Quote:
Originally Posted by hazel
(Post 6035240)
I'm currently wrestling with BLFS-9.0 (sysV version) and finding it quite dispiriting. I can't quickly put up a functional but minimalist system as I could with earlier versions because of all the new dependencies that have been introduced. They are necessary, apparently, to allow higher level software to run without systemd. This is definitely the last LFS that I do and I don't even know if I shall finish it. It just isn't fun any more.
|
I used to do LFS, but not BLFS. I always thought the point was to have a nice base system to build on, why would I want the rest dictated to me? (Moreover, I did not follow the LFS procedure exactly either, for example if I knew of a better version of something to use, or wanted to use more recent kernel headers I did).
You can build whatever you want, and not build whatever you don't want after the base system. Sure, if you want to use Plasma, you'll have to build 87 metric shit tonnes of dependencies. In other cases, many dependencies will be optional. If they aren't there, they won't be dependencies. For example you can build XFCE without linkage to all that gnome/freedesktop junk, especially if you only build the parts of it you want.
For example, the first thing I used to do was build image libraries, freetype, X etc., then a simple, (mostly, with as much --disabled as I could) dependency free fluxbox to work in (and fall back on while working on the system) while I got the rest of what I wanted done. While we'd want more than that, it's possible to have a simple, easy to maintain system. You can simplify maintenance by compartmentalizing some things too, when building it yourself. I still do that in Slackware and Manjaro, for example some things go to /usr/local and other complex things I set up their own --prefix (PATH and/or ldconfig etc.) for example /opt/trinity and /opt/firefox so they can be instantly "rm -r" 'ed
Sounds like too much work? I agree. That's why I don't do LFS anymore. Nowadays I'd rather have a more comprehensive distro like Slackware to build on and replace things as desired. :-)
With x86_64 the need to compile and optimize EVERYTHING yourself isn't as great, because even with generic x86_64 you still get instructions like SSE2 whereas on 32 bit, generic i386 or even i686 was a drag on newer processors. That's what I've observed, anyway.