Really Gentoo has that rap? -being a breakable mess that you'll spend a crazy amount of time fixing- I've used for years and I wold say that it even gets boring, nothing breaks and I would even argue that if you want work done is great; you install it once avery 5+ years, the distrohop bug hits, you spend 6 months trying other distros just to find them missing "something" and getting back to Gentoo for other 5+ years.
With other distros I spend way too much time uninstalling things and cleaning them from things I don't want/use.
With Gentoo you start naked (is part of my the process, don't ask me why), and to install everything is just copying your curated clean world file and # emerge --sync && emerge -vauDN world and go to sleep, next day you are done.
Also once you are happy with your system you just backup /etc and your /home and your configuring process is just copying.
And people complai about compile times and I get it if you are trying SW but if you already know what you want compiletimes are irrelevant; avery 2 days I look for updates 10mins before bed if is a small update I leave it for the next day; if is big I just let it compile while I sleep, next morning is done. People complain like you have to be on front on the screen reading the compile output with a notepad taking notes.
Other thing people complain is the "hard" install; the handbook tells you what to do step by step, and also tells you what every step do and why; is not hard is just more involved. And also unlike most distros you can install it from your current distro or from any live distro, while watching a movie, playing, working, etc. So who cares if it takes you a lot of times because is your first time, nowdays takes me a week sometimes, because I start one day make a few steps and get bored or busy and take a note on the step I left and get back to it a few days later and just chroot on my half done install and work from there. No preassure, you just keep working on you current distro meanwhile.
So just want work done?, maybe try installing Gentoo 1 time every 5+ years (more if you don't get the distrohop bug) and do it while you keep working and using your PC normally.
It's a criticism I hear but I'm with you - it's the most boring distro I've used! When I sit down at my computer I usually want to get something done. Gentoo's perfect for getting the hell out of my way and providing all the tools i need.
I run it more or less like you do - just set it to go overnight for anything more than a few packages. I also set PORTAGE_NICENESS low so it's not hogging resources. My old laptop definitely had more of a problem with things like llvm and boost, but I got new hardware last year and compile times are fine. My hangup is more about energy consumption - my processor runs hotter for longer than it would with a binary distro, so the fans spin up for longer, and I've gotta decide how much I care about that. If I'm not running an overnight emerge, I generally power down my workstation at night.
Agreed on the install, too, the handbook could not be easier to use. Installing Gentoo is an exercise in careful reading skills, nothing else. You don't need to know much of anything at all to get started. The chroot install is amazing, too - but couldn't you do that with a number of different systems? I've only tried it with Gentoo but it seems like a process that could be used more generally.
the distrohop bug hits, you spend 6 months trying other distros just to find them missing "something" and getting back to Gentoo for other 5+ years.
Hilariously relatable. I've tried a few times to cut the cord and use a "real, serious" distro but I always come running back home :)
I guess you could do the after install of other distros with chroot but the install itself I don't thinks so, you need their installer, even Arch need their own install scripts, I think that the fact that Gentoo/Funtoo has no installer at all make possible to install from scratch without any special sauce.
And as a PSA, for years I had problem estimating install/compile times, for Gentoo, and I found genlop, I don't know if every Gentoo user knows about it and I was the only fool that didn't but in any case. It tells you your historical compile times of every package you have installed and also has a database with times of programs you haven't in a similar CPU. Even a ETA of the package you are currently compiling. And it took me just about 8 yrs to find it out :)
Really Gentoo has that rap? -being a breakable mess that you'll spend a crazy amount of time fixing- I've used for years and I wold say that it even gets boring, nothing breaks and I would even argue that if you want work done is great; you install it once avery 5+ years, the distrohop bug hits, you spend 6 months trying other distros just to find them missing "something" and getting back to Gentoo for other 5+ years.
With other distros I spend way too much time uninstalling things and cleaning them from things I don't want/use.
With Gentoo you start naked (is part of my the process, don't ask me why), and to install everything is just copying your curated clean world file and # emerge --sync && emerge -vauDN world and go to sleep, next day you are done.
Also once you are happy with your system you just backup /etc and your /home and your configuring process is just copying.
And people complai about compile times and I get it if you are trying SW but if you already know what you want compiletimes are irrelevant; avery 2 days I look for updates 10mins before bed if is a small update I leave it for the next day; if is big I just let it compile while I sleep, next morning is done. People complain like you have to be on front on the screen reading the compile output with a notepad taking notes.
Other thing people complain is the "hard" install; the handbook tells you what to do step by step, and also tells you what every step do and why; is not hard is just more involved. And also unlike most distros you can install it from your current distro or from any live distro, while watching a movie, playing, working, etc. So who cares if it takes you a lot of times because is your first time, nowdays takes me a week sometimes, because I start one day make a few steps and get bored or busy and take a note on the step I left and get back to it a few days later and just chroot on my half done install and work from there. No preassure, you just keep working on you current distro meanwhile.
So just want work done?, maybe try installing Gentoo 1 time every 5+ years (more if you don't get the distrohop bug) and do it while you keep working and using your PC normally.
It's a criticism I hear but I'm with you - it's the most boring distro I've used! When I sit down at my computer I usually want to get something done. Gentoo's perfect for getting the hell out of my way and providing all the tools i need.
I run it more or less like you do - just set it to go overnight for anything more than a few packages. I also set
PORTAGE_NICENESSlow so it's not hogging resources. My old laptop definitely had more of a problem with things likellvmandboost, but I got new hardware last year and compile times are fine. My hangup is more about energy consumption - my processor runs hotter for longer than it would with a binary distro, so the fans spin up for longer, and I've gotta decide how much I care about that. If I'm not running an overnight emerge, I generally power down my workstation at night.Agreed on the install, too, the handbook could not be easier to use. Installing Gentoo is an exercise in careful reading skills, nothing else. You don't need to know much of anything at all to get started. The chroot install is amazing, too - but couldn't you do that with a number of different systems? I've only tried it with Gentoo but it seems like a process that could be used more generally.
Hilariously relatable. I've tried a few times to cut the cord and use a "real, serious" distro but I always come running back home :)
I guess you could do the after install of other distros with chroot but the install itself I don't thinks so, you need their installer, even Arch need their own install scripts, I think that the fact that Gentoo/Funtoo has no installer at all make possible to install from scratch without any special sauce.
And as a PSA, for years I had problem estimating install/compile times, for Gentoo, and I found genlop, I don't know if every Gentoo user knows about it and I was the only fool that didn't but in any case. It tells you your historical compile times of every package you have installed and also has a database with times of programs you haven't in a similar CPU. Even a ETA of the package you are currently compiling. And it took me just about 8 yrs to find it out :)
Wow, first I've heard of this! Thanks so much, that's a great idea, installing it tonight.