Arch Linux

Statix

Member

From: Hangzhou, China

Registered: 2008-02-16

Posts: 240

Compiling

I hear that compiling all packages from source can make your system run faster (from a Gentoo user claiming that that is why Gentoo > All.)

My question: how much faster does it really make it? Is it at all significant in that it is worth compiling everything including a wm/de? (I don't mind leaving something compiling while I'm gone for the day or whatever if it's worth it.)

And if it is significantly faster: is there any way to make pacman compile the packages instead of installing binary ones? If not, what do you recommend for a "package manager" for compilation?

Last edited by Statix (2008-03-14 03:27:59)

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dyscoria

Member

Registered: 2008-01-10

Posts: 1,007

Re: Compiling

You should have a read of the Arch Build System which makes it very easy to build your own packages from source (with full control over what configurations etc with the PKGBUILD) and install them with pacman.

If you've got a recent or reasonably good computer, then compiling everything from source won't make too much of a difference, as arch is "i686 and x86_64 optimized" anyway. It's mainly for choosing your own options.

If you don't have a recent computer, then compiling your own kernel can work wonders.

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tam1138

Member

Registered: 2007-09-10

Posts: 238

Re: Compiling

Nowhere near enough to justify the work.

bender02

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 1,328

Re: Compiling

Well, I've used gentoo for quite a while (two years probably), and I cannot say that it ran significantly faster than arch. Having binary packages and not having to compile for several hours every other week or so is really a bliss.

If you are really not satisfied with performance of some particular packages (e.g. mplayer), it's fine to compile it through ABS with special CFLAGS; and also to fix the kernel if you use some nonstandard hardware; but the whole system --- it's a waste of time, oxygen, electricity and nerves for me.

Of course - you should probably try it for yourself, or else it might itch in the back of your mind

And as dyscoria said: you cannot make pacman compile packages from sources. Use ABS for particular packages, or switch to gentoo if you want to compile everything; or switch to freebsd if you want to compile considerable amount of packages, but not all.

Maki

Member

From: Skopje, Macedonia

Registered: 2007-10-16

Posts: 353

Website

Re: Compiling

It really depends, optimizing the kernel will make your os run faster, but compiling desktop apps like firefox, psi, ... make no real difference. Also, even if you compile the kernel you will notice the improvement only on older systems.

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If it ain't broke, broke it then fix it.