optimized mandrake

[Guest c_m_f]

Ok i know this isn't really other linux distro's stuff but its a question based on the ideas of other linux distro's (old's :)) and wanted to target this at people who ave used old's.

 

after reading all this gentoo stuff its really tempting me to try gentoo, im currently using mdk 9.1 and the things keeping me away from gentoo is the command line install (not so much) but the having to edit all config files by hand (i much prefer being able to setup stuff gui then edit teh odd files if needed).

So here comes my idea if it would be possible an optimized mandrake, much like how gentoo operates but using the mdk installer and all of its nice config tools, so it would work like this:

 

1: download the tarball based on the strage you want to start at so either basic install (gui, stage 2), or blank install (command line stage 1)

 

2: start gui install here is stage 2 and it goes throuh the mdk installer, but gets the source from the net and compiles all of it.

 

3: all done, no need for the messy editing of configs just a lean, mean optimized machine, and easy as pie :D

 

i know that its totally avoiding the facts of both distro's (gentoo helps to learn your system as you get stuck in and mandrake is rpm based) but why not let mandrake cater for both sorce and rpm.

Another question is can mdk afford to undertake this at the mo asuming they like the idea, but if not what about a community effort to edit the mdk installer and provide a repositry of the source (if can find the space)

 

So what people think, its possible, its wanted or if they want in some way to try this.

[DOlson]

Well, if Gentoo wanted a GUI frontend, they could do it easily. Mandrake's tools, all of them, are released under the GPL, so there's nothing stopping them.

 

Note that I no longer use Mandrake. I use Debian, which is only i386-optimized. I do have Gentoo on my other hard drive at the moment, however. I was going to switch to it because people on BioWare's forums swear it is faster for gaming. Well, it's not. I get the same framerates in everything in Debian as I do in Gentoo. Gentoo boots faster, but I've never really been bothered about boot time.

 

The base install took over 7 hours (stage 1 install), and after that, I still had to emerge openbox and idesk, as well as all the apps that I wanted to use, such as evolution, xchat, and phoenix. I'm guessing that the total time spent compiling was over 12 hours. A twelve hour install isn't worth it for me, as I like keeping current, and I don't have a blazingly fast system to just waste CPU time on compiling all of my software. Perhaps if I upgrade and things don't take so long to compile, then maybe Gentoo would be worth it. But, until I can recompile NWN or any of my other games to optimize them, so there's really no point.

 

If you add up the milliseconds you save in execution time with an optimized Gentoo, I'm sure it doesn't make up for the 12-hours of installing for a long time.

 

But the distro is good, fairly polished, good docs. But it's not for everyone. Nor is Debian, nor Mandrake.

[tyme]

I think the problem is that most people who want a nice GUI interface also want a quick install. 7 hours is not a quick install :-) that's probably why no one has tried to do this, there's not much of a group of people who would make use of it. those who want the optimization of gentoo don't mind the command line, 'cuz we be hardcore :-). i know this all sounds sort of arrogant or something, but truthfully, to sit through a 7 hour install process, you really do need to be commited. to installing it, that is, not the "insane" commited. although that may be true too....but the voices in my head tell me it's not.

[Michel]

In the tutorials you find a way to do a "mandrake a la gentoo". Haven't tried it, mostley, because i lack the time, but with it you also compile evrything for your system...(I suppose)

[Guest c_m_f]

but that means getting all the sources after the base install, and on dial up ythat really isnt an option, i meant like a cd which has the current sources on, or fetching from web 'a la gentoo', but still having teh modified mandrake installer do this for you, so easier for everyone!

[phunni]

I was going to switch to it because people on BioWare's forums swear it is faster for gaming. Well, it's not. I get the same framerates in everything in Debian as I do in Gentoo.

 

There is a new kernel from gentoo apparently optimised for gaming - I haven't tried it but it's supposed to make a real difference

[Guest fubar::chi]

i say just dive in and go with gentoo. they have precompiled stuff for every arch under the sun now (just have to choose the right iso).

[DOlson]

I was going to switch to it because people on BioWare's forums swear it is faster for gaming. Well, it's not. I get the same framerates in everything in Debian as I do in Gentoo.

 

There is a new kernel from gentoo apparently optimised for gaming - I haven't tried it but it's supposed to make a real difference

 

Well, that's the kernel I used. And it doesn't make a lick of difference compared to my Debian install. And anyone who wants to can get the Gentoo kernel source and use it in Debian/Mandrake/Red Hat/whatever.

[DOlson]

i say just dive in and go with gentoo. they have precompiled stuff for every arch under the sun now (just have to choose the right iso).

 

Uh, then what's the point of using Gentoo if you're going to use precompiled stuff?

[bvc]

There is a new kernel from gentoo apparently optimised for gaming - I haven't tried it but it's supposed to make a real difference

Probably not unlike the mandrake kernel-multimedia which is nothing more than the low-latency and preempt patches on a mdk kernel.

[phunni]

There is a new kernel from gentoo apparently optimised for gaming - I haven't tried it but it's supposed to make a real difference

Probably not unlike the mandrake kernel-multimedia which is nothing more than the low-latency and preempt patches on a mdk kernel.

 

I think it is more than that - the standard gentoo sources contain the preempt and lowlatency patches

[tyme]

if you wanna see all the patches and what not that are in the gaming kernel, look here: http://members.optusnet.com.au/ckolivas/kernel/

[DOlson]

I think I'm gonna try that kernel on Debian and see if I get any improvement in my games. Not likely, but it should help with my music recording and stuff, so that should be neat.

 

Anyhow, yeah.

[Guest fubar::chi]

i say just dive in and go with gentoo. they have precompiled stuff for every arch under the sun now (just have to choose the right iso).

 

Uh, then what's the point of using Gentoo if you're going to use precompiled stuff?

cause some people are going to want to use certain things like openoffice right away.. They can get the precompiled version and then wait the five days it takes to compile the normal version. The same goes for the whole system. If I were to install gentoo again (and i will tyme :)) I'd use an rc2 iso (which I have) install everything I use precompiled, and then once openbox is up and running do an emerge -u world to have everything compile while i'm using the old stuff. And the great thing is this'll actually work

[tyme]

yeah, i like that about gentoo. you can emerge stuff while style using the old. and if the new fails, it doesn't really harm system integrity.

 

as an example, i tried to emerge gnome-2.3.2 and it failed for some reason (have yet too look into it) but so far everything else still works fine, even the old gnome!

 

of course there could be many reasons for that...guess i'll find out at some point hehe