Editing Gentoo Linux (section)

==Installation==
Gentoo may be installed in several ways. The most common is to use the Gentoo minimal CD with a stage3 [[tar (computing)|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> [[Reddit]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> and [[Internet Relay Chat|IRC]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

A [[Live USB]] of Gentoo Linux can be created manually, by using [[List of tools to create Live USB systems|various tools]], or with [[Dd (Unix)|dd]] as described in the [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/LiveUSB/Guide#dd handbook].

===Stages===
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 (compilers)|bootstrapping]] the target system.
* ''Stage2'' begins with a [[Self-hosting (compilers)|self-hosting]] (bootstrapped) toolchain for the target system, which is then used to compile all other core [[User space|userland]] software for the target.
* ''Stage3'' begins with a minimal set of compiled user software, with which the [[kernel (operating system)|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 [[dependency graph|circular dependencies]]).<ref>{{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}}</ref> [[Tar (file format)|Tar]]balls 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<ref>{{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}}</ref> and moved into the Gentoo FAQ.<ref name=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}}</ref> {{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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Gentoo Reference Platform===
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.<ref>{{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=[[O'Reilly Media|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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> These packages included [[KDE]], [[X Window System]], [[OpenOffice.org|OpenOffice]], [[GNOME]], and [[Mozilla]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>{{Original research inline|date=September 2014}}