[PlanetCCRMA] Re: latest kernel rocks

[Peter Lutek]

> For those of us out here in Internet-land a Planet distro based on
> Gentoo could be really great. Fernando would handle the kernel and
> compile all the big apps, etc. We users would limit portage from
> upgrading critical components like glibc and we would, as a group I
> think, choose a set of common use flags and stick with them. We could
> then use portage, pointing at the Planet servers, to download most
> audio apps, but would still have access to all sorts of other great
> little general purpose apps and would have the option to upgrade audio
> if there was a need to. (Like a new Ardour test release that Fernando
> wouldn't have to mess with.

i suppose something like that is possible, but it's a bit of a forced fit.  
gentoo is all about keeping current and optimizing for your own machine,  
working style and application set. i'm not sure that we wouldn't run into  
dependency issues if we were running from a separate, upgrade-limited,  
portage tree for some stuff.

> However I think from my one trip to CCRMA that Fernando has so many
> machines to manage on campus that Gentoo as a distro for all of those
> would be an insane amount of work for him to set up there,

yes, clearly.

  > ...but
> something like this would be great for so many of us out here. I think
> many audio users would use Gentoo if they had support as great as what
> we get here.

maybe. again, it seems like a forced fit. newer versions of apps,  
including audio, often show up sooner in the gentoo portage tree than on  
the planet -- it's a double-edged sword. we can jump on things earlier,  
but we don't have the huge benefit of fernando's work making sure things  
are solid. the gentoo support model is  also very comprehensive, and is a  
model of "distributed expertise" -- see the gentoo forums. the planet is  
WAY better, as it is, for people who want to just get to work doing audio  
- fernando makes a HUGE contribution to the community by making his work  
for the CCRMA available publicly. gentoo is great for people who want/need  
some specific things which aren't in the planet, and who like to play  
sysadmin and be a little closer to the bleeding edge. i'm not sure that a  
standardized build for multiple users within the gentoo environment would  
really work. please correct me if i'm wrong, or have misconstrued your  
proposal.

-p