Gentoo Linux

File:Gentoo Logo Vector.svg

Gentoo Linux was initially created by Daniel Robbins as the Enoch Linux distribution. Its design philosophy was that of precompiled binaries which were tuned to the hardware and that only included required programs.{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p1.xml|title=Gentoo Linux Documentation – Making the distribution, Part 1|date=2005-10-09|website=Gentoo.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126223839/http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p1.xml|archive-date=November 26, 2005|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-01-28|df=mdy-all}} At least one version of Enoch was distributed under that name: version 0.75, in December 1999.{{cite web|url=http://public.planetmirror.com/pub/enoch/enoch-0.75 |title=Planet Mirror – enoch – Enoch Linux – enoch-0.75 – download now |website=Public.planetmirror.com |date=2007-02-11 |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228085838/http://public.planetmirror.com/pub/enoch/enoch-0.75 |archive-date=December 28, 2008 |df=mdy}} An older release labeled "Enoch 0.5" can be found on the CD accompanying the August 1999 edition of the Danish computer magazine Alt om Data.{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/1999-08-alt-om-data-august-1999 | title=Alt Om Data August 1999 | date=August 1999 }}

Daniel Robbins and the other contributors experimented with a fork of GCC known as EGCS, developed by Cygnus Solutions. It was at this point that "Enoch" was renamed "Gentoo" Linux. The modifications to EGCS eventually became part of the official GCC (version 2.95); Gentoo and other Linux distros benefited from similar speed increases.{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p2.xml|title=Gentoo Linux Documentation – Making the distribution, Part 2|date=2005-10-09|website=Gentoo.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126223839/http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p2.xml|archive-date=November 26, 2005|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-01-28|df=mdy-all}}

After problems with a bug on his own system, Robbins halted Gentoo development and switched to FreeBSD for several months, later saying, "I decided to add several FreeBSD features to make our autobuild system (now called Portage) a true next-generation ports system."{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p3.xml|title=Gentoo Linux Documentation – Making the distribution, Part 3|date=2005-10-09|website=Gentoo.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126223839/http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/articles/making-the-distro-p3.xml|archive-date=November 26, 2005|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-01-28|df=mdy-all}}

Gentoo Linux 1.0 was released on March 31, 2002.{{cite web |url=https://linux.slashdot.org/story/02/03/31/2123251/gentoo-10-released |title=Slashdot | Gentoo 1.0 Released |website=Linux.slashdot.org |date=2002-03-31 |access-date=2018-02-10 |archive-date=June 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618152256/https://linux.slashdot.org/story/02/03/31/2123251/gentoo-10-released |url-status=live}} In 2004, Robbins set up the non-profit Gentoo Foundation, transferred all copyrights and trademarks to it, and stepped down as chief architect of the project.{{cite web |url=https://developers.slashdot.org/story/04/04/26/2259211/daniel-robbins-resigns-as-chief-gentoo-architect |title=Daniel Robbins Resigns As Chief Gentoo Architect |website=Slashdot.org |date=April 26, 2004 |access-date=2018-02-10 |archive-date=June 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618175228/https://developers.slashdot.org/story/04/04/26/2259211/daniel-robbins-resigns-as-chief-gentoo-architect |url-status=live}}

The current board of trustees{{cite web |url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page#The_Board_of_Trustees |title=Gentoo Linux Wiki – The Board of Trustees |website=gentoo.org |date=2018-01-21 |access-date=2018-02-10 |archive-date=August 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820201827/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page#The_Board_of_Trustees |url-status=live}} is composed of five members who were announced (following an election) on March 2, 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/news/20080302-foundation-election.xml|title=Gentoo Linux – New foundation trustees elected|date=2008-03-02|website=Gentoo.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224124218/http://www.gentoo.org/news/20080302-foundation-election.xml|archive-date=December 24, 2012|url-status=bot: unknown|access-date=2010-01-28|df=mdy-all}} The seven-member Gentoo Council oversees related technical issues and policies.{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Council|title=Gentoo Council|website=gentoo.org|access-date=2014-01-06|archive-date=June 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624061748/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Council|url-status=live}} The Gentoo Council members are elected annually, for a period of one year, by the active Gentoo developers. When a member of the Council retires, the successor is voted into place by the existing Council members.[//wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Council Gentoo Council]. Accessed January 6, 2014.

The Gentoo Foundation is a domestic non-profit corporation,{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page#Gentoo_Foundation_Charter|title=Gentoo Foundation Charter|website=gentoo.org|access-date=2021-07-20|archive-date=August 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820201827/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page#Gentoo_Foundation_Charter|url-status=live}} registered in the State of New Mexico.[http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us/cgi-bin/prcdtl.cgi?2463313+GENTOO+FOUNDATION+INC GENTOO FOUNDATION, INC.]{{dead link|date=August 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Corporations Information Inquiry, New Mexico Public Relation Commission. Accessed May 8, 2009. In late 2007, the Foundation's charter was revoked,{{cite web |author=jake |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/265006/ |title=Gentoo loses charter; Robbins offers to return |publisher=LWN.net |date=2008-01-14 |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-date=September 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914123808/https://lwn.net/Articles/265006/ |url-status=live}} but by May 2008 the State of New Mexico declared that the Gentoo Foundation, Inc. had returned to good standing and was free to do business.{{cite web |url=https://efile.prc.newmexico.gov/Efile/corplookup/Details.aspx?Nmscc=2463313 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130626172841/https://efile.prc.newmexico.gov/Efile/corplookup/Details.aspx?Nmscc=2463313 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-06-26 |title=Gentoo Foundation, Inc. |publisher=New Mexico Corporation Division Efile |access-date=2013-04-27}}

The creator of Gentoo, Daniel Robbins, left the project in both 2004 and 2007 due to conflicts with other developers.{{Cite web |date=2004-04-26 |title=Daniel Robbins Resigns As Chief Gentoo Architect - Slashdot |url=https://developers.slashdot.org/story/04/04/26/2259211/daniel-robbins-resigns-as-chief-gentoo-architect |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=developers.slashdot.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Daniel Robbins leaves Gentoo, again [LWN.net] |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/225060/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=lwn.net |quote=Daniel Robbins, creator of gentoo, had returned to the project. Well, a week later he left again. Basically, drobbins got into an epic flamewar with Ciaran McCreesh, a popular but controversial former gentoo dev who still frequents gentoo mailing lists. empers flared, and drobbins pushed for getting ciaranm banned from gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list, ostensibly on the grounds that ciaranm is no longer an official gentoo developer. The rest of the gentoo devs refused to do so. Then Daniel Robbins quit the project.}}{{Cite web |title=652240 – 7 day gentoo-project ban for Daniel Robbins |url=https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=652240 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=bugs.gentoo.org}}{{Cite web |title=Gentoo Forums :: View topic - Quite late but why Daniel Robbins left Gentoo? |url=https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1108032-start-0.html |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=forums.gentoo.org}}{{Cite web |title=DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD. |url=https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20070312#future |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=distrowatch.com |quote=He officially re-joined the Gentoo development team two weeks ago - only to resign a few days later. The reason? Strong personal attacks by some of the current developers of the project.}}{{Cite web |date=2007-03-26 |title=Gentoo attempts to deal with developer conflicts |url=https://www.linux.com/news/gentoo-attempts-deal-developer-conflicts/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Linux.com |language=en-US |quote=The latest Gentoo flamewar started as a discussion on the gentoo-dev mailing list about topics for the March Gentoo Council meeting. Gentoo founder Daniel Robbins, who had rejoined the Gentoo project earlier that week after leaving in April, 2004, seemed keen on arguing with Gentoo contributor Ciaran McCreesh on whether the Package Manager Specification (PMS) is an official Gentoo project. After the discussion became heated, Robbins says that he’s going to “look for a way to remove Ciaran from gentoo-dev” and then later says he doesn’t want to be associated with Gentoo after all.}}

Gentoo appeals to Linux users who want full control of the software that is installed and running on their computer.{{rp|402}} People who are prepared to invest the time required to configure and tune a Gentoo system can build very efficient desktops and servers.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Gentoo encourages users to build a Linux kernel tailored to their particular hardware. It allows very fine control of which services are installed and running, including the option to choose between systemd or OpenRC as the default init system. Memory usage can also be reduced compared to other distributions by omitting unnecessary kernel features and services.{{rp|386}}

Gentoo's package repositories provide a large collection of software. Each package contains details of any dependencies, so only the minimum set of packages need to be installed. Optional features of individual packages, such as whether they require LDAP or Qt support, can be selected by the user and any resulting package requirements are automatically included in the set of dependencies.{{rp|386}}

Gentoo itself does not have a default look and feel, hence installed packages usually appear as their authors intended.{{rp|387}}

{{Main|Portage (software)}}

File:Gentoo-portage-installing-darktable.png will build with Flickr and geolocation support.]]

Portage is Gentoo's software distribution and package management system. The original design was based on the ports system used by the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) operating systems. The Gentoo repository contains over 19,000 packages.{{cite book|author=Chris Negus|title=Live Linux CDs: Building and Customizing Bootables|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2S3eUgb39C8C&pg=PA224|year=2006|publisher=Prentice Hall Professional|isbn=978-0-13-243274-0|pages=224–|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326011823/https://books.google.com/books?id=2S3eUgb39C8C&pg=PA224|url-status=live}}

A single invocation of portage's {{mono|emerge}} command can update the local copy of the Gentoo repository, search for a package, or download, compile, and install one or more packages and their dependencies. The built-in features can be set for individual packages, or globally, with so-called "USE flags".

Pre-compiled binaries are provided for some applications with long build times, such as LibreOffice and Mozilla Firefox, but users lose the ability to customize optional features. There are configuration options to reduce compiling times, such as by enabling parallel compiling or using pipes instead of temporary files.[https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:X86/Installation/Stage#CFLAGS_and_CXXFLAGS CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004956/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:X86/Installation/Stage#CFLAGS_and_CXXFLAGS |date=February 12, 2018}}, Gentoo Linux x86 Handbook. December 13, 2014. Accessed February 10, 2018. Package compiling may also be distributed over multiple computers.[https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Distcc Distcc] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004954/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Distcc |date=February 12, 2018}}, Gentoo Linux Wiki. February 2, 2018. Accessed February 10, 2018. Additionally, the user may be able to mount a large filesystem in memory to further speed up the process of building packages. Some approaches have drawbacks and are not enabled by default. When installing the same package on multiple computers with sufficiently similar hardware, the package may be compiled once and a binary package created for quick installation on the other computers.[https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Binary_package_guide Binary package guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004921/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Binary_package_guide |date=February 12, 2018}}, Gentoo Linux Wiki. November 13, 2017. Accessed February 10, 2018.

On December 29th, 2023, it was announced that Gentoo will offer binary packages for download and direct installation. For most architectures, this will be limited to the core system and weekly updates. For amd64 and arm64 however the availability of binary packages reaches over 20 GB.

{{cite web |url=https://www.gentoo.org/news/2023/12/29/Gentoo-binary.html |title=Gentoo goes Binary!}}

Inasmuch as Gentoo is a source-based distribution with a repository describing how to build the packages, adding instructions to build on different machine architectures is particularly easy.{{cite book|author=Brendan Horan|title=Practical Raspberry Pi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Vy_UfRQduQC&pg=PA222|date=March 26, 2013|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4302-4971-9|pages=222–|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326011821/https://books.google.com/books?id=5Vy_UfRQduQC&pg=PA222|url-status=live}}

Originally built on the IA-32 architecture, Gentoo has since been ported to many others. It is officially supported and considered stable on IA-32, x86-64, PA-RISC, 32-bit and 64-bit PowerPC, 64-bit SPARC, DEC Alpha, and 32- and 64-bit ARM architectures.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page#Viewing_the_Handbook |title=Handbook:Main Page - Gentoo Wiki |access-date=2018-08-31 |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318083659/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page#Viewing_the_Handbook |url-status=live}} It is also officially supported but considered in-development state on MIPS,{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:MIPS|title=Gentoo/MIPS|publisher=gentoo.org|access-date=2014-01-06|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106202500/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:MIPS|url-status=live}} PS3 Cell Processor, System Z/s390.{{cite web |url=https://dev.gentoo.org/~vapier/s390/ |title=Gentoo Linux Documentation – s390 Installation Document |publisher=dev.gentoo.org |date=2004-05-12 |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-date=July 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728051203/http://dev.gentoo.org/~vapier/s390/ |url-status=live}} Official support for 32-bit SPARC, SuperH and Itanium have been dropped.{{cite web |url=https://devmanual.gentoo.org/archs/sparc/index.html |title=Gentoo Development Guide: Arch Specific Notes – SPARC |publisher=devmanual.gentoo.org |access-date=2018-02-10 |archive-date=September 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901113131/https://devmanual.gentoo.org/archs/sparc/index.html |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=*/*: Discontinue Gentoo SuperH port |url=https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/commit/?id=2e51443573bdad1d4757bed11ed5c02f137b822e |access-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723053402/https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/commit/?id=2e51443573bdad1d4757bed11ed5c02f137b822e |url-status=live}}

Portability towards other operating systems, such as those derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), including macOS, is under active development by the Gentoo/Alt project. The Gentoo/FreeBSD project already has a working guide based on FreeSBIE,{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Gentoo_FreeBSD|title=Gentoo FreeBSD|publisher=gentoo.org|access-date=2014-01-06|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106211205/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Gentoo_FreeBSD|url-status=live}} while Gentoo/NetBSD, Gentoo/OpenBSD and Gentoo/DragonFly are being developed.{{cite web |url=http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gentoo-alt/bsd/index.xml |title=Gentoo Linux Projects – Gentoo/*BSD |publisher=Gentoo.org |date=2006-10-19 |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305161659/http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gentoo-alt/bsd/index.xml |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |df=mdy-all}} A project exists to get Portage working on OpenSolaris. There was an unofficial project to create a Gentoo port to GNU Hurd, but it has been inactive since 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.mundurat.net/ggh/ |title=Gentoo GNU Hurd |publisher=Mundurat.net |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109161805/http://www.mundurat.net/ggh/ |archive-date=January 9, 2010 |df=mdy}}

It is also possible to install a Gentoo Prefix (provided by a project that maintains alternative installation methods for Gentoo) in a Cygwin environment on Windows, but this configuration is experimental.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Prefix/Cygwin |title=Gentoo Wiki - Prefix/Cygwin |access-date=February 10, 2018 |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112090959/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Prefix/Cygwin |url-status=live}}

Gentoo may be installed in several ways. The most common is to use the Gentoo minimal CD with a stage3 tarball (explained below). As with many Linux distributions, Gentoo may be installed from almost any Linux environment, such as another Linux distribution's Live CD, Live USB, or Network Booting using the "Gentoo Alternative Install Guide". A normal install requires a connection to the Internet, but a network-less install guide exists.

On April 3, 2022, it was announced that there would be a new official image with a GUI, called the LiveGUI image. This can be installed onto installation media such as a USB drive or a dual-layer DVD. It includes a large selection of software, including the KDE Plasma 6 desktop environment, image editors, office software, system administration, and installation tools.{{Cite web |title=New Gentoo LiveGUI ISO and artwork / branding contest! |url=https://www.gentoo.org/news/2022/04/03/livegui-artwork-contest.html |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=Gentoo.org |archive-date=July 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714062914/https://www.gentoo.org/news/2022/04/03/livegui-artwork-contest.html |url-status=live}}

Previously, Gentoo supported installation from stage1 and stage2 tarballs. The Gentoo Foundation no longer recommends this usage; stage1 and stage2 are now meant only for Gentoo developers.{{cite news|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_install_Gentoo_using_a_stage1_or_stage2_tarball.3F|title=How do I Install Gentoo Using a Stage1 or Stage2 Tarball?|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106202051/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_install_Gentoo_using_a_stage1_or_stage2_tarball.3F|url-status=live}}

Following the initial install steps, the Gentoo Linux install process in the Gentoo Handbook describes compiling a new Linux kernel. This process is generally not required by other Linux distributions. Although this is widely regarded as a complex task, Gentoo provides documentation and tools to simplify the process. In addition, users may also use an existing kernel known to work on their system by simply copying it to the boot directory, or installing one of the provided pre-compiled kernel packages, and updating their bootloader. Support for installation is provided on the Gentoo forum,{{Cite web|title=Gentoo Forums :: View Forum - Installing Gentoo|url=https://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f-14.html|access-date=2021-12-30|website=forums.gentoo.org|archive-date=December 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230032138/https://forums.gentoo.org/viewforum-f-14.html|url-status=live}} Reddit,{{Cite web|title=r/Gentoo|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Gentoo/|access-date=2021-12-30|website=reddit|language=en-US|archive-date=December 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230032132/https://www.reddit.com/r/Gentoo/|url-status=live}} and IRC.{{Cite web|title=IRC channels – Gentoo Linux|url=https://www.gentoo.org/get-involved/irc-channels/|access-date=2021-12-30|website=Gentoo.org|archive-date=December 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230032139/https://www.gentoo.org/get-involved/irc-channels/|url-status=live}}

A Live USB of Gentoo Linux can be created manually, by using various tools, or with dd as described in the [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/LiveUSB/Guide#dd handbook].

Before October 2005, installation could be started from any of three base stages:

• Stage1 begins with only what is necessary to build a toolchain (the various compilers, linkers, and language libraries necessary to compile other software) for the target system; compiling this target toolchain from another, pre-existing host system is known as bootstrapping the target system.
• Stage2 begins with a self-hosting (bootstrapped) toolchain for the target system, which is then used to compile all other core userland software for the target.
• Stage3 begins with a minimal set of compiled user software, with which the kernel and any other additional software are then configured and compiled.

Since October 2005, only the stage3 installations have been officially supported, due to the inherent complexities of bootstrapping from earlier stages (which requires resolving and then breaking numerous circular dependencies).{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20051114-newsletter.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125005807/http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20051114-newsletter.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-11-25 |title=Gentoo Linux Newsletter – November 14th, 2005 |publisher=Gentoo.org |access-date=2010-01-28}} Tarballs for stage1 and stage2 were distributed for some time after this,{{when|date=September 2014}} although the instructions for installing from these stages had been removed from the handbook{{cite web|url=https://archives.gentoo.org/gentoo-doc/message/10e3dc2fcf03e67fb91e8933ea0e5b35|title=Stage1/2 deprecation from Gentoo Handbook|publisher=Gentoo|date=2005-11-05|access-date=2018-02-10|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004939/https://archives.gentoo.org/gentoo-doc/message/10e3dc2fcf03e67fb91e8933ea0e5b35|url-status=live}} and moved into the Gentoo FAQ.{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ|title=Gentoo Linux Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=gentoo.org|access-date=2014-01-06|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106202051/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ|url-status=live}} {{As of|2015|09}}, only the supported stage3 tarballs are publicly available; stage1 and stage2 tarballs are only "officially" generated and used internally by Gentoo development teams. However, if so desired, a user may still rebuild the toolchain or reinstall the base system software during or after a normal stage3 installation, effectively simulating the old bootstrap process.{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Sakaki's_EFI_Install_Guide/Building_the_Gentoo_Base_System_Minus_Kernel#Bootstrapping_the_Base_System_.28Optional_but_Recommended.29|title=Sakaki's EFI Install Guide/Building the Gentoo Base System Minus Kernel|publisher=Sakaki|date=2014-07-04|access-date=2017-01-09|archive-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119211822/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Sakaki%27s_EFI_Install_Guide/Building_the_Gentoo_Base_System_Minus_Kernel#Bootstrapping_the_Base_System_.28Optional_but_Recommended.29|url-status=dead}}

From 2003 until 2008, the Gentoo Reference Platform (GRP) was a snapshot of prebuilt packages that users could quickly install during the Gentoo installation process, to give faster access to a fully functional Gentoo installation.{{cite news|url=http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2002/10/10/intro_gentoo.html|title=Gentoo Linux Reloaded|author=Daniel Robbins|author-link=Daniel Robbins (computer programmer)|date=2002-10-10|access-date=2007-01-04|work=LinuxDevCenter.com|archive-date=October 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014143439/http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2002/10/10/intro_gentoo.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.osnews.com/story/6206|title=Gentoo Linux 2004.0 Released|author=Sven Vermeulen|date=2004-03-01|access-date=2018-02-10|work=OSNews|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807010534/https://www.osnews.com/story/6206/|url-status=live}} These packages included KDE, X Window System, OpenOffice, GNOME, and Mozilla.{{cite web|url=https://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2005.1/hb-install-about.xml|title=Gentoo Linux Documentation|access-date=2018-02-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108142459/https://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2005.1/hb-install-about.xml|archive-date=2014-01-08|df=mdy-all}} Once the installation was complete, the packages installed as part of the GRP were intended to be replaced by the user with the same or newer versions built through Portage that would be built using the user's system configuration rather than the generic builds provided by the GRP. As of 2011, the GRP is discontinued, the final reference to it appearing in the 2008.0 handbook.{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2008.0/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=1|title=Gentoo Linux Documentation|access-date=2011-04-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223084417/http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/2008.0/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=1|archive-date=December 23, 2010|df=mdy-all}}{{Original research inline|date=September 2014}}

Gentoo follows a rolling release model.

Like other Linux distributions, Gentoo systems have an /etc/gentoo-release file, but this contains the version of the installed sys-apps/baselayout package.

In 2004, Gentoo began to version its Live media by year rather than numerically. This continued until 2008, when it was announced that the 2008.1 Live CD release had been cancelled in favour of weekly automated builds of both Stages 3 and Minimal CDs.{{cite web |url=http://www.gentoo.org/news/20080922-releng-announcement.xml |title=Gentoo News – New release strategy to provide more current install media |publisher=Gentoo.org |date=2008-09-22 |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208123741/http://www.gentoo.org/news/20080922-releng-announcement.xml |archive-date=February 8, 2010 |df=mdy-all}} On December 20, 2008, the first weekly builds were published.{{cite web |url=http://www.gentoo.org/news/20081220-releng-first-weekly-stage.xml |title=Gentoo News – First sets of weekly stage3 tarballs and minimal CDs released |publisher=Gentoo.org |date=2008-12-20 |access-date=2010-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702230431/http://www.gentoo.org/news/20081220-releng-first-weekly-stage.xml |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |df=mdy-all}} In 2009, a special Live DVD was created to celebrate the Gentoo 10-year anniversary.

In 2009, a special Live DVD was released to celebrate Gentoo's tenth anniversary. Initially planned as a one-off, the Live DVD was updated to the latest package versions in 2011 due to its popularity among new users.

Although Gentoo does not have a concept of versioning the entire system, it does make use of "profiles", which define build configuration for all packages in the system. Major changes, such as changing the layout of how files are installed across the entire system, typically involve a profile upgrade and may require rebuilding all installed software. These profiles are versioned based on the year they were released, and include several variants for each release targeted towards different types of systems (such as servers and desktops). Profiles formerly tracked the versioning of install media, and switched to two-digit year naming after the discontinuation of versioned media. The following new profile versions have been released after 2008.0:

===Hardened Gentoo===

Hardened Gentoo is a project designed to develop and designate a set of add-ons that are useful when a more security focused installation is required.{{cite web|url=http://www.seer.ufrgs.br/testeCPD/issue/viewFile/487/6|title=Hardening Linux Usando Controle de Acesso Mandatório|access-date=July 6, 2018|archive-date=July 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706050326/http://www.seer.ufrgs.br/testeCPD/issue/viewFile/487/6|url-status=live}} Previously, the project included patches to produce a hardened kernel, but these were discontinued. Other parts of the hardened set, such as SELinux, and userspace hardening remain.{{cite web|url=https://www.gentoo.org/news/2017/08/19/hardened-sources-removal.html|date=August 19, 2017|title=Hardened Linux kernel sources removal |website=Gentoo Linux|access-date=July 7, 2018|url-status=live|archive-date=January 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109055805/https://www.gentoo.org/news/2017/08/19/hardened-sources-removal.html|df=dmy-all}}

In June 2018 the Gentoo GitHub code repository mirror used mainly by developers was hacked after an attacker gained access to an organization administrator's account via deducing the password. Gentoo promptly responded by containing the attack and improving security practices. No Gentoo cryptography keys or signed packages were compromised, and the repository was restored after five days.{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Infrastructure/Incident_Reports/2018-06-28_Github|title=Project:Infrastructure/Incident Reports/2018-06-28 Github - Gentoo Wiki|website=wiki.gentoo.org|access-date=August 23, 2018|df=dmy-all|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810144739/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Infrastructure/Incident_Reports/2018-06-28_Github|archive-date=August 10, 2018}}{{cite news|title=The aftermath of the Gentoo GitHub hack|url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/966022/the-aftermath-of-the-gentoo-github-hack.html|first=Sandra|last=Henry-Stocker|publisher=Network World|date=July 10, 2018|access-date=August 23, 2018|df=dmy-all|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202131628/https://www.networkworld.com/article/966022/the-aftermath-of-the-gentoo-github-hack.html|archive-date=December 2, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/07/05/gentoo_github_hack_weak_password_no_2fa/|date=5 Jul 2018|first=Simon|last=Shallwood|access-date=July 6, 2018|title=Gentoo GitHub repo hack made possible by these 3 rookie mistakes|website=The Register|archive-date=July 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706034246/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/07/05/gentoo_github_hack_weak_password_no_2fa/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/29/hackers-too-over-the-gentoo-linux-github-repository/|title=Hackers took over the Gentoo Linux GitHub repository|author=John Biggs|date=June 29, 2018|website=TechCrunch|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810145133/https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/29/hackers-too-over-the-gentoo-linux-github-repository/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://itsfoss.com/github-gentoo-hacked/|title=GitHub Repositories of Gentoo Linux Hacked!|author=Ankush Das|date=June 29, 2018|website=It's FOSS|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810142125/https://itsfoss.com/github-gentoo-hacked/|url-status=live}}

The gentoo penguin is thought to be the fastest underwater-swimming penguin. The name Gentoo Linux is a reference both to the omnibus Linux mascot{{Mdash}} a penguin called Tux{{Mdash}} and the project's aim to produce a high-performance operating system.{{cite book|author=Christopher Negus|title=Linux Bible: Boot Up to Ubuntu, Fedora, KNOPPIX, Debian, openSUSE, and 11 Other Distributions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqXiuPySGg8C&pg=PA389|date=May 5, 2008|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-28706-4|pages=389–|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326011818/https://books.google.com/books?id=gqXiuPySGg8C&pg=PA389|url-status=live}}{{rp|383}}

Unofficial mascots include Larry The Cow and Znurt the Flying Saucer.{{cite web |url=https://sources.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi/gentoo/xml/images/znurt.jpg?view=markup |title=(gentoo) Contents of /xml/images/znurt.jpg |publisher=Gentoo.org |date=2002-11-09 |access-date=2011-08-02 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929112713/http://sources.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewvc.cgi/gentoo/xml/images/znurt.jpg?view=markup |url-status=dead}}

{{main|List of Gentoo Linux derivatives}}

Several independently developed Gentoo Linux variants exist, including ChromiumOS.

{{Portal|Linux}}

• Arch Linux
• Linux From Scratch
• T2 SDE

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website|https://www.gentoo.org/}}

{{Linux distributions}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2002 software

Category:PowerPC operating systems

Category:Source-based Linux distributions

Category:X86-64 Linux distributions

Category:PowerPC Linux distributions

Category:Rolling release Linux distributions

Category:Independent Linux distributions