Gentoo: emerge frustration

So I'm at work on a Saturday, trying to get a linux server up and running for network monitoring purposes. I think to myself "Hmm. Maybe I should Gentoo another try!" because I'm not really happy about being required to upgrade my Linux systems every 2-3 releases of Fedora. It would be nice to just install it once, then just keep it up to date as software comes out, at least for my servers. I vaguely remember trying to install Gentoo once before and getting frustated with putting 4 or more hours into getting a bootable system. I thought that maybe things had changed, so I downloaded the "Universal" image and set out to finally have a Gentoo system of my own.


2 hours later, I'm only halfway through the installation document, and I'm looking at this statement:

Manually configuring a kernel is often seen as the most difficult procedure a Linux user ever has to perform. Nothing is less true -- after configuring a couple of kernels you don't even remember that it was difficult ;)

I want to beat this guy's face in. I've tried re-compiling kernels in Redhat and Fedora, and I still dread it. I avoid it like the plague. It's not that I can't configure and compile a working kernel, it's jsut that any time I try, I always seem to miss something that it turns out I did actually need, and I have to do the whole thing all over again. These guys talk about configuring and recompiliing like it's their second most favorite pastime. Their first was watching paint dry.


Well that's enough time burning for me. I guess it's back to Fedora for me. I've got better things to do with my time: Ooh! Look at that blade of grass grow!

D-Link DWL-122 and Kernel 2.6

I recently purchased the DWL-122 USB key WiFi device so that my Zaurus would finally get some decent internet access. I was going to pick up the Hawking Technology key instead, but the D-Link wasn't much more expensive, has a 40mw transmitter, and given the brand name, I figured it would be a pretty good bet that it would have kernel support. Oops. Well, I guess kernel 2.4 has RPMs available, but 2.6 support is really spotty.

Linux can really be a pain when dealing with new-ish products. The tradeoff is that Linux supports most hardware almost indefinitely, which eliminates planned obsolescence.