NEWS 20170412 about exGENT (Gentoo) 64 bit
I’ve made a light version of exGENT with only a few necessary packages pre-installed. It uses LXQt 0.11.0 as Desktop environment and kernel 4.10.4-aufs-gentoo-exton-s. The ISO file is of only 1090 MB compared to exGENT version 170407, which is of 2620 MB.
What’s new in exGENT Build 170412/170407?
The boot loader Grub Legacy has been replaced by Grub2. I started this build in the hope that I should be able to implement a new independent installer program called Calamares. I wasn’t able to do it now though. (Many dependencies to satisfy). My old installer script will have to do until I find a solution. Anyway, I think exGENT Build 170412/170407 can be of interest because of the change to Grub2 and the fact that it has one of the newest kernels installed. MOST IMPORTANT: In versions before 170309 the file system wasn’t writable when running exGENT live (from DVD). Now you can emerge (install) new programs/packages even while running the system from a DVD or USB stick. If you do that and later decide to install exGENT to hard drive all your changes will follow! Furthermore you can install/transfer exGENT to a USB stick with the dd command in Linux or use Etcher and Rufus in Windows. Watch a screenshot when Etcher is running. Such installations were impossible before. Note: I have uninstalled Google Chrome. It’s not needed anymore, since Netflix runs very well in Firefox now. I’ve also added the LXQt Desktop environment. LXQt is a lightweight Qt desktop environment. It will not get in your way. It will not hang or slow down your system. It is focused on being a classic desktop with a modern look and feel. You can choose between Xfce4 and LXQt when logging in at Slim’s login screen. Just press F1. NOTE: exGENT Build 170412 has only LXQt pre-installed. Study all packages installed in Build 170412.
Used KERNEL
My special kernel 4.10.4-aufs-gentoo-exton-s corresponding Kernel.org’s kernel 4.10.4.
Quick install to Hard Drive
exGENT Linux can be installed to hard drive in 3 – 10 min. (Depending on computer type). This means that all of you who might hesitate to perform a normal Gentoo installation – which can take up to a couple of days – now have the chance to get this great Linux system (Gentoo) installed on your computers very easy. Read below on how the installation works.
UPGRADE the System
The exGENT System (version 170412) is in very good shape, since I, without problems, have been able to update the whole system with the following commands:
# emerge –ask –update –newuse –deep –with-bdeps=y @world
# emerge –depclean
# revdep-rebuild
NOTE: Before running the above three commands you’ll have to run the commands emerge –sync followed by emerge —oneshot portage
SPOTIFY
You can easy and quick install Spotify in exGENT. Just run the command emerge spotify. The installation takes about 1 min.
NOTE: Spotify is pre-installed in Build 170412.
Rolling distribution
Gentoo/exGENT is a rolling distribution, which implies that once you have installed the system on the hard drive there is no need for re-installations (which otherwise is common in the Linux world).
Default language
The default language (locale) is set to English.
Keyboard
The default keyboard layout is American (us). Change it by running the command setxkbmap se (for Sweden).
Install exGENT to hard drive
Please read this INSTRUCTION.
Install exGENT to a USB stick
Please read this INSTRUCTION. This can be done in the same way as a hard drive installation.
Login and passwords
When you start up your computer from the dvd you will end up at Slim’s login screen. Log in as the ordinary user live with password live or as root with password root. Screenshot of the login screen.
Wireless connections
NetworkManager make it easy to configure wireless connections. Give your WEP/WAP password and connect. That’s it! You’ll find the NM-applet to the right in the panel. Check the name of your interfaces with the command iwconfig (as root).
Who is exGENT/Gentoo for?
Experienced Linux users or those who really want to learn Linux. (Perhaps also for people who are bored with mainstream distributions like Ubuntu).
Screenshot
exGENT Build 170412 running Firefox and Netflix.
DOWNLOAD
This version of exGENT has been replaced by version 180410…
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A really great DVD, was able to install Gentoo on my old laptop very quickly.
Just one problem: my broadcom 1413 wireless card was not recognised because of missing firmware, but I managed to download the firmware and install it by hand.
After that I installed everything on my hard drive rebooted, and hey! It just works.
Unfortunately I have now realised that this is a Systemd system, and one of the reasons of choosing Gentoo (besides the fact that I’ve been using it for the last fifteen years or so) is that I don’t want systemd.
So, before I start the operation of sanitizing this system, are there any special things I should be aware of, before I hurt myself and end up with an unbootable system? Thanks
If you don’t want to use systemd I don’t think you have to uninstall/remove it. Just change the boot line.
I.e. remove init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd