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Distribution Watch: Gentoo Linux
Introducing Gentoo Linux 1.1a
Dee-Ann LeBlanc
Monday, April 15, 2002 10:29:29 AM
Gentoo Linux is a relative newcomer to the world of Linux distributions.
Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, this distro is tightly
targeted at software developers and network administrators, which means
that the new or even average Linux user may not be too interested in
trying it out.
You won't know Gentoo Linux 1.1a for its installer bells and whistles.
That's not expected after all, not for an audience that's more concerned
with what's going on under the hood than the flashy racing stripes and
spoiler. What you do get is a distribution built mostly from source code,
optimized to your personal specifications, and one killer tool for
handling compiles and development: Portage (a French word meaning
"carrying," often referring to carrying your canoe across a stretch of
land before putting it in the next stretch of water).
Portage is best described by the Gentoo Linux team, themselves:
"Portage is a true ports system in the tradition of BSD ports, but is
Python-based and sports a number of advanced features including
dependencies, fine-grained package management, "fake" (OpenBSD-style)
installs, path sandboxing, safe unmerging, system profiles, virtual
packages, config file management, and more."
If I was a software developer, this is a distribution I'd watch.
Supported Platforms
The Gentoo Linux distribution is specifically designed for the x86
architecture, so you'll need a PC for this one. You can't use antiquated
hardware but you don't have to have the latest and greatest either:
- CPU of 486 or higher
- 64 MB of RAM or more
As usual, the faster the CPU and the more RAM you have, the happier you'll
probably be.
Next: Getting Gentoo Linux 1.1a »
