Gentoo

Gentoo is a free, open-source Linux distribution designed to be highly configurable and optimized for performance. The project is named after the Gentoo penguin, a fast-swimming species, and is maintained by a volunteer community. It was created by Daniel Robbins in 2000 as a source-based distribution intended to provide fine-grained control over system compilation and configuration, and it has since grown into a mature ecosystem of packages and documentation.

Gentoo uses the Portage package management system, which centers on ebuild scripts that describe how to fetch, configure, compile, and install software. Users interact with the system through the emerge tool, and packages are assembled from source, with optional binary packages available in certain setups. Central concepts include USE flags for feature-level customization, architecture-specific optimizations, and profiles that define a base system and default settings. Gentoo typically follows a rolling-release model, with continuous updates rather than distinct major releases.

The installation process commonly starts with a minimal stage tarball and builds the system from source, often resulting in a tailored environment for the hardware. Gentoo supports multiple architectures and provides control over init systems; historically OpenRC has been the default, with systemd and other managers also available.

While Gentoo is praised for performance and customization, its installation and maintenance require a higher level of technical involvement than many binary distributions. It remains popular among users who want to minimize installed footprint, tune compilation options, or build systems optimized for specific workloads.