What is the point? I still run and use WXP, being unsupported by MS has very little meaning on whether I will use W10.
That means… no security updates. And as long as WinXP and Win10 share 90% of the codebase*, means your system has a chance of 90% for having zero-day vulnerabilities, now for years long…
It’s OK, if you don’t use that machine connected to the Internet.
*: I worked on a conference years ago, that time an MS certified speaker (MVP, or something special like that) told about 98% being common in Windows 7 and Windows 10 - so 90% is a my guess based on that.
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It is an old eMachine XP Media Center Edition, it never sees the internet. I fire it up just to play some old games, I have installed. When the time comes I will deal with W10.
No, you don’t. However, being comfortable with the CLI is a definite requirement.
Following the handbook is quite easy. However, you may need to read some additional stuff in the wiki. I installed Gentoo Linux on my own, back in the day. I didn’t regret it. Yes, it took its sweet while, but the result was well worth it.
The only thing I find is a shame about Gentoo is that portage was written in python (adding some dependencies, just for a basic system).
Gentoo is not at all a minimalist distribution. That being said, you can tweak it to your liking extensively.
It’s not that hard. Perseverance is something which is needed, though, and not everybody has this quality. Anybody with reasonable intelligence and the ability to read can complete a Gentoo install.
Be sure to read all you think you’ll need first, before starting the actual install. There may be some noteworthy information in there.
I needed help with 3 things
- make.conf file the example in the handbook does not work… that is poor
- interpreting messages… the outout from emerge is difficult for a beginner
- licences… they were changing the licence rukes when I did it, abd the handbook was not updated.
Once you have done it once, a Gentoo install should be easy. You know where the mantraps are.
@xahodo
With your knowledge of Gentoo, you should join @nevj and I with a Gentoo install, if only in a VM.
That being said, I only use the Gentoo Handbook as a guide for info, that I may have forgotten, I mostly just use my command list and adjust the make.conf, for the Gentoo install. I do believe that the Gentoo install, as being a hard install, is a bit unfounded, when all it takes is a little knowledge of the machine, and a vision on what and how Gentoo will be used.
Just found out, that compiling www-client/google-chrome and setting the use flag " proprietary-codecs " in make.conf, makes all the difference in the world.
The appeal, for myself, with Gentoo, is in the, I control , what is and how packages are installed.
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I stopped using Gentoo, because I realized my ambitions did not align with the OS I used. I used it for years, though (with occasional breakage (sometimes because of my own actions)).
I initially thought Gentoo a developers paradise come true, that was why I was using it. Then I discovered my ambitions are actually not to become a developer, actually I need to steer clear of any such activity.
I could set up a Gentoo system in probably a day (on bare metal) or something like that. But I won’t. I don’t have the time nor the ambitions for it anymore. I just want a working system, that doesn’t spy on me, and is user friendly. Mint provides me with exactly that.
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That is why I use VirtualBox, I only have one hard install of Gentoo, and it is on it’s own machine, dedicated for Linux. Would still love too compare notes and hear about some of your do’s and dont’s about Gentoo.
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Yeah I agree, about a half day is all I can take … but honestly I find the tractor very relaxing. Good way to turn the brain off for awhile and reboot oneself 
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I am general purpose user so no coding, simulation, video editing etc.needed for my machines.
I switched to Linux on my new laptops simply because I liked Windows 7 (with all its issues) and the new processors won’t let you install that.
On top of that, Windows 10 has too many bloatwares, spywares and whatnot. It even keeps updating in the background even if you set it to not do so.
Had no particular appliactions which I need to run on Windows. With the recent improvement in sound/audio (Pipewire/Wireplumbr), there is no need now for me to go to Windows.
Also with Linux you get:
a. Great community support
b. A mostly virus free machine
c. Privacy
d. Great customization
e. Superb performance (even on older hardware)
f. Multiple distros to choose from
…+ a lot more and all this for FREE!!
So yes, Linux ahoy!
PS: I still use Win7 on my old PC (2009 build - this one has Win7/Win10 dual boot, but I never connect it to internet; Win10 is for some pesky video games which have very specific requirements) and satisfied with it. But I am certainly not going to use Windows on any of my newer machines.
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