Editing Gentoo Linux (section)

{{Short description|Linux distribution}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = Gentoo Linux
| logo = image:Gentoo Linux logo matte.svg
| logo size = 100px
| logo caption = Logo
| logo alt = Gentoo Logo
| screenshot = Gentoo Live GUI USB running KDE.png
| caption = Gentoo Linux Live USB running KDE
| developer = Gentoo Foundation
| programmed in = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[Perl]], [[Bourne shell|sh]], and [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| family = [[Linux]] ([[Unix-like]])
| working state = Current
| source model = [[Open-source software|Open source]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2002|03|31|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.funtoo.org/Funtoo_Linux_History|title=Funtoo Linux History|publisher=funtoo.org|date=2019-05-25|access-date=February 10, 2018|archive-date=July 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731224507/https://www.funtoo.org/Funtoo_Linux_History|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-04-01-011-26-PR-CY-DV|title=PR: Gentoo Linux 1.0 Released|last=Locke|first=Bruce|website=Linux Today|date=2022-04-01|access-date=2022-08-31|url-status=deviated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021028203542/http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-04-01-011-26-PR-CY-DV|archive-date=2002-10-28|quote=The Gentoo Project is proud to announce the release of Gentoo Linux 1.0.}}</ref>
| latest release version = <!-- Weekly minimal install builds are available on Gentoo's site above the old 2008 releases -->
| latest release date = <!-- once a week or so depending on the pc architecture the minimal install iso is being built for -->
| update model = [[Rolling release]]
| package manager = [[Portage (software)|Portage]]
| supported platforms = [[IA-32]], [[x86-64]], [[PA-RISC|PA-RISC (HPPA)]], [[PowerPC]] 32/64, [[SPARC]] 64-bit, [[DEC Alpha]], [[ARM architecture|ARM]] 32/64, [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], [[RISC-V]] 32/64, [[Motorola_68000_series|m68k]], [[Loongson|loong]], [[IBM_System/390|s390]], [[Z/Architecture|s390x]]
| kernel type = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]] ([[Linux kernel]])
| userland = [[GNU Core Utilities|GNU]], With support for non-GNU userlands
| ui = [[Command line interface|CLI]], with support for various [[window manager]]s and [[desktop environment]]s
| license = [[Free software]]
| website = {{URL|//www.gentoo.org/}}
}}

'''Gentoo Linux''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ɛ|n|t|uː}} {{respell|JEN|too}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ#How_is_Gentoo_pronounced.2C_and_what_does_it_mean.3F|title=Gentoo Linux Frequently Asked Questions|access-date=6 January 2014|quote=Gentoo is pronounced "gen-too" (the "g" in "Gentoo" is a soft "g", as in "gentle").|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106202051/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ#How_is_Gentoo_pronounced.2C_and_what_does_it_mean.3F|url-status=live}}</ref>) is a [[Linux distribution]] built using the [[Portage (software)|Portage]] [[package management system]]. Unlike a binary [[software distribution]], the source code is compiled locally according to the user's preferences and is often [[Program optimization|optimized]] for the specific type of computer. Precompiled binaries are available for some packages.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Binary_package_guide|title=Binary package guide|publisher=gentoo.org|access-date=2022-09-04|quote=Next to the usual support for source-based ebuilds, Portage also supports building and installing binary packages.|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004921/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Binary_package_guide|url-status=live}}</ref> Gentoo runs on a wide variety of processor architectures.

Gentoo package management is designed to be [[Modular programming|modular]], [[porting|portable]], easy to maintain, and flexible. Gentoo describes itself as a [[Meta (prefix)|meta]]-distribution because of its adaptability, in that the majority of its users have configurations and sets of installed programs which are unique to the system and the applications they use.<ref name=gentoo-about>{{cite web |url=https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/about/ |title=Gentoo Linux – About Gentoo |publisher=Gentoo.org |date=2007-09-17 |access-date=2010-01-28 |archive-date=December 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221235233/https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/about/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Gentoo Linux is named after the [[gentoo penguin]], the fastest swimming species of penguin. The name was chosen to reflect the potential speed improvements of machine-specific optimizing, which is a major feature of Gentoo.