No GUI

ticokidd · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 8

Ok, first of all, I'm a noob with pretty much everything about Linux. So what I'm about to ask is most likely dumb, but I don't really know what I have to do.

I have a MacBook (old model), with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2Gz, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, and I installed Sun's VirtualBox in order to virtualize Gentoo. I downloaded the Minimal media x86 (install-x86-minimal-2008.0.iso) because the VirtualBox documentation said that VB worked nicely with that architecture. I followed the installation guide to the best of my knowledge, and I think I skipped most of the optional steps (and here I could have skipped something else by mistake, it was 4 am and I was falling asleep, but for some strange reason I wanted to install Gentoo before going to bed

). Well the thing is, everything works "fine", but I'm missing a couple of things and I was wondering if it is because I skipped something I shouldn't have skipped, or if I did everything correct and the problem is that I have to download everything myself. Here are a couple of things that I think I should have, at least I know I want to have them:

- a GUI (it'd be nice to have one :S)
- VIM or EMACS, I really need one of those, especially VIM. I have NANO, but I don't like it.
- LINKS, I would like to have a browser with a GUI, but LINKS works for me (I had it during the minimal installation, but now its gone)

I don't think I'm asking a lot, but again I could be wrong. I installed Gentoo with the full live CD a couple of years ago, but back then I used the GUI install, and I didn't really used Gentoo, so as I said at the beginning, I don't really know anything about Gentoo.

By the way, when answering (if someone answers that is :S), don't worry about getting too technical, I'm a CS mayor, so I can probably understand most of the technical terms, and if not, I don't mind to take the time and look them up on Google, after all, you are already taking the time to answer, I don't want to be too bothersome :S

Thank you for your time,

ticokidd

d2_racing · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: No GUI

szczerb · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:52 pm Post subject:

1. Did you install "GUI"? (so an X server plus a WM or a complete DE)
2. Did you install vim or emacs? ('emerge -va vim' and 'emerge -va emacs')
3. Did you install links? (emerge -va links)

Welcome to Gentoo and go read the docs:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/list.xml?desc=1
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Main_Page(this is the backup of the old pre-crash wiki and the content is systematicely ported to the above one, but some stuff can still only be found here)

Also, since you have a working Gentoo system, ask your next questions in the appropriate subforums (desktop, networking, others etc.)

Good luck

ticokidd · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 8

So I do have to install everything from scratch, I hopped I didn't have to :S

Sorry for posting in the wrong forum, I won't do it again (except for this post, but I had to say thanks), so thanks a lot!!

ticokidd.

szczerb · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject:

That's what Gentoo is - whatever you want it tobe (well almost....LFS is whatever you want it to be....) ;]

(do not worry about postinge here - it's a common mistake)

iGentoo900 · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 15

You need a full LiveCD, it has the GUI. http://bouncer.gentoo.org/fetch/gentoo-2008.0-livecd/x86/

szczerb · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:03 am Post subject:

No he doesn't need the LiveCD because it's really old, probably will leave him with something messed up, and he won't learn anything about using Gentoo so he will have great only problems later on. And it is officialy not supported anymore, so think for a while and tell me why would you put a newcomer through all this?

djdunn · l33t Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 810

i like kde for a desktop
_________________
“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.”

― Plato

szczerb · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:22 pm Post subject:

I'm more of a GNOME person but what does this have to do here? ;]

djdunn · l33t Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 810

he says he wants a gui and i suggest kde
_________________
“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.”

― Plato

szczerb · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject:

ok ;] I think that at the beginning it all comes down to the looks (and which he prefers). I guess they are equally easy to set up right know and offer pretty much the same functionality.

BTW I haven't used KDE for years....I guess I might just emerge it...

ticokidd · n00b Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 8

Well, I was looking for DE's and I found out that Xfce is among the lighter ones (please correct me if I am wrong). I was thinking about installing that one since I set the virtual machine to give Gentoo just 256MB of RAM, and 64 of video memory.

On another matter, following your advice, szczerb, I posted a new question on another subforum:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-733652-highlight-.html

That's my most recent problem XD, mind taking a look? Thanks in advance!

ticokidd

szczerb · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject:

This should be of help:
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/?catid=desktop

cwr · Veteran Joined: 17 Dec 2005 Posts: 1969

The command you need to look up is "emerge". Well, it would also be a good
idea to read all the Gentoo installation docs you can get your hands on, but
"man emerge" will do for a start.

Given that you want the Gnome GUI, try "emerge --pretend --verbose gnome".
That will _pretend_ to emerge Gnome on your system; if it says Gnome is
already emerged, then you haven't set things up properly - try "startx" at the
command prompt. To emerge Gnome (or whatever else you want) just
drop the --pretend argument.

There are better ways to look up stuff, but "emerge" is available from the
start. If you want to look up package names, www.larrythecow.org is one
of the best sites since it has a search system which the main online Gentoo
site lacks. However, there are other sites as good.

Good luck - Will