[MPlayer-users] metacity status?

[Jeremy Brenner]

> isn't gentoo too slow to maintain? i mean you have to compile
> everything..... how long takes to compile gnome2 ( or kde ) + kernel +
> whatever + XServer + everything like that every time?
> 
> i understand that this is the tradeoff for better speed, but isn't it
> too time-consuming?
> 
> thanks,
> gabor
> 

Well alot of it does depend on processor speed.  And maintaining it
really isn't bad, its the install that takes time.  On pentiumII class
machines 500mhz or higher you can have most everything you need set up
in a day.  On your first gentoo install expect it to be 2 days before
you have your system the way you want it.  As for maintaining it really
isn't that bad because you don't have to shut things down to update.  So
you can just do a 'emerge -u world' (world is a synonim for all your
packages) and it will go for it. You could even cron an update to run
every night if you like and it will keep things up to date. I don't like
it cron'd just because I want to know whats going on at all times.  If
it isn't the best system it is defanatly an interesting one.  One thing
that really stands out about gentoo is that it starts secure. Do a
portscan on a base gentoo install and a base redhat or even slackware
install and you will see a big difference. Ports only open up on a
gentoo box when you open them yourself, services only run on a gentoo
box when you tell them to run, etc etc.. I think you get my point and I
believe that I should probably stop this rant.  The best thing is really
to just try it, I did and it just seemed to fit my idea's of how a linux
system should be built and I have been happy ever since. 

Jeremy

p.s.  All apologies to the mplayer devolopers and the users on this list
for my last couple off-topic messages, I will make an effort not to
clutter your mail-boxen with my rants.