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Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

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Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#1

Post by amano-kenji »

Nowadays, you can get binary packages from gentoo linux if you don't change USE flags. You don't even have to compile linux kernel anymore.

Gentoo Linux has overlays. You can compile packages from third party overlays.

Gentoo overlays are better designed than debian/ubuntu PPA(personal package archive)s and AUR(arch user repository).

Gentoo Linux is simpler than nix and guix unless you need reproducibility. Gentoo Linux doesn't require you to learn nix langauge or guile scheme. You don't need reproducibility that comes with nix or guix on desktop computers. I just manage dot files in my git repository without any infrastructure-as-code tool. For servers, nix or guix can help.

Re: Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#4

Post by amano-kenji »

qmr wrote: post #2

Gentoo is great if you value your time at $0.

Gentoo Linux became a lot easier with binary packages and binary linux kernel.

You don't need to customize it, but you can still get packages from third party overlays.

The customizability is available when you need it or want it.

Learning to use gentoo's basic functionality doesn't cost a lot of time, and I recommend utilizing only the basic functionality in most cases.

Just stick to the basics, and you will be fine.

Re: Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#5

Post by amano-kenji »

TheWiggles wrote: post #3

Any recommendations for getting started in Gentoo? I was taking a look at their documentation and it seems quite comprehensive. Though I was wondering if there are any books or tutorials that the Gentoo community also values.

https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Main_Page

I only needed gentoo wiki and gentoo handbook for everything from the begining. You can read arch wiki for more instructions.

Re: Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#7

Post by bigyabai »

> You don't need reproducibility that comes with nix or guix on desktop computers.

I disagree. My desktop, laptop and servers all share one terminal config and gets updated from a git repo. All the other distros are too much work to have a worse, janky symlink config that self-destructs on an iffy update.

Re: Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#8

Post by TheWiggles »

amano-kenji wrote: post #5
TheWiggles wrote: post #3

Any recommendations for getting started in Gentoo? I was taking a look at their documentation and it seems quite comprehensive. Though I was wondering if there are any books or tutorials that the Gentoo community also values.

https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/ https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Main_Page I only needed gentoo wiki and gentoo handbook for everything from the begining. You can read arch wiki for more instructions.

Awesome thanks :)

Re: Gentoo Linux might be the best desktop Linux distro for advanced Linux users

#9

Post by sim7c00 »

TheWiggles wrote: post #8
amano-kenji wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/ https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Main_Page I only needed gentoo wiki and gentoo handbook for everything from the begining. You can read arch wiki for more instructions.

Awesome thanks :)

the handbooks are a true treasure trove.

other then that id recommend to look into (which will all be in the handbook): emerge, eselect, equery, eix (packages/tools related to package mgr)

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