Gentoo Success, Well Not Really :)

[tictoc5150]

well, I got a bit further the second time around but still not to a usable system...I'm actually posting here from gentoo using konqueror though.

graphics are totally screwy at 8 bit, the refresh rate is enough to make your eyes bleed...it totally amazes me how many opportunities that gentoo gives a newbie to screw up, not exactly sure why anyone would go through the trouble of using this distro when things are sooooo much easier with most of the newer distros.

oh well, try try again (well, maybe someday)

and before gentoo goes bye bye:

Linux Taylor3 2.4.28-gentoo-r8 #1 Sun Mar 20 06:07:48 EST 2005 i686 Intel®Celeron® CPU 1.80GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

(yeaaaaaa, hows that go? rm -rf / )

[hitest]

well, I got a bit further the second time around but still not to a usable system...I'm actually posting here from gentoo using konqueror though.

graphics are totally screwy at 8 bit, the refresh rate is enough to make your eyes bleed...it totally amazes me how many opportunities that gentoo gives a newbie to screw up, not exactly sure why anyone would go through the trouble of using this distro when things are sooooo much easier with most of the newer distros.

oh well, try try again (well, maybe someday)

and before gentoo goes bye bye:

Linux Taylor3 2.4.28-gentoo-r8 #1 Sun Mar 20 06:07:48 EST 2005 i686 Intel®Celeron® CPU 1.80GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

(yeaaaaaa, hows that go? rm -rf / )

Very cool.

You're not a newbie if you're posting with Gentoo Nicely done.

I've also given Gentoo a few tries, I had it networked and somewhat useable, but not really. You got further along than me. I'm sticking with Slackware for the time being; it runs well on my Plll 667. I may also attempt Gentoo again at some point, I'm going to learn how to properly use Slackware.

[tictoc5150]

Thanks for the words of encouragement hitest.

Although this was just a case of RTFM, it did feel pretty cool to boot to an OS that I felt like I built...seemed to take forever to build too...lol

I wish it was a little more successful since I really like the whole portage/emerge thing, not that rpmdrake is hard to open and put a check next to something I want though...lol

It was a cool learning experience, if nothing else...I'm not sure what my next project is now...all the other distros I've considered seem a little easier that Gentoo...oh no, I've peaked!...lol

[iccaros]

ok so graphics are screwy..

what is your viedo card ?

a simple way to fix graphics problems in gentoo sinces is almost 100% a bad xorg.conf file.

boot a live cd that you knwo works woth your system.

copy its xorg.conf file over to the gentoo system.

reboot and your graphics should work.

the key to getnoo is That you built it and you knwo what you built (if you remember) you install Red Hat or something you have no ideal what was installed unless you did a package by package select.

I don't see where you messed up. the graphics that look bad is just a missing config file (or something in it).

as you built an entire system from scrach (stage 1) and it boots get on the network .. now you just have to fix your xorg.conf..

did you run

Xorg -configure

I have so many questions....

did you follow this guide for your X config

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xorg-config.xml

or did you jump strait to http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/kde-config.xml?

you system to bee seam to easyly be fixed.. why give up on the time spent.

Edited March 22, 2005 by iccaros

[tictoc5150]

Hey iccaros,

why give up on the time spent.

Well, I wasn't really looking at it as giving up....I hadn't really intended to use the system, even if I made a usable system...It was more to be just a learning tool...I installed it on a hard drive that wouldn't meet my needs for much other than the OS and have no plans to upgrade it.

but to answer a couple of questions and maybe learn a little more about your live cd suggestion...

what is your video card?

using onboard video...intel i815 chipset I believe

did you run

CODE

Xorg -configure

yep, sure did...to the best of my knowledge, used correct settings for everything

did you follow this guide for your X config

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xorg-config.xml

yep, that'd be the one

and this is the part that interests me most...

boot a live cd that you know works with your system.

copy its xorg.conf file over to the gentoo system.

reboot and your graphics should work.

I took a look around in knoppix (unfortunately 3.3) and since they were still using xfree86, wasn't sure what the equivalent file is or where it is...I assume it's /etc/x11/xfree86.conf...but NOT on the cd, right?...it seems a little easy to get lost in a file system that is part on the cd and part that seems to be in ram...think I got a little confused of where I was and exactly what I should be seeing in the file.

I'll d/load a newer live cd anyway and try again when I get the free time...haven't wiped the drive yet

your distro uses xorg, right?

thanks for taking the time

[jcl]

I took a look around in knoppix (unfortunately 3.3) and since they were still using xfree86, wasn't sure what the equivalent file is or where it is...I assume it's /etc/x11/xfree86.conf

It should be /etc/X11/XF86Config or XF86Config-4. As I recall Xorg broke config file compatibility with XFree86 a while back -- changed the name of the keyboard driver or something -- but it shouldn't be a difficult fix. I think the xorg.conf I'm using on my desktop was originally an XF86Config-4 from before Xorg was released.

Edit: AFAIK it's generated when the systems boots. It wouldn't do much good to copy the generic config file anyway

Edited March 22, 2005 by jcl

[iccaros]

yes Xorg should still read the XF86Config-4 file and it shoudl still work (it did a few weeks ago..) but not the XF86config

you have to boot the live cd..

good luck..

edit: sorry I missed JCL stating you must boot the cd..

Edited March 22, 2005 by iccaros

[tictoc5150]

heh, I missed him saying that too and d/loaded your distro and guess what....lol

your xorg.conf did it for me...posting this in full 24bit color from gentoo.

too cool!!!

I do get alot of screwy errors before even getting to X, might even try to write them down as though go zinging by one of these times...but everything seems to work fine once I get to kde

question:

when I first try to login, (not as root) and startx, it isn't starting kde, it's starting what I believe is twm (?) and to actually get it to start kde I have to login as root at the bash and then login as me for kde.

point me in the direction to fix that?

thanks again for the xorg.conf

EDIT: oh btw, your distro came out pretty cool...faster than knoppix on this box...I've always had problems with APM on this and have had to use either "knoppix noapm" or "apm=off" in others...I forget what yours said...slax noapm? (I think).. but it didn't work, I had to use "linux noapm"...not a significant issue, kinda wondered why it didn't work though.

[shanenin]

you should look at the config file /etc/rc.conf you can uncomment the line so startx will run kde

XSESSION="kde-3.2.3"

you need to have the exact version of kde you are running. The next time you use the command startx it should start kde.

If you want X to start automatically you need to add xdm to you init scripts. You can use the command rc-update to do this for you

rc-update add xdm default

make sure you edit you /etc/rc.conf file to use kdm as you windows manager(it looks nice), it may use xdm by defualt

DISPLAYMANAGER="kdm"

[iccaros]

oh btw, your distro came out pretty cool...faster than knoppix on this box..

Thanks

I've always had problems with APM on this and have had to use either "knoppix noapm" or "apm=off" in others...I forget what yours said...slax noapm? (I think).. but it didn't work, I had to use "linux noapm"...not a significant issue, kinda wondered why it didn't work though."

thanks for the Bug report.. I forgot to change the boot text to say linux not slax.. As I used a modified Slax script it makes the boot text.. I can fix that ... sorry I'll add that to my FAQ.

do get alot of screwy errors before even getting to X, might even try to write them down as though go zinging by one of these times...but everything seems to work fine once I get to kde

its Problay the Fonts as My distro has its fonts in a diffrent place than gentoo and even if they are in the same place you probaly do not have the same ones installed. once you start KDE it takes over fonts from the X server so its not that big a deal if you were using TWM or EvilWM it would matter

question:

when I first try to login, (not as root) and startx, it isn't starting kde, it's starting what I believe is twm (?) and to actually get it to start kde I have to login as root at the bash and then login as me for kde.

point me in the direction to fix that?

as your user or as root

 echo "exec startkde" > ~/.xinitrc ..

if as root you need to replace ~ with the users home folder IE.. /home/username/.xinitrc

Edited March 22, 2005 by iccaros

[shanenin]

the info iccaros gave you is more universal and should work on any linux distro(it is good to know) . If you want your setting to be global instead for just one user. You can follow the directions that are given in /etc/rc.conf. This might be more gentoo specific. modifing you xinitrc(like iccaros said), is probably a more universal solution.

# XSESSION is a new variable to control what window manager to start

# default with X if run with xdm, startx or xinit.  The default behavior

# is to look in /etc/X11/Sessions/ and run the script in matching the

# value that XSESSION is set to.  The support scripts is smart enouth to

# look in all bin directories if it cant find a match in /etc/X11/Sessions/,

# so setting it to "enligtenment" can also work.  This is basically used

# as a way for the system admin to configure a default system wide WM,

# allthough it will work if the user export XSESSION in his .bash_profile, etc.#

# NOTE:  1) this behaviour is overridden when a ~/.xinitrc exists, and startx

#          is called.

#        2) even if a ~/.xsession exist, if XSESSION can be resolved, it will

#          be executed rather than ~/.xsession, else KDM breaks ...

#

# Defaults depending on what you install currently include:

#

# Gnome - will start gnome-session

# kde-<version> - will start startkde (ex: kde-3.0.2)

[iccaros]

make sure you edit you /etc/rc.conf file to use kdm as you windows manager(it looks nice), it may use xdm by defualt

DISPLAYMANAGER="kdm"

you musthave posted while I was typing as I did not see your post..

you are correct for gentoo. I just could rember the file name in gentoo so I gave the generic one I could remember.. for gentoo yours is the better solution.

Edited March 22, 2005 by iccaros

[naraku9333]

ive been using gentoo for about a year and a half and am by no means an expert (still consider myself a newb)

although the install can be very daunting i found it worth while in the long run to make the effort.

ive used a few other distros and though all have been good, they are also very bloated.

i like beeing able to install as much or little as I want.

im at the point now where i have a pretty much fully working system asde from my wintv pvr 350 which ive progressed to capturing picture but no sound yet.

i would suggest not dooing stage 1 install untill your very comfortable (i havent progressed to it yet) but stage2 isnt much more work (if any) than a 3.

p.s. it took me probably a dozen attempts before i had my system the way it is now(dont feel like your the only one with difficulty)

cant wait till 2005.0 is released so i can bork my box up and start over

the gentoo forums and #gentoo and #gentoo-amd64 are an incredibly helpfull resource

p.p.s appologies for rambling (been drinking)

[tictoc5150]

ive used a few other distros and though all have been good, they are also very bloated.

I totally agree, I don't like bloat in any OS and thought it was pretty cool that you pretty much build gentoo from the ground up, with as little or as much as you want it to have.

im at the point now where i have a pretty much fully working system....

I might try setting up a gentoo system for regular use someday but this one was just for the experience of installing it and seeing what kind of a mess I could make...guess I'm not too bad, second time's a charm...yeah, there are a couple hardware related errors before getting to X but it's usble once I get there...lol

although the install can be very daunting i found it worth while in the long run to make the effort.

daunting ain't the word for it...lol...more like aneurysm-provoking.

but yeah, totally worth the effort...Besides becoming more familiar with what's going on behind the scenes of an install, I learned a bunch of things that might help me out if I get in trouble with user-friendlier distros.

Plus installing it (and having it work <---being the key point) makes me feel like less of a n00b...lol

p.s. it took me probably a dozen attempts before i had my system the way it is now(dont feel like your the only one with difficulty)

Oh, I know I'm not the only one...Which is kinda why I picked Gentoo...There isn't too much involvement or learning in clicking checkboxes in GUI installers...wanted something that wouldn't make me feel like a monkey with a mouse...lol

BUT, I have to say that Mandrake is still my OS of choice

[iccaros]

ive been using gentoo for about a year and a half and am by no means an expert (still consider myself a newb)

although the install can be very daunting i found it worth while in the long run to make the effort.

ive used a few other distros and though all have been good, they are also very bloated.

i like beeing able to install as much or little as I want.

im at the point now where i have a pretty much fully working system asde from my wintv pvr 350 which ive progressed to capturing picture but no sound yet.

i would suggest not dooing stage 1 install untill your very comfortable (i havent progressed to it yet) but stage2 isnt much more work (if any) than a 3.

p.s. it took me probably a dozen attempts before i had my system the way it is now(dont feel like your the only one with difficulty)

cant wait till 2005.0 is released so i can bork my box up and start over

the gentoo forums and #gentoo and #gentoo-amd64 are an incredibly helpfull resource

p.p.s appologies for rambling (been drinking)

did you try this guide for your wintv 350..I have a 250 and had zero problms with it.. as I here the 350 just adds video out..

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Setup_MythTV

its for mythtv (I have 3 250 in my myth box running gentoo.. the only mistake I have so far is the celeron processer.. I thought the 2 gig would be good as /I used an mini-itx before with zero problms.. but the celeron locks up everytime I try to transcode video and do something else.. like recorde video.. so I plan on replacing with a P4..

good luck if you have problems you can start another post.. I can use a reason to buy a 350.....

[iccaros]

i would suggest not dooing stage 1 install untill your very comfortable (i havent progressed to it yet) but stage2 isnt much more work (if any) than a 3.

the diffrence between a stage one to stage 2 is running the bootstrap script.. stage to you have to build portage and stage 3 just the kernel.. really their is no real diffrence except time..

If you really want to learn Linux you can do this..

build a alinux from scratch system.. after its up add portage adn you will have your gentoo systems but you also had to learn about all the tools in Core utils and Bin utils and you had to build a compiler from scratch.. trust me.. if you just read through the guide you will learn a lot.. a great read even if you never do the build..

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

[naraku9333]

thanx for the links iccaros, i acctually havent seen the wiki page (thought i found all the ivtv info i could) ill check it out tomorow nite when i get back into gentoo ( been in win200 far too much due to the vb.net class im taking, and lack of free time in general)

ill probably try a stage 1 when 2005.0 comes out, till then ill just try to get the 350 fuly working

[hitest]

ive used a few other distros and though all have been good, they are also very bloated.

I totally agree, I don't like bloat in any OS and thought it was pretty cool that you pretty much build gentoo from the ground up, with as little or as much as you want it to have.

im at the point now where i have a pretty much fully working system....

I might try setting up a gentoo system for regular use someday but this one was just for the experience of installing it and seeing what kind of a mess I could make...guess I'm not too bad, second time's a charm...yeah, there are a couple hardware related errors before getting to X but it's usble once I get there...lol

although the install can be very daunting i found it worth while in the long run to make the effort.

daunting ain't the word for it...lol...more like aneurysm-provoking.

but yeah, totally worth the effort...Besides becoming more familiar with what's going on behind the scenes of an install, I learned a bunch of things that might help me out if I get in trouble with user-friendlier distros.

Plus installing it (and having it work <---being the key point) makes me feel like less of a n00b...lol

p.s. it took me probably a dozen attempts before i had my system the way it is now(dont feel like your the only one with difficulty)

Oh, I know I'm not the only one...Which is kinda why I picked Gentoo...There isn't too much involvement or learning in clicking checkboxes in GUI installers...wanted something that wouldn't make me feel like a monkey with a mouse...lol

BUT, I have to say that Mandrake is still my OS of choice

Very cool, tictoc 5150,

I will have to give Gentoo another try in the future I also still like my Mandrake box. Slackware is fun for now.