Gentoo is a source-based, highly configurable GNU/Linux or FreeBSD operating system. Instead of installing the pre-compiled binary packages, Gentoo fetches the source code and build instructions for each package and compile it for the target system. This helps the Gentoo to optimize the packages for each system.

Portage is the spline of Gentoo. It is responsible for taking the build instruction, optimizing it for the target, compiling and installing it on the target system. With the help of Portage, Gentoo can serve as an ideal secure server, development workstation, professional desktop, gaming system, embedded solution, or something else.

Gentoo is sometimes referred to a meta-distribution, considering the way in which it distributes the packages.

---

Status	Active
Home Page	https://www.gentoo.org
Page Hit Rank (rank/views)	17(7 hits per month)
Base distributions	Independent
Desktop Envrionments	Budgie Desktop Cinnamon Desktop FVWM-Crystal GNOME Desktop KDE Plasma LXDE LXQt Lumina Desktop MATE Desktop Pantheon Desktop razor-qt tde Xfce
Distributions based on Gentoo Linux	Calculate Linux Clover OS or CloverOS Pentoo RedCore Linux Sabayon Linux