Is there any QA on the live cds at all?

scottb · n00b Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

So I've tried installing gentoo 2006.0 and now 2006.1 and I don't understand how things can be so broken.

First of all, 2006.0 was supposed to be able to be installed without a network connection but the only way that would work is if you didn't select any of the packages at all at the end of the installation process, even the GRP packages. Ok, so what's the point of having the GRP packages on the CD if you can't install them without emerge trying to connect to the internet? A barebones installation with not even a GUI, apache or mysql, perfect.

Alright, so 2006.1 gives you the option of installing with or without a network, great. I have a network connection now so I didn't have to worry about what I could and couldn't install... so I thought. I select KDE and some other packages: installation failed. I select just KDE: installation fails. I select everything that I want except for KDE: installation works... kind of. While it's installing I see a "invalid PORTDIR_OVERLAY (not a dir): '/root/catalyst/overlays/portage'" error, but thankfully it doesn't screw up the installation.

So now I have a semi-working Gentoo installation minus a graphical interface. I try "emerge kdebase" but that fails because it can't find pmount and I find that I now have 2 "invalid PORTDIR_OVERLAY" error messages every time I run emerge. I try "emerge pmount" but that fails because it can't find it. Ok, so now I try "emerge --sync" and then run "emerge pmount" and that finally works. And kdebase installs after that as well.

Of course, now I find out that kdm isn't in the kdebase package so I try "emerge kdm": installation fails. There are some packages blocking the installation of kdm. I've just installed "kdebase" after a sync and I can't install kdm? bwah? So now I try to find a way to force emerge to install kdm anyway, I mean how could the newest version of kdm not be compatible with the newest kdebase? Then I find out that you can't force emerge to install a package.

There is something seriously and tragically wrong with this. There isn't a single other major distribution that makes users go through this much just to get a GUI on boot. And on top of that, none of the configuration information from the working livecd GUI is copied to the new installation.

Even the most basic and perfunctory test would have shown that KDE doesn't install off the livecd and I'm astounded that the Gentoo team actually released 2 livecd images (2006.0 and 2006.1) with so many major bugs.

yngwin

cyrillic

agent_jdh · Veteran Joined: 08 Aug 2002 Posts: 1783 Location: Scotland

At least the install cd boots these days :wink:

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mdeininger · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject:

what's wrong with using <yer-favourite-linux-distribution-live-or-nay> to install gentoo using a chroot? c'mon, that's easy enough

i suppose that's why everyone keeps saying gentoo isn't intended for noobs -- even though noobs can successfully install the main system if they simply read the manual and follow it verbatim. that's a pretty good sign for the manual authors, really

but, yeah, the graphical installer really seems to be a bitch. glad i never had to use it, apparently it can fuck up systems pretty bad *nods*
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nixnut · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject:

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Gentoo Chat.
Not a support question, but a rant.
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blu3bird · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:04 pm Post subject:

Take a Knoppix-CD.

Past 2004.* Gentoo-CDs just suck. They are even unable to detect a 7 year old nic which worked fine on a 1.4 CD.
(The module is still on it but it isn't loaded automatically.)
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csab · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject:

Shinjisan · n00b Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Germany

cokey · Advocate Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 3355

yngwin

cokey · Advocate Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 3355

scottb · n00b Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 2

runningwithscissors

cokey · Advocate Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 3355

yngwin

loki99 · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:09 pm Post subject:

Please don't turn this into another KDE vs. Gnome flamefeast!

And using Gnome shouldn't be the solution for KDE not emerging, btw. :lol:

I do understand that people are frustrated when they try to use the new installer and it fails miserably. Just please keep in mind that this is work in progress and that it doesn't fail for everyone. It'll get better, just give it time, test it as much as possible and don't forget to file the bugs you find. :wink:

Having said that, I think it would be a good idea to give new users a warning that the GLI is still beta, just before the install. I'll try to find out if there is a reason for not having it or what releng would think of such a warning.

runningwithscissors · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:31 pm Post subject:

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Voltago · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject:

cokey · Advocate Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 3355