What is Gentoo?
Gentoo is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need. Extreme configurability, performance and a top-notch user and developer community are all hallmarks of the Gentoo experience.
Thanks to a technology called Portage, Gentoo can become an ideal secure server, development workstation, professional desktop, gaming system, embedded solution or something else -- whatever you need it to be. Because of its near-unlimited adaptability, we call Gentoo a metadistribution.
What is Portage?
Portage is the heart of Gentoo, and performs many key functions. For one, Portage is the software distribution system for Gentoo. 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.
Support
Gentoo is a volunteer-driven distribution and so are our support options. It is not possible for our developers to provide support (paid or otherwise) because we simply don't have the time or resources to do so.
We have however a great Gentoo community that tests and helps document many aspects of the Gentoo distribution. We advise you to direct your support questions to the Gentoo Forums, Gentoo Mailinglists or Gentoo Chat Channels. Those are far better suited for support questions as they represent a major part of the "common" knowledge about Gentoo.
Most Gentoo developers frequently visit those community channels and try their best to contribute to the ongoing discussions and questions |