[wplug] Which Red Hat version is best? UPDATE

[Vanco, Donald]

Sal Mangiapane wrote:
> I got up2date working.  I changed the Python script to read
> netdict['ipaddr'] = "192.168.1.3" (it worked).  But the version of
> gcc I wanted was not part of my distribution which is version 7.
	You can try to apply RPM patches from newer releases, but be
prepared for dependency hell....

> What I can't understand is how can Gentoo
> be a complete Linux setup with only 1 214MB CD.  (I'm joking
> of course)  When Red Hat has 5 600MB CDs in it's distribution.  
	Gentoo has over 7,000 packages available - they're just not all
included.  RH includes sources and docs - the actual install binaries are
only 3 CDs.

> If I wanted to only use one
> distro (Gentoo) would I be missing something?  Like Apache or
> sendmail (or qmail) or ??? 
	You'll simply have to spend more time getting bits from the 'Net.
If you've a decent connection I suppose it's no big deal, but there is
(IMNSHO) much to be said for being able to install and go as with
pre-packaged distros.


> Is Red Hat taking a page from Microsoft?  I mean with the size of the
> install. 
	RHs current scripted minimal install is 400MB.  If you're handy with
kickstart you can cut that WAY down.  In a time when the smallest disk drive
you can (reasonably) purchase is 10GB, I don't see where it really matters
much - but there will always be those that whine that they can't install on
their P75 that has the 1.4GB hard drive.  RH is not for them.  You cannot
have a "current" distro that is everything to everyone without lots and lots
of work on the front end.  As far as taking a page from MS - how many source
CDs have you seen packaged in a Windoze product? :)


> I never heard of Gentoo before.  But, based upon their
> website (now this is very sound research :) ) it seems like a
> no-nonsense get the work done distro.  It seems like they keep up to
> date with the packages that are included and using the RedHat example
> with Gentoo it seems that I could have upgraded from version 7 to
> version 8 or even 9. 
	It's very slick, but could still use some more intuitive scripting
on install.  Given that most "servers" that sell now have at least 8MB
graphics cards in them it would be nice to see a GUI installer, but that
might come over time.  In the year between my Gentoo installs the distro has
matured at an incredible pace.  Took me several days to get the system where
I really wanted it, but it's the fastest box I've owned by far, and worth
the effort.  As always, I am continually learning something new....

Don