Gentoo Linux

 

Gentoo Linux is initially created by Daniel Robbins. The goal is to create a distribution without precompiled binaries that was tuned to the hardware and only included required programs. In the begginning Robbins have some problems (bugs) with his own system and he decides to switch to FreeBSD for a couple months later he decides to add autobuild system , later called portage. The first Gentoo Ofiicial release is in March 2002 , version 1.0. Later Robbins transfer the trademark and all the copyrights to the new just set up Non-profit Gentoo Foundation , and step down as a Chief Architect of the project. The current board of Trustees is composed of five members :

 The Gentoo Foundation is non-profit foundation, registered in the State of New Mexico. In late 2007, the  Foundation's charter was revoked. As of May 19, 2008 the State of New Mexico declared that the Gentoo Foundation, Inc. has returned to good standing and is free to do business.
 Live CD
Gentoo also offers Live CD with Xfce Desktop enviroment. You can experience the power of your PC only with booting Gentoo Live CD.
 Portage
Portage is Gentoo's package management system. It is similar in idea to the BSD ports collections: the original design was based on FreeBSD ports. In contrast, the Portage tree does not contain directories of Makefiles, but of so-called ebuilds, bash scripts that describe separate functions to download, configure, make, install and remove a package and additional functions that can be used to set up the operating environment for a package. Portage's main utility is emerge, which is written in Python and can be used by privileged users to easily inspect and alter the set of installed packages on a Gentoo operating system. Whereas emerge used to operate in a similar way to other ports collections, by entering a directory in the tree and using emerge (instead of make) to perform package management operations, it now reads variables from the file /etc/make.conf (again similar to ports) to determine where the Portage tree is kept. To get the latest software for Gentoo, you type one command: emerge --sync. This command tells Portage to update your local "Portage tree" over the Internet. Your local Portage tree contains a complete collection of scripts that can be used by Portage to create and install the latest Gentoo packages. Currently, we have more than 10000 packages in our Portage tree, with updates and new ones being added all the time. Portage is also a package building and installation system. When you want to install a package, you type emerge packagename, at which point Portage automatically builds a custom version of the package to your exact specifications, optimizing it for your hardware and ensuring that the optional features in the package that you want are enabled -- and those you don't want aren't. Portage also keeps your system up-to-date. Typing emerge -uD world -- one command -- will ensure that all the packages that you want on your system are updated automatically.
 Installation
When installing Gentoo you have a couple of choices. The minimal CD with a stage 3 tarball. As with many Linux distributions, it can also be installed by most Linux flavors already operating. Traditionally installation could be started from one of three base stages:
-- Stage1: System must be bootstrapped and the base system must be compiled.
-- Stage2: System has already been bootstrapped, but the base system must be compiled.
-- Stage3: System has already been bootstrapped and the base system already compiled.
As of November 2005, only stage3 installations are officially supported. Although tarballs for stage1 and stage2 are still distributed, the instructions for installing from these stages have been removed from the handbook and put into the Gentoo FAQ. There is also a option , that Gentoo can be compiled from source.
 NOTE: If you are going to install 64bit version you are going to need a 64bit LiveCD. I do this with SystemReascueCD , very useful Gentoo Based Live CD. After you boot it up , you can fix the partitions with fdisk , after that start compiling folowing the Handbook for your architecture! I can suggest stage 3 tarball , cause the other are no longer supported. The installation of the Basic System takes a couple hours. After the stage and the kernel are compiled , there is a big choice about the X enviroument. I personally prefer KDE or GNOME but there are also Fluxfox , Xfce , RatPoison and so on .... . It takes a couple more hours to compile X and KDE or GNOME. I can reccomend one of this two , because they have a lot more graphical features... When everything is done , a couple more things are necessary to be made. Setting up the sound , wireless device and so on. There are plenty of drivers already compiled in Gentoo kernel so they can be just loaded with modprobe driver-name. The sound can be set up with alsaconf. Gentoo Linux is known to be reccommended to advanced Linux users. If there is no expereince with Linux , it will be a rough beginning.
 Available Versions
On the Gentoo Download page there are a couple different versions available :
-- Gentoo 2007.0 - Live CD/DVD , Universal Install CD , Minimal Install CD
-- Gentoo 2008.0 - Live CD/DVD , Universal Install CD , Minimal Install CD
For the latest version Gentoo have to be compiled from sources. Otherway If a CD is being used , a system update will be necessary.
For more information visit Official Website