Hi,

Last week I tried to install gentoo (from stage1)which I hoped could replace
my FreeBSD desktop. Unfortunately, I'm back with FreeBSD again. I didn't
succeed (yet!). The installation went very smooth, everything worked the
first time. I've plenty of FreeBSD experience that helped me during the
tricky stuff (like installing Gentoo on a second (primary slave) disk and
installing Grub to load Gentoo from this disk). When the installation was
done, Gentoo booted like a charm, but then the trouble began.

Installing X and KDE from source went very smooth, but configuring the both
of them failed miserably. I've tried all the steps in the manual, but they
weren't succesfull. Then I tried configuring X the way I was used to in
FreeBSD (XFree86 -configure) and that worked, but when I started X using
the automatically created configuration file, my system hung up showing
only the cursor in the center of the screen. Installing the mouse didn't
work either. I've got an OEM Logitech USB mouse (optical) and I thought I
completed the necessary steps from the manual, reading all the messages on
this topic in the online forums, but nothing worked. My network card
(RealTek) wasn't recognized by default, I had to build modules for that.
After every reboot I have to manually run dhcpcd eth0 to give it an IP
address. What can I do to finally get Gentoo to work. It will probably be a
lot quicker than FreeBSD, so I really like to give it a try.

--
Cheers,
Bob.

Bob Kersten (secret@secret.com) wrote on Wednesday 16 July 2003 22:19 in
alt.os.linux.gentoo:
> Installing X and KDE from source went very smooth, but configuring the
> both of them failed miserably. I've tried all the steps in the manual, but
> they weren't succesfull. Then I tried configuring X the way I was used to
> in FreeBSD (XFree86 -configure) and that worked, but when I started X

That's a good way, using an automatically generated XF86Config. You can
finetune it after that, but you'll need to know stuff about your hardware
(like videochipset, monitor-frequencies and resolutions).

> using the automatically created configuration file, my system hung up
> showing only the cursor in the center of the screen. Installing the mouse

I guess it didn't hang, did you try switching num-lock or ctrl-alt-backspace
to get out of X?

> didn't work either. I've got an OEM Logitech USB mouse (optical) and I
> thought I completed the necessary steps from the manual, reading all the
> messages on this topic in the online forums, but nothing worked. My

For a Logitech USB mouse, you have to have USB-support (U-/O-HCI and Human
Input Device support) in your kernel enabled. After that you should have a
/dev/input/mice, which is your mouse. In the XF86Config, you modify the
mouse-section to reflect this, this is mine (using the same mouse):

--cut--
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "USB Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/usbmouse"
Option "Buttons" "5"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
--cut--

> network card (RealTek) wasn't recognized by default, I had to build

Nothing is recognized by default in Gentoo, because you have to build your
own kernel. This is a Good Thing(tm), because then you have a kernel,
customised to _your_ system. It won't have anything that you don't need, so
it boots faster and requires less memory.
For the RealTek-card, there is an option in the Network-device section of
the kernel-config. You can choose to build it into the kernel, or build it
as a module.

> modules for that. After every reboot I have to manually run dhcpcd eth0 to
> give it an IP address. What can I do to finally get Gentoo to work. It

For DHCP, you need to edit /etc/conf.d/net, add a line like this:
iface_eth0="dhcp". You also need the 'dhcpcd'-package (emerge dhcpcd should
do the trick). Then a 'rc-update add net.eth0 default' takes care that your
network is started at boot-up.

> will probably be a lot quicker than FreeBSD, so I really like to give it a
> try.

I hope you like it! Feel free to ask more questions if something doesn't
work for you.

--
A Dieu,
Robert Zwerus - e-mail: arzie@dds.nl
ICQ UIN: 3943443 - MSN: robert_zwerus@hotmail.com

* Bob Kersten (2003-07-16 22:19 +0200)
> Installing X and KDE from source went very smooth, but configuring the both
> of them failed miserably. I've tried all the steps in the manual, but they
> weren't succesfull. Then I tried configuring X the way I was used to in
> FreeBSD (XFree86 -configure) and that worked, but when I started X using
> the automatically created configuration file, my system hung up showing
> only the cursor in the center of the screen.

That's normal and shows that X is all right. Did you examine the log?

> Installing the mouse didn't work either. I've got an OEM Logitech USB mouse
> (optical) and I thought I completed the necessary steps from the manual,
> reading all the messages on this topic in the online forums, but nothing
> worked.

Did you try xf86cfg or xf86config?

> My network card (RealTek) wasn't recognized by default, I had to build
> modules for that.

My god.

> After every reboot I have to manually run dhcpcd eth0 to give it an IP
> address.

Did you run "rc-update add dhcpd default"? And why dhcpd for your own
machine? Did you really read the docs?

Thorsten
--
Content-Type: text/explicit; charset=ISO-8859-666 (Parental Advisory)
Content-Transfer-Warning: message contains innuendos not suited for
children under the age of 18

Thorsten Kampe schrieb:
> * Bob Kersten (2003-07-16 22:19 +0200)
>
>>Installing X and KDE from source went very smooth, but configuring the both
>>of them failed miserably. I've tried all the steps in the manual, but they
>>weren't succesfull. Then I tried configuring X the way I was used to in
>>FreeBSD (XFree86 -configure) and that worked, but when I started X using
>>the automatically created configuration file, my system hung up showing
>>only the cursor in the center of the screen.
>
>
> That's normal and shows that X is all right. Did you examine the log?

You have to add kde to /etc/rc.conf to start it automatically. Last
point in the file.

>
>
>>Installing the mouse didn't work either. I've got an OEM Logitech USB mouse
>>(optical) and I thought I completed the necessary steps from the manual,
>>reading all the messages on this topic in the online forums, but nothing
>>worked.
>
>
> Did you try xf86cfg or xf86config?
>
>
>>My network card (RealTek) wasn't recognized by default, I had to build
>>modules for that.
>
>
> My god.

When you build your own bsd kernel you do the same. You switch off all
you don't need that the kernel gets smaller and faster. In gentoo it is
simmilar, only that nothing is activated by default. You have to switch
on all you need in the kernel.

>
>>After every reboot I have to manually run dhcpcd eth0 to give it an IP
>>address.
>
>
> Did you run "rc-update add dhcpd default"? And why dhcpd for your own
> machine? Did you really read the docs?

Actually it is "rc-update add net.eth0 default". Before that you have to
uncomment the dhcp part in your /etc/conf.d/net - that is in the manual.


Marc

In article <1rovkvdx23q8f$.dlg@thorstenkampe.de>, Thorsten Kampe wrote:
>> Actually it is "rc-update add net.eth0 default". Before that you have to
>> uncomment the dhcp part in your /etc/conf.d/net - that is in the manual.
>
> I don't know if the start script can invoke the DHCP daemon. In any

I don't knwo why it should in that particular case. If I understood the
question correctly, Bob wanted to start the DHCP _client_ daemon, not the
DHCP daemon. Which makes sense if you want to get an IP address from a
server somewhere on the (local) net.

> case: if he wants DHCP daemon he's got to start at it boot time via
> "rc-update add dhcpd default". If he want's just an IP address for his
> NIC but doesn't have other clients there's no need to use DHCP at all.

Right, but I think there are other clients, and one DHCP server on some
machine other than the gentoo one.

Florian

* Marc Remolt (2003-07-17 14:33 +0200)
>> I don't know if the start script can invoke the DHCP daemon. In any
>> case: if he wants DHCP daemon he's got to start at it boot time via
>> "rc-update add dhcpd default". If he want's just an IP address for his
>> NIC but doesn't have other clients there's no need to use DHCP at all.

> It can - I use DHCP. What Bob wanted was just to get an IP via DHCP, he
> doesn't run a DHCP server for other clients. That is what "dhcpcd eth0"
> does.

Aaaah. Thought he meant the server.

Thorsten
--
Content-Type: text/explicit; charset=ISO-8859-666 (Parental Advisory)
Content-Transfer-Warning: message contains innuendos not suited for
children under the age of 18

Hi,

Thanks for all the help you guys. I finally got KDE on Gentoo working,
but unfortunately I found out that it isn't any faster than FreeBSD
(though not slower either), despite all the manual configuration that
took place. Therefore I decided to stick with FreeBSD. It has a very
wide-spread userbase (Linux in general has too, but specific Gentoo
users are a bit more hard to find), a superb online manual (I learned
almost everything regarding Unix/Linux in that manual) and a very
user-friendly ports system (like Gentoo does too). Thanks again for
the help though.

Cheers,
Bob.

In article <slrnbiil12.4s0.leej@cafe.lan>, Lee J. wrote:
> Meanwhile in the Korova Milkbar, Bob's rassoodock was made up
> and bolshy yarblockos were golossed:
> [..]
>> Thanks for all the help you guys. I finally got KDE on Gentoo
>> working, but unfortunately I found out that it isn't any
>> faster than FreeBSD (though not slower either), despite all
>> the manual configuration that took place.
>
> Are you sure there isn't a configuration problem with KDE?
> Dodgy network settings can slow down KDE. I ask because I've
> had quite different results from FreeBSD to Gentoo.
>
>> Therefore I decided to stick with FreeBSD. It has a very
>> wide-spread userbase (Linux in general has too, but specific
>> Gentoo users are a bit more hard to find),
>
> Did you not find http://forums.gentoo.org ?

Not to mention #gentoo on freenode (and various other IRC networks too,
the freenode channel is just the official one)...

With an estimated ~100-150k users, Gentoo users aren't very hard to
find.

--
Jon Portnoy
avenj/irc.freenode.net
Opinions expressed are my own, not those of any entity I am
associated with unless stated otherwise.

Also, if you are not using the CK-Kernel you can make the GUI more
responsive by running X as nice -10 so that compiles and multimedia
don't make it choppy.

In addition, you can also prelink your machine to make programs start
faster.

On 31 Jul 2003 17:38:46 GMT, "Lee J." <leej@dsl.pipex.com> wrote:

>Meanwhile in the Korova Milkbar, Bob's rassoodock was made up
>and bolshy yarblockos were golossed:
>[..]
>> Thanks for all the help you guys. I finally got KDE on Gentoo
>> working, but unfortunately I found out that it isn't any
>> faster than FreeBSD (though not slower either), despite all
>> the manual configuration that took place.
>
>Are you sure there isn't a configuration problem with KDE?
>Dodgy network settings can slow down KDE. I ask because I've
>had quite different results from FreeBSD to Gentoo.
>
>> Therefore I decided to stick with FreeBSD. It has a very
>> wide-spread userbase (Linux in general has too, but specific
>> Gentoo users are a bit more hard to find),
>
>Did you not find http://forums.gentoo.org ?

Someone once complained that his Mandrake machine ran KDE faster than on
Gentoo. He was told that gcc option -z combreloc would make a difference.

I can't compare and I don't use KDE but here is my CFLAGS just in case:

CFLAGS="-march=athlon-mp -O3 -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer -fforce-addr
-falign-functions=4 -fprefetch-loop-arrays -ffast-math -z combreloc -m3dnow
-msse -mmmx -frerun-cse-after-loop -frerun-loop-opt"


Hth


Jason wrote:
> Also, if you are not using the CK-Kernel you can make the GUI more
> responsive by running X as nice -10 so that compiles and multimedia
> don't make it choppy.
>
> In addition, you can also prelink your machine to make programs start
> faster.
>
> On 31 Jul 2003 17:38:46 GMT, "Lee J." <leej@dsl.pipex.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Meanwhile in the Korova Milkbar, Bob's rassoodock was made up
>>and bolshy yarblockos were golossed:
>>[..]
>>
>>>Thanks for all the help you guys. I finally got KDE on Gentoo
>>>working, but unfortunately I found out that it isn't any
>>>faster than FreeBSD (though not slower either), despite all
>>>the manual configuration that took place.
>>
>>Are you sure there isn't a configuration problem with KDE?
>>Dodgy network settings can slow down KDE. I ask because I've
>>had quite different results from FreeBSD to Gentoo.
>>
>>
>>>Therefore I decided to stick with FreeBSD. It has a very
>>>wide-spread userbase (Linux in general has too, but specific
>>>Gentoo users are a bit more hard to find),
>>
>>Did you not find http://forums.gentoo.org ?
>
>