I feel as though I have stopped learning new things on debian and would like to switch.

I decided to install crux.
At first I had trouble with the installation, but turns out despite the sparse official documentation it really isn't that bad.

I know from reading some of the posts on here that many of you have dabbled in crux (or use it yourselves)

There are just a couple of things that I was wondering.
The package management system is very different from what I'm used to:
( apt / Yum / pacman )
I hoped someone could explain it to me a little.
I've been reading: https://crux.nu/Main/Handbook2-3-Package
and I think I get most of it but I feel I'll be more comfortable using it if you go over it a little. Tell me about how you've used it and maybe things I need to look out for.

Next, last time I installed crux I kind of...ran into it blindfolded.
I wrote down some notes about how to install and after I botched it a few times I got it working.

I was left staring at three default terminals with no Internet and no idea what to do next.

So my next question is about what to do post-install
Setting up things like the Internet (Its not done the way im used to by editing something like /etc/network/interfaces )

Finally, once I've installed and gotten Internet how does being on crux change the process of setting up my wm.
As I mentioned in my intro post I've been using swm & wmutils
Where on debian I would need to install all of the xcb dependencies
with apt-get, how would I get all the dependencies on crux.
As well as getting git and all that.
that probably comes back to my first question about pkgutils.

Hope you guys aren't too elite to help me out.
Also feel free to tell me stories of your own when you were trying an os and had no idea what was going on.

I'm not a master either, but some things that may help.

>The package management system is very different from what I'm used to:
>( apt / Yum / pacman )
>I hoped someone could explain it to me a little.
>I've been reading: https://crux.nu/Main/Handbook2-3-Package
>and I think I get most of it but I feel I'll be more comfortable using it if you go over it a little. Tell me about how you've used it and maybe things I need to look out for.

it's a ports based system. the way it works is basically that there is a list of official packages (source code) organized in folders at CRUX's servers. Running ports -u will update your local copy of those folders. using prt-get, you can pick and install packages from source, including dependencies (with prt-get depinst foo). It may be helpful to organize yourself by setting up folders for source code, building, etc. I used a guy named sudaraka's instructions for this early on, search for "sudaraka CRUX install", and remember to read the wiki, I know you said you've done this already, but do it again Read wikipedia's page on ports systems. Read about gentoo's portage system, which is very similar. You'll begin to understand it soon, it less complicated than the install imo.

>Setting up things like the Internet (Its not done the way im used to by editing something like /etc/network/interfaces )

actually I think you can do that still, but you should probably write your own init scripts to help automate this, or I guess you could use something like network manager after you get your wifi/ethernet connected. for the initscripts/an inital internet connection, there's a page on the wiki, something like autostartwifi. some helpful hints, remember you need to make sure dhcp is up for most networks, ethernet, or wifi. WPA wifi connections require wpa_supplicant, which comes included in the install, also if other network services are running from boot, you may have problems setting up network manager, don't forget to disable the others that may be running out of the box, like net (maybe lo too, can't remember).

>window manger

I usually use 2bwm, and I find it's better to install it without using prt-get, that way I can just make a local builds folder and change my config anytime I want to with no hassle. other than that, the process is pretty similar to other distros, just remember to install xorg-server, your video driver, xinit, and to make your xinitrc, and you should be fine. I think I answered the pkgutils question already, but you would go prt-get depinst git with an active internet connection after doing ports -u

keep on the course! I used crux for a while, and switched back to gentoo, but it will always have a place in my heart as the distro that taught me the most. when I started, it took me like 3 weeks to get my wifi on (I was missing firmware blobs) but I got it going eventually.

it also might help to ask on irc #nixers(irc.nixers.net) or #crux(freenode?)

EDIT:

also, man pages are your friend. most of what I outlined here is written much more eloquently in the man pages for tools like prt-get, installpkg, etc.

(06-07-2015, 07:10 PM)miatomi Wrote: I'm not a master either, but some things that may help.

>The package management system is very different from what I'm used to:
>( apt / Yum / pacman )
>I hoped someone could explain it to me a little.
>I've been reading: https://crux.nu/Main/Handbook2-3-Package
>and I think I get most of it but I feel I'll be more comfortable using it if you go over it a little. Tell me about how you've used it and maybe things I need to look out for.

it's a ports based system. the way it works is basically that there is a list of official packages (source code) organized in folders at CRUX's servers. Running ports -u will update your local copy of those folders. using prt-get, you can pick and install packages from source, including dependencies (with prt-get depinst foo). It may be helpful to organize yourself by setting up folders for source code, building, etc. I used a guy named sudaraka's instructions for this early on, search for "sudaraka CRUX install", and remember to read the wiki, I know you said you've done this already, but do it again Read wikipedia's page on ports systems. Read about gentoo's portage system, which is very similar. You'll begin to understand it soon, it less complicated than the install imo.

>Setting up things like the Internet (Its not done the way im used to by editing something like /etc/network/interfaces )

actually I think you can do that still, but you should probably write your own init scripts to help automate this, or I guess you could use something like network manager after you get your wifi/ethernet connected. for the initscripts/an inital internet connection, there's a page on the wiki, something like autostartwifi. some helpful hints, remember you need to make sure dhcp is up for most networks, ethernet, or wifi. WPA wifi connections require wpa_supplicant, which comes included in the install, also if other network services are running from boot, you may have problems setting up network manager, don't forget to disable the others that may be running out of the box, like net (maybe lo too, can't remember).

>window manger

I usually use 2bwm, and I find it's better to install it without using prt-get, that way I can just make a local builds folder and change my config anytime I want to with no hassle. other than that, the process is pretty similar to other distros, just remember to install xorg-server, your video driver, xinit, and to make your xinitrc, and you should be fine. I think I answered the pkgutils question already, but you would go prt-get depinst git with an active internet connection after doing ports -u

keep on the course! I used crux for a while, and switched back to gentoo, but it will always have a place in my heart as the distro that taught me the most. when I started, it took me like 3 weeks to get my wifi on (I was missing firmware blobs) but I got it going eventually.

it also might help to ask on irc #nixers(irc.nixers.net) or #crux(freenode?)

EDIT:

also, man pages are your friend. most of what I outlined here is written much more eloquently in the man pages for tools like prt-get, installpkg, etc.

Thanks for the response! This was exactly what I needed.
Im gonna be making the jump tonight so lets hope that goes well.

Again thanks for all the great advice.

Just wanna point out, it is in your best interest to be in the #crux channel on Freenode. The guys there are super friendly and know all the answers. :)

Being a crux user myself, I'll be glad to help you out. Crux is a fairly "barebones" distro, but you'll quickly realise how powerful AND beautiful it is to run, even as a daily driver.

Miatomi's answer was really great, so instead of rewriting it over I'll try to complete it by providing a few correspondances with `pacman` commands, because that's the other package manager i know the most:

seaching packages:
arch: pacman -Ss <keyword>
crux: ports -l | grep <keyword>

building a port:
arch (AUR): cd $PORTDIR && makepkg
crux: cd $PORTDIT && fakeroot pkgmk -d

installing a package:
arch: pacman -U package.tar.xz OR pacman -S <package>
crux: pkgadd package.pkg.tar.gz OR prt-get despinst <package>

(note that the behavior of the second command differ, as pacman will DOWNLOAD and install a package and its deps, whereas prt-get will BUILD and install a packagr and its deps. This is a source based distro after all!)

removing a package:
arch: pacman -R <package>
crux: pkgrm <package>

updating the package tree:
arch: pacman -Su
crux: ports -u

checking packages to be updated
arch: pacman -Qu
crux: ports -d

update everything:
arch: pacman -Su
crux: prt-get sysup

That should be a good starter. Learn how to build and manage packages without `prt-get` at first, to understand the process. But you'll see that it's exactly like what you were used to with the AUR. prt-get being some "yaourt-like" program.

PS: Cédric, is that you? ;)