Hi,

I'm looking for a nice comparison of source-based Linux distributions.
I've used Google before, of course, but didn't find anything like that since most people seem not to be interested in system optimization and cleanness, but am I.

They should include the most of what Wikipedia calls source-based:

• CRUX
• (Gentoo/Funtoo) I've used Gentoo before, so it's not that important for my comparison.
• Gobo
• Lunar
• Sourcerer
• Source Mage

... and possibly such cool and fancy things like:

• Exherbo
• NixOS
• ... others?

I'm interested in the following:

• Development activity: How well is it being maintained? How much up-to-date?
• Development philosophy: How much upstream/patching? Is it easy to commit my own ports?
• Characteristics: What else being important to know about it?
• Stability: Is it more or less usable?
• System & package management (most important): Which (dis)advantages does their package/source management have? --> comparison

The last point is most important, since I wasn't even able to get some information about it for e.g. CRUX or Sourcerer.
BTW, I want it to use for my desktop, but that shouldn't be too important...


Blackbird++

I think also Arch can have pretty much source based desktop installation.

I know Arch and the ABS. And it is no incedent that Arch is not in my list.

You could look at Distrowatch. I have no idea if there is a single web resource for comparing all these source-based distro's.

No I can't, because the half of these distros isn't in Distrowatch at all.
And the descriptions aren't typically more than "it's a source based GNU/Linux distro..."

Maybe this link will help. I've tried Gentoo and Sourcemage and some odd reason preferred SM over Gentoo. visit SM IRC channel on freenode to get a feel.

Thank you. But I actually used that link for my list above.

And actually I don't want "a feel" but a technical comparison of all these distros.

Given that there doesn't seem to be anything like this in the WWW until now:

Is anyone here who'd have enough expert knowledge to write something like that?

There is, but you're asking for a lot of work. I technically could do it but the amount of time it would take to compile everything, I just don't have right now. Understand that what you're asking for is no simple task and likely requires a lot of man hours. Perhaps if you formulated a criteria someone, like me, would be able to churn through them a little bit at a time.

I wouldn't be posting it back here though. I think something like this deserves to go in the LQ Wiki. Best done as a collaborative work than by any single person.

I've always wanted to give Gentoo a try.

I've tried Lunar a couple of years ago. It has many broken things, not sure if it's more stable now.