Gentoo Linux

Overview

Gentoo Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution designed for high customization, source code compilation, and performance optimization. It uses a rolling release model, allowing users to build systems tailored to their hardware and needs. Maintained by the Gentoo Foundation, it supports x86_64, i686, ARM (including the Raspberry Pi), PowerPC, MIPS, and SPARC architectures. It uses the Portage package manager by default and supports either OpenRC or the systemd init system. Gentoo does not provide a preconfigured desktop environment; users can choose from KDE Plasma, GNOME, Xfce, and other options. It requires minimal resources (256 MB RAM minimum, 1 GB RAM recommended, and 10 GB disk space). The latest version is Gentoo 2025.0 (January 2025), based on Linux kernel 6.9, and available as a binary package.

Versions:

• Gentoo Minimal: A minimal installation suitable for advanced users. - Gentoo LiveGUI: A live USB/DVD containing KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Xfce.
• Gentoo ARM: Optimized for the ARM architecture, compatible with the Raspberry Pi.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 1999: Created by Daniel Robbins, originally named Enoch Linux, inspired by FreeBSD's Ports system, with the goal of providing a highly optimized source code distribution.
  • 2002: Renamed to Gentoo Linux, named after the "gentoo penguin" (the fastest swimming penguin), symbolizing performance optimization.
• Development History:
  • December 1999: Enoch 0.75 released, based on the EGCS branch of GCC.
  • 2002: Gentoo 1.0 released, supporting Portage package management.
  • 2005: Daniel Robbins paused development due to issues to experiment with FreeBSD, and later returned to improve Portage.
  • 2013: Introducing systemd options, retaining OpenRC.
  • 2018: Support for musl libc options and memory optimizations.
  • April 2022: Release of LiveGUI images, including KDE Plasma 6 and GNOME.
  • December 2023: Announcement of official binary package support, hybrid source/binary installation.
  • January 2025: Release of Gentoo 2025.0, based on kernel 6.9, with optimizations for ZFS and Wayland.
• Community and Support:
  • Managed by the Gentoo Foundation, hosted at gentoo.org, wiki.gentoo.org, GitHub, and forums (forums.gentoo.org). - A seven-member board of directors is elected annually and is responsible for policy and technical matters.
  • Supports multiple languages (167, including Chinese), and the Gentoo Handbook provides comprehensive documentation.
  • A Reddit user called Gentoo's Portage the pinnacle of customization.
• Open Source Licenses:
  • GPL v2 (core), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

Gentoo Linux is built around source code compilation, high customization, and the Portage package management system, making it suitable for advanced users and performance optimization scenarios. Here are its key features:

1. Source Code Compilation
   • Compiles software from source code by default, optimizing hardware performance (such as CPU instruction sets).
   • Support for binary packages (starting in 2023) for faster installation.
2. Portage Package Management
   • Portage uses ebuild scripts to manage software, provides over 19,000 packages, and supports customization with USE flags.
3. Rolling Update Model
   • Continuous updates without the need for version upgrades. 4. Highly Customizable
   • Supports OpenRC or systemd, allowing users to choose their kernel configuration and desktop environment.
4. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports x86_64, i686, ARM, PowerPC, and more. Minimum requirements: 256 MB RAM and 10 GB disk (1 GB RAM and 20 GB disk recommended).
5. Fully Developable
   • Supports AppArmor and SELinux (configuration required), and memory is optimized by default.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Highly Customizable:
  • Source code compilation and USE flags provide unparalleled flexibility, surpassing ReactOS's Windows compatibility.
  • X post claims, "Gentoo only uses 22 MB of RAM, that's crazy."
• Performance Optimization:
  • Hardware-specific compilation, surpassing Mageia's universal binaries.
• Rolling Updates:
  • Latest software versions, surpassing Rocky Linux's long-term support.
• Multi-architecture Support:
  • Supports ARM and PowerPC, surpassing Archcraft's x86_64/arm64.
• Community Support:
  • Comprehensive documentation is available in the Gentoo Handbook and forums.

Limitations

• Learning Curve:
  • Compiling from source code and manual configuration are complex; refer to the Gentoo Handbook.
• Long Compile Times:
  • Large software (such as KDE Plasma) can take hours.
• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Ubuntu, with limited documentation in Chinese.
• Resource Usage:
  • Compilation requires more CPU and disk space.

Summary

Gentoo Linux is a free, open-source Linux distribution. The latest version, 2025.0 (January 2025), is based on the Linux kernel 6.9 and supports architectures such as x86_64 and ARM. It is centered around source compilation, Portage package management, and rolling updates. It offers a high degree of customization, outstanding performance optimization and flexibility of Gentoo, but has a steep learning curve and is time-consuming to compile.