Gentoo Install = Hell on Earth?
 

Hello all,

To make it short, I've been trying to install Gentoo (stage-3) for three weeks now. This is where I am:

When I boot the computer, I see no splash screen, just a blinking curser in the upper left corner; thankfully it still points to Gentoo though.

While booting, I can't really see anything, just fuzzy letters whizzing past.

I can't for the life of me get the network up and running: I've tried copying the LiveCD's /etc/conf.d/net but still, no love.

When I try to edit /boot/grub/grub.conf the bloody thing is not there....?

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If I were to say, install Yoper or Mandrake, would it be possible to copy the the /etc/conf.d/net and or correct grub configuration to Gentoo and have it work? I know that they do the auto configuration thing.

Also, I have seen a couple of posts suggesting that I could use Morphix or Knoppix to aid in installing Gentoo. Is there any truth in this? Anything you could point me to?

Finally, while installing Gentoo I have seen that someone else can remotely login and complete the install for me.......I fully offer: any number of vital organs and or appendges attached to my person, my cat, Fur, my car (it's a bit of a bucket though), hell, take my wife too: she is a nice person, she has a good job, helps cook and clean, good sense of humor too, even cute......if only you will help me get this working.....!

Ugh,
Eric.

i am no gentoo expert but
i tried stage 3 with inputs from this thread

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=92418
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/altinstall.xml

regards

Been for a look at forums.gentoo.org ???.
Sounds like you have (at least) framebuffer issues to me - lose the bootsplash, and any vga parms.

Mmmm - that presumes you can get to grub.conf.
So, you have booted the liveCD and issued all the mounts in the handbook prior to chroot'ing ???.
You *are* using the handbook ??? - download the one off the web; there have been reports of issues with some of the ones included on CD.

As for network drivers, I had a look at what the LiveCD loaded (lsmod), and tried likewise. For my broadcom 4400, didn't work - had to get the driver from the Broadcom site and compile it for my kernel level.
Also for the 2004.3 I think you have to emerge dhcpd manually - prior to that was included. So if it's a DHCP issue, that might explain it.

Read the install book..? I've been sleeping with it!

did u follow the links i posted

regards

The altinstall link might be useful if you need to get on the net - I used Knoppix for the Broadcom issue I had.
But you shoud be able to use the LiveCD and handbook to at least get going.
Check /mnt/gentoo/boot/grub/* prior to chroot'ing.
grub.conf is merely a symlink to menu.lst - you can update the latter directly if you like.
As I said, lose the framebuffer stuff - in need you can also remove it from the kernel; it'll work fine.

You need to be able to get on and look at "dmesg" - take it one problem at a time.
As for copying the net stuff - nah, Iwouldn't do that. I don't know networks, so I only screw with it as much as I have to.
Again dmesg will point you in the right direction - driver, dhcp failure/missing whatever ...