Just had to see if Gentoo would run on this machine, to my surprise, it is running quite well!!! This machine started life with Windows Vista and it is now running Windows XP Pro, and Gentoo. It has a Core 2 Duo CPU @2.2 Ghz with 4GB ram installed, and 64bit capable.
This is what makes Gentoo work, the make.conf file
The only problem is with Grub not being able to find Windows XP, but I knew that would happen, so I just use F12 and the boot menu, will not be using XP that much, anyhow. Got a few more apps to emerge in Gentoo, but that will be later.
I have a few more “use flags” in /etc/portage/package.use/package.use
Compiled in less than a day!!!
It is running well!!!
It has turned hot and dry, where I live!!!
With the binary packages, Gentoo, should be as appealing to install as any other Linux!!! If the machine has x86_64 architecture, that makes it even better.
OS-Prober is installed, wasn’t doing any good, so I disabled it, finds Windows Vista just fine. Maybe if I installed grub to /dev/sda, it might help, but that will not happen.
Had this same issue with Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04, on other PC’s, installed Grub-Customizer and problem solved. Gentoo has no way to install Grub-Customizer, except with an overlay, and that is a very good way to trash Gentoo. I suppose I could try some kind of custom grub script, but where would I start?
I want to use Gentoo on my main machine.
I want to compile so it is efficient for my processor
but
I am concerned about tieing it up too long doing compiles
so
I might start with a compiled install and let emerge compile everything,
then if I cant stand it
I could switch to binary and still have a slightly less efficient Gentoo.
You are going to get the same Gentoo, whether you compile, with source or binary. Just is not worth the headache to try to compile from source or even compile the kernel from scratch, and besides, some packages, are already binary, like llvm and firefox and gcc, I do believe.
No, if I compile source it will optimize for my CPU. If I use the binary it will not run as fast. There may be very little difference… I dont know… it depends on my processor.
You are dreaming my friend!!! I have compiled Gentoo from source and also have manually compiled a kernel, on a slow machine that took a week, just to get to the CLI!!! I can see no difference in running Gentoo with binaries and a dist-bin kernel, than any other kernel, of course, if you are a die-hard Gentoo user, then by all means, compile!!!
Hi Lorenzo,
I had a look.
It uses virt-manager … I like that
Looks as if you must use uefi boot .
It is an impressive document… images for every step.
Regards
Neville
Thats right , I am a dreamer.
In theory you can always get a better optimised binary if you compile it for your own architecture.
In practice it may not make much difference in performance.
My machine should compile in reasonable times.
We shall see.
I now have a triple boot that is working well!!
Just disable Gentoo os-prober and Vista boots into the grub menu.
More than one-way to skin a cat!!!
Next for this machine is upgrading the PSU!!!
Bingo you get the prize!!! Boot-up is through EasyBCD via Windows Vista, I then chose either XP or Gentoo Linux. EasyBCD will not install on XP, you have to have Vista or newer with the winload boot.
The Dell Inspiron and the Gentoo Mate DE quit working with kernel version 6.9, so I reformatted and compiled Gentoo with a 5.15.158 LTS kernel.
Other than changing the graphics card from Nvidia to AMD, which will not happen, this is about the only work-around, I can think of, to continue using my old Nvidia card.
What all this means, is that Gentoo will only get manual updates, and the “emerge-webrsync” and the “emerge --sync” and a “emerge -a -uD @system” with all other kernel versions being masked.
No binary packages in this Gentoo build, took all day yesterday and most of the night to get Gentoo compiled.
Will see how long this will last!!!
