Does compiling from source really make a difference?

Hydraulix · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 447

First let me start of by saying I absolutely love Gentoo. I love the package management and I love the way it feels. It feels like I have more control over the whole operating system. But many times when I compile X or KDE or GCC it takes forever. It doesn't really please my girlfriend that we have to keep the computer compiling all night because I have to compile from source. So here's my question. Is it worth it? Compiling X for 2-3 hours just seems like forever. And don't get me started on KDE.

Thanks
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SerfurJ · l33t Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 824 Location: Texas

compiling for the specific cpu architechture results in a slight improvement in performance, but the main advantage is being able to configure the use flags.. that's where you can really optimize your system.

paolo_cst

MaxDamage · Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2005 7:12 pm Post subject:

I think it's easier to manage library updates. In binary distributions, when a program needs to install a newer version of a library, it brokes all the dependencies of other packages. In gentoo you simply run revdep-rebuild.
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SerfurJ · l33t Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 824 Location: Texas

SerfurJ · l33t Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 824 Location: Texas

alexleiker · Apprentice Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 190

Well having used gentoo off and on for about a year I have found no better distro available. Compiling from source is nice but I'm rather lazy when it comes to my USE flags and my whole make.conf in general. I never have crazy cflags or crazy use flags. My CFLAGS is -02 -march=athlon-xp -fomit-poitnthingy" and thats it. Personally I would really think it awsome if gentoo incorportated some form of binary packages into portage. I know you can install from binary but that requires someone with the same setup. But it would be awsome to have a profject that is for the lazy gentoo users like me who dont optimize much and just use safe tested features. Basically like arch linux. Its very nice with the package handling but I dont really like the whole layout of the system. I'm too used to gentoo. (is this making any sense??) oh well. I'm just gonna stick with my good old gentoo.
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/dev/random · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:28 am Post subject:

Good luck integrating USE flags into binary packages. That's why to me compiling is worth my time.

DarrenM · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:07 am Post subject:

The improvements from compiling yourself are fairly negligible. Any minor improvement certainally won't make up for the time needed to compile stuff. Once you have your system up and stable (in terms of packages installed) it doesn't become such an issue anyway as you really only need to update once a month or so to keep on top of the updates.

USE flags would be great if they were only used for extras like nptl, but having to add a flag to enable basic functionality like "dvd" so that my dvd player will play dvd's or "cdparanoia" so that my cd writer app that requires cdparanoia will actually work is just plain idiotic.

Don't give me any of that "bloat" crap either. If I install an app, I want it to be able to do everything that it was written to do by default.

If you think that tweaking the shit out of ccflags and USE flags will provide you with some significant performance improvement that's worth the time you spend tweaking then you will probably get just as much of an increase by installing wooden nobs on your pc.

Don't get me wrong, I love gentoo and use it at home and at work for my desktop pc. But ricing isn't why I love it and isn't the reason to use it over other distro's IMHO.

HydroSan · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:17 am Post subject:

/dev/random · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:47 am Post subject:

Lokheed · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:49 am Post subject:

The biggest benefit are definately USE flags. You ever run a binary distro, you will see just how they faulter when you need to install numerous binaries whether or not you need them simply because the original program was compiled with the need for them.

I have found that speed is quite negligilble.

Lews_Therin · l33t Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 657 Location: Banned

ralph · Advocate Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: Hamburg

@Lews_Therin:
Calm down, your recation is ridiculous. You're acting like a little child whose favorite toy is broken.
So somebody is claiming the performance gains are negligable? Guess what, he's right for about 99% of the things people do with computers (though I have to admit that encoding homemade porn would probably benefit a lot from any performance gain, but you seem to be the expert there).

And that thingy about USE Flags. I'd readily agree that they are indeed one of the greatest features of gentoo, but people getting a kick out of the fact that they build xine without dvd support as their system would be so bloated if it had dvd support is just stupid. USE-Flag ricers unite.

Finally, to the original poster:
Gentoo has a lot to offer, but if you are primarily using it because of imaginary speed gains, don't use it. And if your girlfriend is really giving you trouble about compiling kde for 12 hours, get your priorities streight.
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alexleiker · Apprentice Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 190

Ok i wasnt saying that Gentoo should switch to a non source distro. I'm just saying it would be cool if there was a system for people like me who dont do many optimizations so we can have portage manage both source and binary. Maybe I like gnome or kde just fine from binary? I am not bashing the whole source thing cause I really like it just sometimes some big packages might be easier gotten from binary.
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Lews_Therin · l33t Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 657 Location: Banned

Hydraulix · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 447

First off the reason I did post this thread is because I don't want to wait forever for things to compile I don't give a shit about speed. In fact I never even noticed any speed difference between a stage 1 install and a stage 3. Second I do spend time with my girlfriend FYI. It just so happens she starts to complain when I'm compiling KDE and it takes about two days. Now she can't log on into her college's web meetings because I have to be booted into Linux. Sounds fair right? Wrong it's not fair. It's not fair for anyone to sit there as the computer is compiling away worthless shit because there's an upgrade. This is the point I was trying to make. I'm feel sorry for those that didn't get it.
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It is the fate of operating systems to become free.
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troth · n00b Joined: 03 Feb 2005 Posts: 13

I've installed Gentoo probably half a dozen times using various methods, and I'd have to say yes, it does make a difference.. especially on older hardware

ralph · Advocate Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: Hamburg

Simple solution:
If you "don't want to wait forever for things to compile" and if you think "it's not fair for anyone to sit there as the computer is compiling away worthless shit because there's an upgrade", don't use gentoo. See, that was easy.

I can understand your points, but I'm constantly amazed about people picking a source based distribution and then complaining that, duh, they have to compile things. It's not as if there aren't any alternatives.

And don't get so worked up about me mentioning your girlfriend, it was a joke, get over it.
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The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows.
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Hydraulix · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 447

ralph · Advocate Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 2001 Location: Hamburg

lightvhawk0 · Guru Joined: 07 Nov 2003 Posts: 388

Hydraulix · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 447

BlackEdder · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 12:00 pm Post subject:

Hydraulix · Guru Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 447