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[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjGSMUep6_4 Install Gentoo]
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[[File:Gentoo.png|thumb|Gentoo logo]]
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'''Gentoo Linux''' is a source-based [[Linux]] distribution. It has a stigma for being a difficult distribution to use, and is often recommended as a solution to any problem on /g/. After all, if the person asking the question could install [http://funroll-loops.info/ Gentoo], they could probably figure out whatever problem they're having in the first place. If you are considering installing Gentoo, the best resource available to you is the [http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/index.xml Gentoo Handbook].
  
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The best operating system. Maximum freedoms, maximum muh ricing, maximum autism.
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== Installation method ==
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Most distros include some form of graphical installer. Gentoo is installed by manually partitioning a device, extracting a stage3 tarball, extracting a portage snapshot, compiling a kernel, installing a bootloader, and then configuring various files that are needed to get it up and running. In those regards, it is somewhat similar to installing Debian with debootstrap, Fedora with febootstrap, or an Arch Linux install.  
  
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There's no sensible reason to use Gentoo anymore. The kind of extra performance you used to get is now null because modern computers are much better than they used to be. Gentoo is an unnecessarily hard OS to use, with no automation out of the box. You have to install and compile everything manually, including the OS itself. Because you have to do everything manually, and humans are very prone to mistakes, you will eventually put the OS into an unusable state.
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Because of this highly manual approach to installing the system, always keep in mind that installing Gentoo will probably be literally the longest operating system install in your life, EVER. '''You have been warned.''' Take your time when installing Gentoo, expect the installation to be a wild ride of problems, achievements and milestones, and don't try to rush it. If you're a NEET with literally nothing else to do you might be able to rush a Gentoo installation in at least 3 hours; if you're a busy person with a day job and friends, it might take you a day or two to set everything up.  
  
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The benefits of using Gentoo matter far too little to make it practical. You will see better performance from everything simply because it is custom-compiled for your system, using only the flags you need. You also know where everything is and how it all connects, because you put it all there. Gentoo is exactly what GNU/Linux, and in essence UNIX, is supposed to be: everything is modular and barebones. You get exactly what you need and nothing else. Too bad what Linux is supposed to be is impractical. By using Gentoo, you will soon learn that you spend more time compiling, fixing errors, messing with configs, configuring drivers, and making sure you keep everything up to date while doing all of this stuff again, than you do using the computer. Gentoo is an old dinosaur of an operating system, only used by old dinosaurs of humans and newfags "ricin muh linoox.", on old dinosaurs of computers.
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To make yourself an idea of what awaits you (and in case you fell for the "INSTALL GENTOO" maymay): on a 2022 mid-end desktop with 16 GB of RAM and a Ryzen 4800H, setting up the minimum system (the Stage 3 tarball + Portage snapshot) will take you about an hour or two, compiling the kernel a few minutes (assuming you're cheating with {{ic|genkernel}} instead of undertaking a manual compilation, configuring all sorts of settings, and fixing an endless series of kernel panics), finishing your basic installation another hour, installing the graphical interface at least 2 hours (because the GUI is an optional component in Gentoo), and installing Firefox an hour at best, while the entire software compiles from source code. Keep in mind Chromium takes five times longer to compile. That's all assuming you're the luckiest person in the world and don't run into a single problem, pitfall or having to mess with a poorly documented system component -- if this happens, add at least another 1 or 2 hours. Oh, and if you're planning on using a LUKS volume, add another 2 hours while your system fills a 750 GB disk with pseudorandom data using a fast drive filling method because /dev/urandom is too slow for this task.
  
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The "install gentoo" meme arose because of the flow of new Linux users that came from [[Ubuntu]]'s sudden rise in popularity. As more and more people wanted to try out new distributions, they started flocking to "best distro's" threads on /g/. Seasoned Linux users, knowing how difficult Gentoo is to install, pointed newfags to gentoo.org, saying "install gentoo."
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== Package manager ==
 +
Gentoo's package manager, portage, is more similar to what you will find in BSD than in other Linux distributions. Portage tracks installation scripts, called ebuilds, for almost every package you can imagine by default. These ebuilds contain all the information necessary to automatically download a project's source, compile, and install it. If a package is not available for default, you can add other "repositories" as overlays on top of the default Gentoo overlay.
 +
 
 +
=== USE flags ===
 +
One of the most prominent features of Gentoo is the ability to custom tailor the features of software via USE flags. USE flags are a handy way of automatically specifying options to a piece of software's configuration script during compile time. For example, it is trivial to blacklist something like PulseAudio by simply including {{ic|-pulseaudio}} into your global USE flags. USE flags can be specified globally in {{ic|/etc/portage/make.conf}} or on a per-package basis through {{ic|/etc/portage/package.use}}
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 +
=== CFLAGS ===
 +
Typical of building from source, you are able to specify CFLAGS that add additional optimizations to the compiled software, the most common ones being {{ic|1=-O2 -march=native}} to specify average-level optimization tailored for whatever CPU your computer has.
 +
 
 +
=== Overlays ===
 +
Additional repositories of ebuilds are known as overlays. It is common practice to have a local overlay for any custom ebuilds you have created or acquired. Overlays are typically managed with the {{ic|layman}} utility.
 +
 
 +
=== License enforcement ===
 +
Portage allows you to specify which licenses you agree with, to prevent any software with other licenses from being automatically pulled in at any point. For example, you can restrict installed software to only that which is FSF and OSI-approved by including {{ic|1=ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* @FREE"}} into {{ic|/etc/portage/make.conf}}
 +
 
 +
=== Release schedule ===
 +
Gentoo is a rolling-release distribution that allows you to mix channels on a per-package basis. For example, you can maintain a system on the stable channel and selectively install unstable releases, or even compile the latest development releases from Git/SVN/etc. Because of this, Gentoo can be either extremely stable or on the very bleeding edge, depending on how you configure it.
 +
 
 +
== Init system ==
 +
By default, Gentoo uses OpenRC for its init system. It also gives you the option of using systemd if you so choose.
 +
 
 +
== Related distributions ==
 +
 
 +
=== Gentoo variants ===
 +
 
 +
Like most distros, Gentoo has a few variants that are based off of it.
 +
 
 +
==== [https://cloveros.ga CloverOS] ====
 +
CloverOS is a system made by /tech/ and /g/ user Jesus (also of the 8chan [[IRC]]). It hosts its own repository of binaries, and has a customized version of FVWM as its default desktop environment. It has many preinstalled binaries for the 8chan user in mind. It has become popular enough to have independent reviews, and its own entry on DistroWatch.
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==== [http://www.funtoo.org/ Funtoo Linux] ====
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[[File:Funtoo.png|thumb]]
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A fork of Gentoo by Gentoo's founder Daniel Robbins. It aims to correct some issues he sees with Gentoo that he wasn't able to rectify because of internal dispute. It also aims to be slightly easier than Gentoo, and offers more optional preconfiguration by default because of that. To that end, Funtoo ships with ebuilds that support the binary USE flag, allowing users to skip the step of customizing their own kernel if they so desire.
 +
 
 +
* '''Advantages'''
 +
** Includes some ebuilds that Gentoo doesn't by default.
 +
** Initial setup may be slightly easier than Gentoo.
 +
** Uses Git for portage syncing instead of rsync.
 +
** Common Gentoo scripts and programs patched with Funtoo specific features (genkernel, portage, rc-update, etc).
 +
 
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* '''Disadvantages'''
 +
** <strike>Funtoo uses an older version of udev than Gentoo, which may cause some compatibility issues with certain software like systemd if you choose to use it.</strike> Funtoo now uses eudev by default.
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** Funtoo's ebuilds do not always contain the same features as Gentoo's. For example, some are missing ABI flags. <strike>E.g. As of 2014-01-29 Funtoo does not contain [http://gpo.zugaina.org/sys-apps/tcp-wrappers tcp-wrappers] 7.6.22-r1, which added such support while Gentoo does</strike> Funtoo now has up-to-date tcp-wrappers. Having many packages missing that support makes a multilib system with gx86-multilib very difficult.
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** Funtoo has a significantly smaller community than Gentoo's, which means you may get less support, and find it harder to use.
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[[Category:GNU/Linux]]
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[[Category:Distros]]
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[[Category:Operating systems]]

Latest revision as of 15:10, 6 December 2022

Gentoo logo

Gentoo Linux is a source-based Linux distribution. It has a stigma for being a difficult distribution to use, and is often recommended as a solution to any problem on /g/. After all, if the person asking the question could install Gentoo, they could probably figure out whatever problem they're having in the first place. If you are considering installing Gentoo, the best resource available to you is the Gentoo Handbook.

Installation method

Most distros include some form of graphical installer. Gentoo is installed by manually partitioning a device, extracting a stage3 tarball, extracting a portage snapshot, compiling a kernel, installing a bootloader, and then configuring various files that are needed to get it up and running. In those regards, it is somewhat similar to installing Debian with debootstrap, Fedora with febootstrap, or an Arch Linux install.

Because of this highly manual approach to installing the system, always keep in mind that installing Gentoo will probably be literally the longest operating system install in your life, EVER. You have been warned. Take your time when installing Gentoo, expect the installation to be a wild ride of problems, achievements and milestones, and don't try to rush it. If you're a NEET with literally nothing else to do you might be able to rush a Gentoo installation in at least 3 hours; if you're a busy person with a day job and friends, it might take you a day or two to set everything up.

To make yourself an idea of what awaits you (and in case you fell for the "INSTALL GENTOO" maymay): on a 2022 mid-end desktop with 16 GB of RAM and a Ryzen 4800H, setting up the minimum system (the Stage 3 tarball + Portage snapshot) will take you about an hour or two, compiling the kernel a few minutes (assuming you're cheating with genkernel instead of undertaking a manual compilation, configuring all sorts of settings, and fixing an endless series of kernel panics), finishing your basic installation another hour, installing the graphical interface at least 2 hours (because the GUI is an optional component in Gentoo), and installing Firefox an hour at best, while the entire software compiles from source code. Keep in mind Chromium takes five times longer to compile. That's all assuming you're the luckiest person in the world and don't run into a single problem, pitfall or having to mess with a poorly documented system component -- if this happens, add at least another 1 or 2 hours. Oh, and if you're planning on using a LUKS volume, add another 2 hours while your system fills a 750 GB disk with pseudorandom data using a fast drive filling method because /dev/urandom is too slow for this task.

Package manager

Gentoo's package manager, portage, is more similar to what you will find in BSD than in other Linux distributions. Portage tracks installation scripts, called ebuilds, for almost every package you can imagine by default. These ebuilds contain all the information necessary to automatically download a project's source, compile, and install it. If a package is not available for default, you can add other "repositories" as overlays on top of the default Gentoo overlay.

USE flags

One of the most prominent features of Gentoo is the ability to custom tailor the features of software via USE flags. USE flags are a handy way of automatically specifying options to a piece of software's configuration script during compile time. For example, it is trivial to blacklist something like PulseAudio by simply including -pulseaudio into your global USE flags. USE flags can be specified globally in /etc/portage/make.conf or on a per-package basis through /etc/portage/package.use

CFLAGS

Typical of building from source, you are able to specify CFLAGS that add additional optimizations to the compiled software, the most common ones being -O2 -march=native to specify average-level optimization tailored for whatever CPU your computer has.

Overlays

Additional repositories of ebuilds are known as overlays. It is common practice to have a local overlay for any custom ebuilds you have created or acquired. Overlays are typically managed with the layman utility.

License enforcement

Portage allows you to specify which licenses you agree with, to prevent any software with other licenses from being automatically pulled in at any point. For example, you can restrict installed software to only that which is FSF and OSI-approved by including ACCEPT_LICENSE="-* @FREE" into /etc/portage/make.conf

Release schedule

Gentoo is a rolling-release distribution that allows you to mix channels on a per-package basis. For example, you can maintain a system on the stable channel and selectively install unstable releases, or even compile the latest development releases from Git/SVN/etc. Because of this, Gentoo can be either extremely stable or on the very bleeding edge, depending on how you configure it.

Init system

By default, Gentoo uses OpenRC for its init system. It also gives you the option of using systemd if you so choose.

Related distributions

Gentoo variants

Like most distros, Gentoo has a few variants that are based off of it.

CloverOS

CloverOS is a system made by /tech/ and /g/ user Jesus (also of the 8chan IRC). It hosts its own repository of binaries, and has a customized version of FVWM as its default desktop environment. It has many preinstalled binaries for the 8chan user in mind. It has become popular enough to have independent reviews, and its own entry on DistroWatch.

Funtoo Linux

Funtoo.png

A fork of Gentoo by Gentoo's founder Daniel Robbins. It aims to correct some issues he sees with Gentoo that he wasn't able to rectify because of internal dispute. It also aims to be slightly easier than Gentoo, and offers more optional preconfiguration by default because of that. To that end, Funtoo ships with ebuilds that support the binary USE flag, allowing users to skip the step of customizing their own kernel if they so desire.

  • Advantages
    • Includes some ebuilds that Gentoo doesn't by default.
    • Initial setup may be slightly easier than Gentoo.
    • Uses Git for portage syncing instead of rsync.
    • Common Gentoo scripts and programs patched with Funtoo specific features (genkernel, portage, rc-update, etc).
  • Disadvantages
    • Funtoo uses an older version of udev than Gentoo, which may cause some compatibility issues with certain software like systemd if you choose to use it. Funtoo now uses eudev by default.
    • Funtoo's ebuilds do not always contain the same features as Gentoo's. For example, some are missing ABI flags. E.g. As of 2014-01-29 Funtoo does not contain tcp-wrappers 7.6.22-r1, which added such support while Gentoo does Funtoo now has up-to-date tcp-wrappers. Having many packages missing that support makes a multilib system with gx86-multilib very difficult.
    • Funtoo has a significantly smaller community than Gentoo's, which means you may get less support, and find it harder to use.
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