Re: debian gnu vs. gentoo?

Dennis wrote:
I run Gentoo on a Compaq Evo N600c laptop ... all hardware is working.

I have not used Debian in years, so I cannot add any input there ... if you
are building a game machine then stick to Windows.
The only reason I say this is due to the lack of availability of mainstream
games for Linux. Most game companies do not want to invest in Linux.


John Salerno wrote:


Hi everyone. I asked a while back about choosing a distribution and got
some great advice to consider. Now I think I've narrowed it down to
Debian GNU/Linux and Gentoo, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me
what some of the differences might be between the two. I have no real
way of knowing how to choose.

If it helps, here's some info:

My computer is a Dell Inspiron 8600 (so I don't know about laptop
problems). I plan to use Linux for everyday stuff, like using the
internet, but maybe for development as well (in a hobbyist kind of way).
Also, I like to play games, so I don't know if I should stick with
Windows for that, or if Linux runs games well.

Thanks!



I put a copy of Mandrake 9.21 on my Dell Inspiron 7000, and all went
well except for dial-out, and thrashing. It has a built in LT modem,
which would not cooperate with Linux, because the drivers supplied by LT
would not work on older computers.

I finally removed Linux from the notebook for two reasons:

1. I could not dial out, although the LAN worked fine.
2. The little 20GB hard drive would not stop seeking, and I was
concerned that it would thrash itself to death.

So now I have restored win2k on the notebook, and the reason for it's
existence is to run the several printers, camera's and 3 scanners that
will not work without M$. I will certainly never post from it again,
since that seems to invoke the ire of elitist assholes.

Otherwise, my main computer is Linux only, and I have two others which
are dual-boot to win98 for guests who cannot comprehend what Linux is.
My machines are static, and each one has a hub for dhcp (anyone can plug
in a laptop). Mostly, these other machines are used for Boinc, as I will
not allow an idle machine to exist on my network.

Way back in 2003, bittwister warned me about data collisions in a setup
like this, but I haven't had any noticeable problems. I have 11 static
users, but there are seldom more than 2 online. The collision problem
may manifest itself sometime in the future, but for now, all is well.

I think that since you have a more modern notebook (laptop?) that you
should be able to use the new drivers available from LT. You might want
to start here:

http://delltalk.us.dell.com/supportforums/search?board_id=insp_modem&submitted=true&q=linux&x=0&y=0

Watch the wordwrap.

HTH

Michael

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RLU #352695
35.14N - 101.50W
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