Skills to install Gentoo
2026-06-09 17:09 UTC
Replies (10)
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@Eggymatrix@sh.itjust.works 2026-06-09 20:15
Gentoo, along with arch and their derivatives are more advanced distros, that will require you to actually learn stuff to be able to use them. That said, if you are motivated and have the time there is no reason to not try, and the arch wiki and installation manual are in my experience very good at explaining everything you need to know on the system side. I know that the gentoo handbook is also very good, and the main difference between gentoo and arch is that there is the additional uncommon step to build everything from source, kernel included. You could go with gentoo directly, but since you seem searching for a progression I do recommend to try arch first before going to the gentoo endgame.
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@fozid@feddit.uk 2026-06-09 20:32
Just jump straight in and install in a VM. That’s all the practice you need. Can’t break anything, just wipe and try again until you get there.
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@eshep@social.trom.tf 2026-06-09 22:24
@pixeldaemon@sh.itjust.works As a 20+ year gentoo user, I often point people to the handbook as a tool for helping them to gain a solid understanding of linux. The way I recommend you go about it is to first read through the entire handbook and (most importantly) go read about each thing you encounter in it that you don't understand. Once you think you somewhat have a grasp of why each step is in there, start running through an install. Only use prebuilt kernels for now (ever really), there is no need to build one yourself unless you need something specific. Don't worry about fuck ups, just keep going till you get through it, you'll learn what you did wrong as you progress. Once you've made it as far as a functional desktop, rinse and repeat until you find yourself only referencing the handbook for verification, not reading it, then move on to learning about portage.
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@cogman@lemmy.world 2026-06-10 01:44
I suppose my very basic knowledge of terminal isn’t enough to install Gentoo, even with the handbook. Nope. The gentoo handbook is VERY good. Don’t skip parts on it and you can install a gentoo. You really don’t need very advanced terminal skills to get gentoo up and running. So long as you understand basics like cd/nano/ls/cat then you can pretty easily do the entire handbook. One thing to realize is that you can always go backwards and fix things if you make a mistake. Nothing is permanent. If you get into a “why isn’t this working” state, just go back and see if you’ve skipped something.
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@ferric_carcinization@lemmy.ml 2026-06-10 03:41
As others have already noted, the handbook is very good. You should be able to manage with limited Linux & terminal skills. (terminal navigation, can install a package with e.g. apt, etc.) If you’re unsure about your skills, try using the terminal a bit. You can start with switching to the apt cli (command-line program) if you’re using a gui client. Or, you could try to do some basic, everyday tasks with it, like editing text with nano (or vim, if you’re feeling brave). Just don’t forget to install important packages when installing Gentoo, like sudo (and add youself to sudoers), a DE/WM (KDE Plasma, GNOME, Sway, etc.) and a terminal. Don’t worry too much about mistakes, as everything is fixable, except things related to bad UEFI implementations. Like others, I would recommend going with defaults for now. You can always tinker after the install. While a few things are a real pain to change or shouldn’t be changed, like going from no-multilib to multilib, most things can be played with later. Though I haven’t done it with a Gentoo system specifically, going from an unencypted system to encrypting all disks is very much possible.
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@Mikelius@lemmy.ml 2026-06-10 05:18
Speaking from personal experience: get a spare laptop or external drive and jump right into it. Gentoo is where I learned Linux. The handbook is so good and is my highest recommended source of getting into Linux, assuming you take it slow to understand it. While a VM might be an option, I think you’ll have less problems on a direct system… But maybe I’m wrong, I’ve never tried installing Gentoo on a VM before. Just know, this system will need care… Keep Gentoo updated frequently, else you’ll have issues with dependencies. If this is your first time digging into Linux, you’ll goof. But don’t fret, for there’s always a fix! If you find yourself needing something less demanding, my go to has been Mint for that. However these days I’ve actually been re creating my laptop on Gentoo with an external USB C. Turns out even on that it runs games better, so can’t wait to move it to an nvme lol
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@muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 2026-06-10 06:06
It’s not so bad. There’s helpful walkthroughs all over the place, like this one
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@whatiswrongwithyou@lemmy.ml 2026-06-10 22:03
You’ll be fine, just do it
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@Sinirlan@lemmy.world 2026-06-10 12:25
Can't really say for VM installation, but I was able to install it to "login to terminal" stage on Dell XPS 15, that was 14-15 years ago and my knowledge about Linux terminal was rather limited to basic commands only (mainly those shared with DOS/PowerShell). Just give it a go, stick to instructions and it should be fine.
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@nyan@sh.itjust.works 2026-06-10 00:56
Do use the Gentoo-provided minimal install iso as the host for the install, and not random live media, just to reduce the possibility of unexpected problems. The handbook is actually pretty explicit on what commands you need to run for the base install. Read it through first. Take note of the places where you actually have to decide something (the biggest one is OpenRC vs. systemd, and you want to have that decision made before you start). Go with the default for anything you don't really care about or that looks a bit complicated or scary. Absolutely do not skip steps (unless they're marked "Optional") even if you don't yet understand what the step is for. Working inside a VM insulates you from some of the worst gotchas you can run into on real hardware (like bad UEFI implementations), fortunately. Still, don't try to build a custom kernel straight out the gate—just install the distro kernel for now. If something goes wrong during the install, it can be best to take a break and come back later. Once you've got the base system running, you'll have another decision to make about X vs wayland and the various DE/WM/compositor options.