Gentoo
Gentoo is one of the most configurable and extensible Linux systems. It lets the user decide about each part of the system. And thanks to the Portage (a BSD-like software management tool) the whole system or only some of its packages may be automatically optimized for custom hardware which increases the robustness of the OS.
Pic 1. Gentoo - random desktop
Installation
Gentoo has a "slightly" different approach to the installation process than usual Linux distributions. It's all about the choice. You can choose your kernel, cron and event-logging program and all the low-level features of the operating systems during the manual installation. It takes time and it not "clickable", but the benefit is that you have full control over your OS. You have to be warned however, that installing Gentoo might be a tough venture. If you don't like to read long manuals and Google is not one of your best friends, better choose another distribution or try the latest GUI Gentoo installer (which is not so stable, yet but proves usable to many).
Portage
One of the strengths of Gentoo is its Portage system - a software management tool similar in design to the BSD ports concept. It allows for easy and coherent software installation directly from the sources. The dependencies of applications are automatically downloaded, compiled and installed on demand. The nice bonus resulting from this approach is that the applications are available at the same time when the original sources are published (no need for packaging). Another extra feature is that the user can choose a version (stable, development, experimental...) of each program he or she is installing.
All about the choice
Gentoo is known for its configurability. Every aspect of system can be configured by the user. It's the user who decides whether the programs are compiled with safe options or some bold optimizations should be tried. The drawback of this approach is that the user needs to get to know his system very well before he can reasonably configure his OS. Gentoo is not for everyone - you have to love it, otherwise you're going to hate it.
External Gentoo resources
- Official Gentoo website
- Description on Wikipedia
- Gentoo@DistroWatch
News
- Gentoo news@DistroWatch
- Gentoo Weekly News
- Gentoo Planet
- Planet Larry
- Gentoo Forums - News & Announcements
Documentation, guides and tips
- Official documentation
- Gentoo Linux Wiki
- Ebuildexchange
- Break My Gentoo
- Emerge alternatives: Paludis, pkgcore
Software
Help, forums, community
- Official Gentoo Forum
- Gentoo subforums: Linux Forums
Derivative works and LiveCD
- HDD: VLOS, Kororaa, Sabayon, BinToo
- LiveCD: SystemRescueCd, RedWall Firewall, Pentoo
- Gentoo for Zaurus
- GentooX - Xbox port
- The full list of Gentoo based distributions
Reviews
- 2007.0: distrowatch.com, www.linux.com, techgage.com, www.thepcspy.com
- 2006.1: A Week With, Linux.com, Software in Review, TECHGAGE
- 2006: The Reviewer, Linux.com, eWEEK, Software In Review, Techgage, Softpedia
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6 Comments
- A hyperlink: <a href="polishlinux.org">GNU/Linux for everyone!</a>,
- Strong text: <strong>Strong text</strong>,
- Italic text: <em>italic text</em>,
- Strike: <strike>
strike</strike>, - Code: <code>
printf("hello world");</code>, - Block quote: <blockquote>Block quote</blockquote>
I am a Gentoo user and I feel very uncomfortable with the expression “A distro for real machos”. Having to spend time configuring and understanding the system has nothing to do with masculinity. I would very much appreciate if you could delete the expression. Thanks!
[...] 运行完后，程序应该安装到了我们的系统当中。如果过程中出现错误的话，我们需要仔细地阅读错误信息，或者安装其他的软件来解决软件的依赖性。一般所依赖的软件都在随包的INSTALL文件或者README文件中列出来了。 如前所述，在像Gentoo的系统中，以二进制包安装软件是系统默认的方式，但是Portage却可以使得这一过程变得简单一些。看起来跟使用APT或者urpmi很类似，在Gentoo中相应的命令是emerge，比如 [...]
Maybe machos was a botched try and describing the self inflected (masochism) pain gentoo can cause… from personal experiance it can drive you insane.
Hi Joan.
I agree, the word “macho” doesnt make any sense… Personally, I find machochism and feminism (if thats what its called) to be rather pointless..
Hi Dave.
I once installed Gentoo. Then realised I had forgotten to add “True-type” support for fonts. When I tried to add it. It began recompiling again ! I agree with you - it CAN drive you insane ! But if you get it to work ! NOthing like it !
Puff, Gentoo lo he probado desde 2004 hasta la fecha y es un sistema cercano a otro proyecto que se llama Linux From Scratch (LFS). Pero la diferencia de Gentoo es que posee Portage un sistema de administracion de paquetes que da la altísima flexibilidad de instalación personalizada de programas en tu sistema. LLevo tiempo en Gentoo y solo puedo decirles que una vez que lo prueban jamás se olvida. Por cierto podemos generar binarios para que en equipos parecidos en hardware, la instalación sea más simple y amena. Si no es así entonces debes optar por ccache o distcc para compilaciones paralelas.
I have proved Gentoo from 2004 until the date and it is a system near to another project that is called Linux From Scratch (LFS). But the difference of Gentoo is that it possesses Portage, a system of administration of bundles that gives the highest flexibility of personalized installation of programs in your system. I take time in Gentoo and only I can say to them that once they never prove it he forgets. Certainly we can generate binary so that in similar teams in hardware, the installation is simpler and lively. If it is not debits this way of that time to choose for ccache or distcc for parallel compilations.
I really like Gentoo because you can choose everything. It forces me to read manuals and so discover lot of new things. Until I use Gentoo, when something goes wrong, it is whether because I’ve done something wrong or the problem is easy to identify.
Compiling is slow. But once done, the system is just what you want.
Is it the disto for “machos”? I don’t think so, I’m not a Linux pro and I use it. But it’s not the disto you choose when you start working with Linux.