I finally chose to proceed with the setup and install a genuine Gentoo system.
I finally chose to proceed with the setup and install a genuine Gentoo system.
just wanted to mention it took a while, but it functions now. i disabled LLVM compilation to fix an SDDM issue, but once it was fully compiled, it worked again. it needed around three hours to compile, which was a bit frustrating. aside from that, everything seems to be running smoothly. i'm interested in how it handles larger projects on a faster CPU, especially since i was checking performance stats in btop during compilation and it used all cores. the dashboard on the right is Glance Dashboard, and i'm using the Warp terminal with basic settings. among other KDE tweaks.
Earlier this year I switched my distribution from an old Debian with pre-Systemd setup to Funtoo. Spent several years using it but eventually gave up due to extremely slow builds on my hardware—also quite old. The main issue was that apt didn’t handle conflicts well, unlike more modern tools. I also tried Gentoo before Funtoo, but it didn’t work out. I’ve gained a lot from this experience and might be back at it now with Devuan Stable (or the current stable version).
Congratulations! Gentoo stands out as my top choice, especially for those willing to invest time in its flexibility. It offers a truly distinctive experience, and when you grasp its customizability fully, it becomes incredibly satisfying. In my view, once you’ve felt that level of control, changing to another distro feels like stepping down significantly. This aspect often draws the most interested individuals away. Fortunately, Gentoo now provides many binary packages, enhancing its usability even on more modest hardware. Back in the days before the binpkg library became widespread, I’d often leave my old laptop overnight for updates—something I’d support here. Portage clearly communicates conflicts precisely, and when a quick fix exists, it guides you accordingly. However, it sometimes leaves decisions to the user since it can’t always predict your intent in a specific scenario (which isn’t always your choice). Circular dependencies or conflicting USE flags illustrate this—sometimes no real problem exists, but you might need to turn one off, recompile, and try again. Unfortunately, this complexity stems from Gentoo’s high degree of personalization, unlike binary distros where APT handles dependencies consistently, making conflict resolution much simpler. Still, I sometimes wonder why I’m making such a choice. Yet, the desire to keep going remains strong—it’s the only distro (besides Funtoo, which isn’t considered a serious option) that truly places you in charge.