I want some help on the Gentoo stage 3 installation in plain language.

I am aware of the Gentoo Handbook and I have read it. But it's not very clear on how to install this system from an existing distro though it's been mentioned somewhere in the handbook. I have no idea how to begin the installation.

I have downloaded the stage 3 tarball, but is there anything else I need before beginning this? I also think I'll skip on the package CD but I'd also like instructions on how to install from that, if possible.

I can install Gentoo from Debian. Now how do I go about it? Please do not refer me to the Gentoo handbook again. I need some very straight and simple (not detailed) instructions.

I know the partitioning bit, so you can skip that.

Just to clarify: I am not a newbie, so you can assume prior knowledge

Thanks.

there's really not that much to it, and the instructions pretty much work for the same as the install cd. wether you boot from a gentoo 2005.0 CD, or you're already in debian, that just serves to get you into some form of linux to do the installation. so it really is just a case of following those instructions!

briefly then....

- mount all new partitions under /mnt/gentoo or whatever.
- get mirrorselect details: mirrorselect -i -o >> /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
- copy dns: cp -L /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/resolv.conf
- bind proc: mount -t proc none /mnt/gentoo/proc
- chroot away: chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash

and once you're here, indeed before you were even here, you're exactly back online with the standard installation.

The handbook is merely the start. If you'd looked around the install docs webpage, you'd have found the alt install guide.
Section 3 - Knoppix, but generic. Basically what acid_kewpie posted.

That was the part I had a doubt about which is not very clear.

So the whole installation process will be done from within Debian (or Knoppix) or whatever?

Just mount the partition and extract the stage tarball there? After this extracting the stage tarball (sorry if I'm asking too many obvious questions! Gentoo is getting me to feel very stupid at the moment ) will that partition be bootable or not?

The Gentoo handbook didn't say anything about rebooting into Gentoo after extracting the stage tarball?

Another thing is that the handbook assumes too many things about your setup, but the fact is that I don't want to create the /boot partition. Nowhere does it say whether Gentoo requires the /boot partition. I'm assuming that it doesn't because I have Grub already on my system.

As things stand now.

1. I have a Linux partition ready for installing Gentoo.
2. I have the stage tarball.
3. I have the portage snapshot.

I assume these are the steps, please correct me if I'm wrong:

1. Format the new Linux partition.
2. Extract the stage tarball there.
3. Extract the portage snapshot.
4. Get into the Gentoo environment by chrooting.
5. Follow the instructions from there on.

Is that right?

Has to be done from somewhere - LiveCD, or perhaps one of those two.
You said you had read the install guide - maybe you'd better go back and read it fully. Follow the guide to;Seems pretty clear - chose your own or use the scheme the handbook offers.

The handbook is a guide - it offers a configuration found to work. Linux is about choice - Gentoo even more so.
Amend it as you wish, but be prepared to deal with the consequences. Where there are variations you introduce, don't blame the install docs.
A reasonable point to pick-up the Handbook would be 4.e in your case. Your assumption seems ok - blindly following the handbook though obviously isn't going to work.
You're going to have to put some thought into it as you go.

That is it. I want to understand the implication of each step I am performing rather than blindly follow the handbook. I can easily type in the commands without knowing what I am doing, but I wish to understand and learn as I go along.

I have read the handbook three times over, but some aspects continue to remain confusing.

Thanks for the help, though. I'll read it again. I am prepared to experiment because I have a stable working distribution in Debian working on my box. The only thing I don't want to do is to accidentally delete any other partitions, which is I suppose a very rare chance.

The thing is, I have yet to "start" doing anything because it is all quite a bit confusing. Mind you, I have installed and configured Slackware successfully, but I wish to remove Slackware and install Gentoo because of the fact that Slackware doesn't have an easy package management system and I am really keen on trying "Portage" because I heard it is as good as apt.

A lot more common than it should be unfortunately. Just search LQ for "lost partition" threads
I always try and install to a new disk - lessens the chances of a catastrophy. I also ensure the new drive is a different capacity to the "good" system. Then it's obvious which disk you are hitting.

Welcome aboard. Once you are confident to begin, don't worry about making mistakes with the Gentoo build.
We all do, and we all have to restart. Re-compiling kernels is not the horror you may have envisioned.
And believe me, you'll get used to doing it on Gentoo.

Compiling kernels is a breeze, I have done it before

The only problem I am having at the moment is finding the right "starting" point to install Gentoo.

Most distros come with a bootable install disk and since Gentoo doesn't have one, I am having "starting trouble" if you can understand my drift.

I think the chances of my deleting a partition are rare, because I am going to install in hdb (primary slave), while all my main work is in hda (primary master) Also I have the Slackware partition already, so all I have to do is, delete it and create a new one.

??????
Aha - I think I now understand.
What install document are you using ????. You need to get hold of the Handbook - if you are using the Install Reference, you will get nowhere as a first-time user.
That is a summary for experienced Gentoo users.

Well, which one is it? I clicked on this link:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml

That is the "full" handbook, isn't it? Is there any other handbook?

And I know of the Gentoo LiveCD (which is not the install program) -> I don't really need it because I have Debian and also a Knoppix disk, so getting into a "live" Linux environment is no problem.

No that's it - you just don't seem to be reading it, hence my query.
From the *very first* section;LiveCDs do indeed exist, and I suggest you go find an ISO, and try it out - LQ downloads has a link, as does Distrowatch.

I read it. Three times, as I told you (the first "installation" section at least).

The real problem is that I don't need to start from the beginning. As I said, it assumes zero knowledge and there seem to be several steps that are redundant to me. I'm having trouble understanding "which" steps *I* need to do.

I just don't know which step to start off with.

I have the portage snapshot, I have the stage 3 tarball. Now what? Which step should I start from? I can do the partitions, but then I just extract the tarballs? What?

Why are the instructions so detailed? I am not a newbie. Is there a guide that will just tell me "what" to do, rather than "how" to do it, so that I can understand the whole picture rather than go through each page one by one.

Is there any guide that is just an "overview"?

hi there,

Harishankar, these directions sounds clear for me. i don't understand what is exactly the problem.
following acid_kewpie instructions you shall not have troubles.
the only difference here is that you need to be carefull where you mount your root - / - partition, once that you have other OS installed. this is the tricky part.
the idea behind gentoo install is to build your own environment. technically after "chrooting" you are inside gentoo.
you need only to update your boot loader info and compile a kernel. it is done.

regards

slackie1000

I successfully installed Gentoo, by the way.

Now I'm having problems configuring the network (internet), but that's another thread