Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Tue 14th May 2002 07:05 UTC
Gentoo is so far, the big Linux surprise this year. With its 1.0 release took the Linux world by storm and converted a huge number of power users and developers from the well-known Linux distros they were using, to the lightweight Gentoo Linux. While its installation process is not for the faint of heart, it pays back the user with a highly optimized system. As a result, Gentoo is dubbed the "fastest Linux distro" to date. Read on for an exclusive interview with Gentoo's project leader, Daniel Robbins where he reveals that Gentoo will be further optimized with the fastest x86 C/C++ compiler (Intel's ICC) in addition to GCC 3.1. Daniel also speaks about the future plans for Portage and the overall system in general.
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I've only been using Gentoo for about a month now (embarrasingly enough since I read about it in Leo Laporte's blogg) and I thought that I would chime in with a perspective that is biased towards the Debian users (I have been a big Debian user since 2.0 back in 1998).
Putting aside all of the bleeding edge compiler optimization crap -- which is mostly BS, so dont be dissapointed when your old PII 400Mhz doesnt run 10x faster-- Gentoo is great for two reasons:
1. most of the stuff is much more out in the open than Debian. Portage for all of the hype is simply a well organized mix of python-rsync-bash, a mix which in my opinion took a touch of art a touch of experience and a touch of genius. It is far far easier to get under the hood of than is apt, dselect or dpkg. How many times have you done something in dselect only to have some dependency conflict cause the system to suggest that you uninstall base-perl or something stupid like that? With Debian you can always back out, but I found that I would often not end up understanding exactly what had caused the problem in the first place. With Gentoo, all of this is much easier to diagnose. You end up learning more about the system, the packages and just how powerful a few basic UNIX tools can be when used together in the right way.
2. Gentoo is younger and therefore more approachable. Debian was probably like this before I joined the community in 98, but by the time VA linux was in full steam (99) approachinf Debian developers at conferences was like approaching Apple employees at MacWorld-- an exercise in restraint to say the least. All projects with success go this route of arrogance in the long term, but gentoo is fresh for the moment and that makes it a fun place to hang out.
That said, Gentoo is not without its problems. A couple of weeks ago, there was a decision to stop supporting XFS in the main bleeding-features kernel that has left me with a laptop install that is going to need some serious fixing. My attempts to install the most basic of services on the first server I built, mail (qmail), bombs during the installation and has not been fixed. Their rsync mirror system seems to be slow to propagate changes.
Still, if you have more than a passing interest in linux distros and want to get in on the ground floor (more or less), Gentoo can't be beat. Its the most fun I've personally had the halcyon days of lattes and changing the world that the web brought us.