A few months ago, I switched from Red Hat to Gentoo. I am happy that I did. However, I was disturbed by some of the Gentoo documentation that I encountered. For one thing, I found the "About Gentoo Linux" page on the Gentoo web site more confusing than helpful. This has been bugging me ever since so I am writing this note to indicate why I was confused and to offer an alternative. The target audience for the Gentoo introductory web page is people who are looking for a better version of Linux and who are wondering whether Gentoo might provide it. It is important to recognize that such people don't really know much of anything about Gentoo; if they did, they wouldn't need to read an introduction. Naturally, they are concerned about the possibility that what they want may differ from what Gentoo actually provides. As users, they mainly want to know how Gentoo will work on their own computer. Unfortunately, the current "About Gentoo Linux" doesn't begin with this; rather, it discusses the "software distribution system" on the Gentoo Internet servers before it discusses software for the user's computer. Further, the current introduction tries to explain the "emerge sync" command before explaining the "emerge packagename" command. The introduction says that the "emerge sync" command is used to download software. Well, if the readers assume that software refers to things like an updated Linux kernel, they will have problems understanding the meaning of this sentence. The sentences that follow try to explain that the "emerge sync" command only downloads a new Portage Tree. I am sure that, for experienced Gentoo users, the meaning is clear. However, most new users will have only a fuzzy understanding of the function of the Portage Tree. The following paragraph does discuss the "emerge packagename" command. However, there is no mention that this command will fetch the "packagename" software from the Internet. Prospective Gentoo users will want to know what software is available on the Gentoo servers for Gentoo users. For all they know, Gentoo could be a project of a small group of computer nerds who have narrow interests, e.g., Internet gaming, and that the available software is largely limited to this. The current introduction lacks examples that illustrate the scope of the Gentoo software. Finally, there is a hard-sell flavor to the introduction: "extreme performance," "ideal secure server," "whatever you need it to be," "near-unlimited adaptability," and so on. Phrases like these make me and, I suspect others, distrustful. I have drafted a new introduction that attempts to describe Gentoo in manner that I hope prospective users will find more straightforward. I'll add it as an attachment. Undoubtedly, it can be improved. (If you can't, I can.) One thought is to add a short paragraph that gives the prospective user a sense of the kind of tailoring that is possible. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. 2. 3.
Created attachment 35383 [details] Suggested New "About Gentoo Linux"
Created attachment 35387 [details] Suggested New "About Gentoo Linux" I didn't realize that text attachments can have very long lines, i.e., there is no word wrapping. I've added some carriage returns to make the attachment more readable.
although i can see why new comers would be a little fuzzy with the whole Gentoo concept, and your document goes to great lengths to do that, i think there's two issues i have with this ... first, i like the current about page because it has the feel of Gentoo ... it has this feeling of possibilities, open ends, and *fun* second, your document has a lot of details which are geard towards someone who knows nothing of Gentoo ... but it lacks the entire feel of the current about page ... it's kind of dry and un-fun :/
I agree with SpankY. Your doc is dry, way too looong and focuses too much on portage. There's much more to Gentoo than portage. I prefer the original, but it should not prevent you from giving it another shot.
We seem to have different ideas about the "about Gentoo Linux" page. When I read the current page, I get no "feeling of possibilities, open ends, and 'fun'." I get a feeling of disorder and confusion. Is Gentoo supposed to be fun because the "about page" has words like "extreme performance," "power," "speed," and "flexibility"? So do lots of other web pages. My reaction to such words is not, "Gentoo must be wonderful"; my reaction is, "Why should I believe this?" My draft of an "about page" may be dry but it actually tells people something. When I search for software on the web, I want facts, not feelings of amorphous "possibilities." The article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Linux is a better description of Gentoo than is Gentoo's own "about page." When I submitted a "bug" asserting that the "about Gentoo Linux" page needed to be rewritten, I was not suggesting that I was the best person to write a new version. There are lots of people who understand Gentoo better than I do and I hoped that one or two might look at the current version and decide that they should spend an hour or so to write a better one. Regardless, when I look at my draft, I see ways to improve it. I'll rewrite it and submit it again. Let's find out what others think. I'll start a discussion on the forum.
Created attachment 35629 [details] "About Gentoo Linux" Draft 2 This is a second draft of a new "About Gentoo Linux." It emphasizes the "from source" nature of Gentoo. In his "The Philosophy of Gentoo," Daniel Robbins wrote that Gentoo is more than a "from source" approach. "The goal of Gentoo is to design tools and systems that allow a user to do their work pleasantly and efficiently as possible, as they see fit." That's a noble goal but, if that goal defines Gentoo, then Gentoo becomes indistinguishable from a software discipline commonly called programming
"Designing a system that allows a user to do their work as pleasantly and efficiently as possible, as they see fit" isn't programming but engineering. We're not only talking about software here. The Gentoo distribution is more than just what we release every few months. It's about the community around Gentoo and what they like. It's about having choices, integrating new ideas and technologies, trying out new things, ... The software we release is only one of the aspects about the Gentoo distribution. You also have documentation, infrastructure, research and much more.
Sven's sentiments are fine but what do such sentiments tell someone who is searching for a better Linux distribution? I think that the answer is it tells him nothing. How many developers of the many competing Linux distributions are against "community," "new ideas," and "documentation"? Years ago in the U.S., laundry soap was advertised on the radio with the slogan "Duz does everything." Sentiments like those above reduce to "Gentoo does everything." Would Gentoo still be Gentoo if nothing was compiled from source? Is there no feature of Gentoo that is distinctive?
We have many features that are distinctive from other distributions; some of them we have in common with others, some of them we don't. However, these features are superficial since all distributions copy from each other. It is my opinion that a distribution can only segregate itself from the others by it's adherance to certain principles that have nothing to do with the applications the distribution provides. Those principles don't have to be set in stone; some might even be "hidden" from the users. Yet please observe the "It is my opinion". Everyone has a different opinion on a distribution. Some choose Gentoo because it's mainly sourcecode based. Some choose Gentoo because it has decent documentation. Some choose Gentoo because their friends use it. Some choose Gentoo because the enormous help they receive from the forums.
Also, your draft "About" page is more something for a review site than for Gentoo.org itself. * We shouldn't smear other distributions, and using "dependency hell" as "the ultimate disaster" (sorry Mr. Bean) shouldn't be our main focus, especially since every distribution has dependencies and the issues contained within. Even Gentoo. * The Gentoo approach isn't to compile software on the user's machine. The Gentoo approach is to provide choices and flexibility to the users. I only compile my software on my server, all other PCs in the house use PORTAGE_BINHOST to update themselves. We shouldn't stress the sourcecode approach as it will scare more users than attract. * Automated installations are the same on all distributions. apt-get install mysql, urpmi mysql-server, ... they all accomplish the same. * Why would we want to put our disadvantages more prominently? * Don't mock our Bovine mascot :)
Marking as WONTFIX.
