On Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:02:50 +0100, AG wrote: > (1) Looking through the background docs, it occurs to me that if I > wanted to install Gentoo on my system, I would need access to a second > machine that is running all of the on-line docs that guide one through > the installation process. Is this correct? If not, how does one refer > to the (seemingly quite comprehensive) guidelines whilst in the middle > of an installation?
Look at the alternate install docs. Although these relate to using a live CD like Knoppix, you can also use an already installed system for this. So you can install Gentoo from a chroot in your existing Debian system (you will may a live CD to repartition). That way you can not only read the docs, you can read your email, browse the web or play games while the installation proceeds. > (2) When Gentoo installs its libraries, does this duplicate the > libraries already on my machine? For instance - if I have OOo and KDE > and Xfce4 loaded as part of my Debian Squeeze system, will Gentoo also > install its own version of OOo, KDE and Xfce4 alongside the Deb files? > I was thinking that this would have a number of implications in terms > of space and (potentially) in how the drive is partitioned for the > Gentoo installation ... unless I'm missing the point? Your Gentoo and Debian systems would, and should, be totally separate, apart from shared user data. > (3) What differences would I likely experience between running my > Debian installation and the Gentoo installation? After all, up to a > certain point GNU/Linux is GNU/Linux, and if I configured all the bells > and whistles the same way as I have currently got them set up (i.e. > preferred WM, desktop settings, applications, email and Net > preferences, etc.), I'm not sure there would be any ostensible > distinction between the two. From a user perspective, you are right, Linux is Linux and different distros tend to be different ways of arriving at a similar point. The main difference is in the system administration. > Any installation commitment will have to wait for a couple of weeks yet > though: I'm in the process of completing my MSc thesis and need to keep > a stable environment for the time being, so will look at taking this on > in a few weeks. This is thus background research - a bit of a > reconnaissance mission, so to speak. Any thoughts/ shared experiences > would be welcome ... unless there is another, more appropriate forum > for these kinds of experiences to be shared/ discussed. Installing from within your existing system means you can fit the Gentoo installation process in around your other computer usage. -- Neil Bothwick WinErr 018: Unrecoverable error - System has been destroyed. Buy a new one. Old Windows licence is not valid anymore.
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