> you have to regularly compile and build big packages like Glibc (while under load) just to update the system No, you should have build hosts for that, publis

> you have to regularly compile and build big packages like Glibc (while under load) just to update the system No, you should have build hosts for that, publish binpkgs, and then install the binpkgs. Gentoo's binpkgs do not require compiling on your production machines; compile them elsewhere. > an update might require configuration file change, this doesn't happen in CentOS or Debian Stable Debian has debconf, and Centos has a similar tool. When configuration files change in the debian world, they often prompt with those maintainer scripts. Gentoo's dispatch-conf/etc-update model is quite nice because it also lets maintainers recommend new config defaults which the user may easily accept or reject. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. Then again, many people who use gentoo don't use it as you would in production, with binpkg mirrors and well managed package unmasking/masking/etc.