Web site development - 370Part IIIChoosing and Installing a Linux Distribution .What
370Part IIIChoosing and Installing a Linux Distribution .What hardware you might have.Most distributions install tons of modules tosupport hardware that you might someday add (it will load them as you needthem into the kernel). It will also build a kernel for you that includes supportfor features that it believes you do need (for example, some distributionsinclude ext3 file system report, expecting that to be your basic file systemtype). With Gentoo, you can choose exactly what features are in the kerneltosupport only the hardware you know you have. Likewise, you can get andinstall drivers for hardware if you decide to install that hardware later. .What services you want.Some Linux distributions suffer some performanceproblems by having processes taking up memory for services that you don tnecessarily want (such as daemons for Web, file, print, and other server types). With Gentoo, you can be selective to a fine detail about the services that areinstalled and running on Gentoo (including the order in which they are started). .What software is available.Linux distributions such as Red Hat EnterpriseLinux offer a preset selection of software packages that are well-tested andintegrated into a set of CDs or DVDs. Gentoo has a massive repository of soft- ware packages from which you can choose the exact packages you need. Eachpackage carries its own set of dependencies with it as well, so you don t haveto add every library or utility to your system to support software you mightwant someday. With an Internet connection and the emergetool, you canalways add more software you need, when you need it. .What features are available.Because in Gentoo you are making decisionsabout what software you use at compile time, you can select to turn on or offoptional features within each software component. For example, if you arebuilding Mozilla mail, you can choose whether the package you build willinclude support for LDAP address books. In theory, removing support forunneeded features makes the software you end up with run faster and uselessmemory. The features just described help characterize the type of person who is attracted toGentoo. Gentoo enthusiasts like to configure, tune, tweak, and update their Linuxsystems continuously, and Gentoo users generally end up with systems that runfaster, take up less disk space, and run in less memory than would be the case withany other Linux that you just get off a shelf. Where Gentoo Is UsedAs you may have guessed by now, Gentoo is most popular with Linux enthusiasts astheir personal Linux systems. Among Gentoo users you find those who like to tinkerwith desktops and run servers where performance is critical (such as game servers). Because Gentoo can be so easily configured and tuned, users can make very efficientLinux desktop and server systems that include only the software needed for theparticular job.