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Gentoo

A flexible, source-based distribution engineered around custom package compilation, fine-grained USE flags, and adaptability.

No guides yet · Last reviewed 7 Nov 2026

gentoo.org ↗
At a glance

Gentoo

Family
Independent
First release
2002
Release model
Rolling
Package manager
portage (emerge) (source-based + binpkg support)
Init system
OpenRC or systemd
Architecture
amd64, arm64, x86, ppc64, riscv, others
Installer
Manual (CLI handbook instructions)
Default desktop
None (fully user configured)

Overview

Gentoo Linux is built around Portage, a package management system inspired by BSD ports. Rather than installing precompiled binaries by default, users compile software from source.

This design grants unparalleled control over every package on the machine. Through USE flags, users can enable or disable specific features, dependencies, and optimizations to tailor an operating system precisely to their hardware.

Is it for you?

Good fit if you…

  • want absolute control over compiler flags, dependencies, and init systems
  • enjoy understanding how every library and daemon integrates into the OS
  • need to strip out unwanted subsystems for specialized or embedded devices

Look elsewhere if you…

  • lack the time or CPU capacity to compile heavy packages like web browsers (try Arch Linux)
  • prefer a pre-assembled desktop that installs within 15 minutes (try Fedora or Linux Mint)

Everyday commands

Full cheat sheet →
sudo emerge --sync
Sync the Portage package tree with upstream repositories.
sudo emerge -avuDN @world
Rebuild and update all changed system packages.
emerge -s <query>
Search the Portage tree for ebuilds matching a query.
sudo emerge -av <package>
Compile and install a specified package.
sudo emerge -av --depclean
Safely remove unreferenced orphaned dependencies.

Official resources