the ultimate switch

[uchiha]

out of boredom and curiosity i somehow ended on the ports of gentoo.org and I downloaded the x86-2004.3 complete package. I wanted to risk and and do linux from scratch, but never having even used linux before, I failed.

gentoo offers 3 stages which i understand are like points on a map where I can pick up on.

portage acts like a live update or something.

being new to the linux scene, I just wanted to get a little clearer on how and what to do. fist off

What are these components, as I've been told this is a basic setup.
* Linux kernel version 2.6.9 with ck1 patches

* X.org X11 version 6.8.0 with DRI

* GNOME
what is bootstrapping, chrooting, gke, gnu, gne or other terms that I might want to know.

also, is it wise to make 3 partitions, one for boot, swap and root?
and why so?
thanks for putting up with me!

 

[horndude]

gentoo uses the "emerge" system, you download chunks, start the install process and it downloads more and compiles and installs as it goes along, kind of like an automated linux from scratch type deal

linux kernel is the software that makes your hardware work at the most basic level, its linked to a set of tools or a toolchain that allow you to run user software

X.org is an xserver, right now some distros use xfree86, some x.org, in the end the results are the same

gnome is a GUI or graphic user interface/window manager with its own API and suite of user software

 

[mdshort]

Isn't X.org like a continuation of xfree86 (I heard they took over because of slow development or something).

And ya, its wise because have a seperate boot partition protects your kernel from being lost in a horible FS accident or something.

 

[jhunholz]

X.org is a fork of XFree86. XFree changed it's licensing and made a really poor move and screwwed themselves over. Pretty much every distro has dropped them and gone with X.org. It has nothing to do with who was making a better product, but licsensing was the issue. Because of the new popularity with X.org, it has slowly become the dominant one.

 

[jhunholz]

PS- As much as I love Gentoo, I can't recommend it for a newbie. Download Fedora Core 3 and get used to that first.