How to Install Gentoo Linux (Binary 2027 Edition)

Summary

Tony demonstrates a Gentoo Linux installation that uses the official binary package repository to speed up setup and reduce the amount of compiling. He recommends treating the Gentoo Handbook as the primary reference because installation instructions may change over time, and using the video as a supplement.

The setup uses OpenRC, Btrfs, an EFI-stub boot configuration without GRUB, and the OxWM desktop environment on Xorg.

Installation walkthrough

1. Get the installation media and access the live environment

   • Download the AMD64 minimal OpenRC installation CD.
   • Boot it, set a root password, start the SSH service, and connect from another computer.
   • For systems without wired networking, consult separate Wi-Fi setup instructions.

2. Partition and format the disk

   • Create a GPT partition table with three partitions: a 1 GB EFI system partition, a 4 GB swap partition, and a Btrfs partition using the remaining space.
   • Create Btrfs subvolumes for the root filesystem, home, and snapshots.
   • Mount them with noatime and Zstandard compression at level 1.

3. Install the Gentoo stage and configure binary packages

   • Synchronize the system clock before downloading the AMD64 OpenRC Stage 3 archive.
   • Extract the stage while preserving extended attributes and ownership information.
   • Configure Portage to use Gentoo’s AMD64-v3 binary packages. The example sets -march=x86-64-v3, enables binary package fetching, and requires package signatures.
   • Keep global USE flags minimal to better match the binary host’s package configuration. The tutorial uses the standard stable base profile rather than a desktop profile for the same reason.
   • Use binary packages where available, while still building selected packages from source as needed.

4. Set up the installed system

   • Generate /etc/fstab using the installation media’s genfstab utility, then enter the new system with arch-chroot.
   • Sync the Gentoo repository and select the base profile.
   • Update the world set using Portage’s binary-package options.
   • Set the timezone and locale, install firmware as needed, and configure the hostname, DHCP networking, root password, and a regular user.

5. Configure the kernel and boot

   • Install the distribution’s prebuilt kernel and Btrfs utilities.
   • Configure the kernel package to use dracut and EFI-stub support.
   • Create an EFI-stub entry using the root partition’s UUID and Btrfs root-subvolume options. In this setup, the EFI-stub entry replaces a bootloader such as GRUB or systemd-boot.

6. Add system services and a desktop

   • Install and enable doas, a system logger, and a cron daemon using OpenRC.
   • Install Xorg and xinit, then add Zig and the libraries needed to build OxWM.
   • Install Firefox’s binary package and configure the necessary USE flags if Portage reports a mismatch.
   • Clone and build OxWM from source, install its executable, and configure .xinitrc to launch it.
   • After rebooting, launch X, select a Rofi theme, open Firefox, and set a wallpaper.

Key points and practical guidance

• Gentoo does not require compiling every package. Binary repositories can substantially reduce installation time while retaining Portage’s configuration and package-management approach.
• Matching the binary host’s architecture target and keeping USE flags conservative can help avoid unnecessary source builds.
• The tutorial uses a specific machine and desktop setup, so disk names, CPU support, locale, timezone, and package options may need to be adapted.
• This is an installation guide, not a product review. It briefly addresses Gentoo’s reputation for complexity but does not provide a formal comparison or benchmark.

Main speaker and sources

• Main speaker: Tony, the video’s narrator and demonstrator.
• Referenced sources: The Gentoo AMD64 Handbook and wiki pages covering binary packages, Btrfs, kernel configuration, and related installation steps; Gentoo binary package host documentation; and the OxWM GitHub repository.