Been failing to install gentoo for a month

[davidm7]

I used Gentoo about a year ago on another computer and recently did an install on an old laptop. I really didn't have many problems and did a successful installation. The only issue thus far was that the minimal install kernel call my drives using the /dev/hda1 scheme whereas the new kernel uses /dev/sda1. The issue was fixed rather easily without even needing to boot a livecd and chroot. All I had to do was hit 'e' at the grub delay change the 'root=' and then get a maintenance shell. Once there I remounted my partitions as 'read-write'. Then I changed grub.conf and my fstab. Reboot, and all was perfect.

'I do think that these days 'make menuconfig' is a little overwhelming. There's simply too much in it. I was successful on my first try but it took me a while to go through everything and looping through all the menus was very annoying and I found it hard to keep track of where I was. Long ago there were a lot less options to configure... I noticed pappy's seed kernels and I think it's a great idea. Also I believe even if you don't use his configs he has some good documentation at his site.

[durian]

My last install was in August last year, using the "SysRescueCD" method on a Core i7. No problems.

I agree about the make menuconfig - just too many things to think about. I used to compile kernels by hand (how else could you get the cdrom interface on the sound card to work ;) ) but have gone over to genkernel. Works fine for me...

-peter

[d2_racing]

Indeed, the kernel config is pretty hard the first time that you do it.

[Etal]

Aw come on, configuring the kernel is the most fun part of the whole process!

[d2_racing]

Indeed, but the hardest too.

[john_john]

It took me Four (4) attempts prior to an installation in VMWare. My problem was obtaining a correct GRUB set-up. I finally resorsted to LILO after the third attempt.

I was forced to add LMA32 to the /etc/lilo.conf after receiving several warnings when I entered /sbin/lilo.

I to am using the amd64 version. So far I like the way emerge handles dependencies.

John

[yzg]

There is a problem with the gentoo minimal CD.

The last CD which worked for me was "install-x86-minimal-2008.0". I have
been using it since then. There is a workaround for the newer CDs.

There is a year and half bug report in gentoo bugzilla. It has been confirmed by an awful lot of people on many
different hardware.

http://bugs.gentoo.org/252635

[Simba7]

There is a problem with the gentoo minimal CD.

The last CD which worked for me was "install-x86-minimal-2008.0". I have
been using it since then. There is a workaround for the newer CDs.

There is a year and half bug report in gentoo bugzilla. It has been confirmed by an awful lot of people on many
different hardware.

http://bugs.gentoo.org/252635

Why do you think some people here now use the SystemRescueCD to do a Gentoo install?

I've been using it for years and I've never had a problem with it. You get the latest kernel, drivers, filesystems, and utils. You can easily build a Gentoo install from it.

This was the only way I could do a root install on Reiser4 (before I switched fs) and btrfs (what I'm using now).