo puts to shame (endless breakage? anyone?).

Try:

lunar-linux
sourcemage
rock linux
LFS (Linux From Scratch)
especially the first two are recommended above gentoo IMO

> The book I am reading didn't include Slackware in the mix of "most 
> popular".  I am under the impression that Slack is in the same style of  
> "source" installation.

it isn't. You might want to get a better book

> The questions are...how do the two differ, which is better for a P3 933 
> dual processor with 1.5 gig of memory, and which would be better if a 
> slower machine wasn't a consideration?

slackware will install in 30 minutes on a pII. Gentoo (with kde/gnome) 
will take you 3 days depending on the type of install you are thinking of.

Auke



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