[ILUG] Suggestions for best 64 bit Linux distro?

[Simon Kenyon]

On Tuesday 28 June 2005 20:53, Paul Biggar wrote:
> On 6/28/05, Simon Kenyon <simon at koala.ie> wrote:
> > gentoo is the only distribution that i have found which doesn't subject
> > the user to dependency hell while allowing them o remain current. i've
> > only come unstuck once and a bit of googling soon fixed that.
>
> In gentoo, packages are going to fail. You can't get around the fact
> that they simply are not as well tested as either ubuntu or debian.
> Your copy of a package is really your own. It might never have been
> tested with your exact combination of CFLAGS and USE flags. And since
> it's bleeding edge, this is all the more likely. And if you unmask
> anything, even more likely. With debian and ubuntu, everyone gets the
> same. And while you you might cherich your individuality, I like the
> fact that things work.
>
> Paul

i've been sitting here struggling to come up with a coherent reply but the 
overwhelming urge is to say "so?"

maybe i'm unique but i installed gentoo by searching around for the CFLAGS 
that were optimal for my hardware and then i put them in /etc/make.conf and 
never changed them. why would i? unless the gcc boys did something truly 
magic and invalidated them, they are still optimal.

all USE flags do is enable me to remember which set of --enable-foo and 
--disable-bar options i want. most packages have a few of these and i suspect 
get enough testing to be used.

and what is bleeding edge? my kernel is 2.6.11 which is several months old. my 
xorg is 6.8.2. my kde is 3.4, gcc is 3.3.5 (from january).

everything does work on my machines. and always has. i update two or three 
times a week and always have.  oh, i tell a lie. i cannot get the diseqc 
switch connected to my dvb-s card to work, but 
kde/xorg/ooo/netbeans/apache/mplayer/... all work just fine and dandy.
-- 
Simon Kenyon
email:  simon at koala.ie
tel:    +353 1 805 9290
mobile: +353 86 240 0005