Kernel/en

The Linux kernel is the core of the operating system and offers an interface for programs to access the hardware. The kernel contains most of the device drivers.

USE flags
To create a kernel, it is necessary to install the kernel source code first. The Gentoo recommended kernel sources for a desktop system are, of course,. These are maintained by the Gentoo developers, and patched to fix security vulnerabilities, functional problems, as well as to improve compatibility with rare system architectures.

Emerge
Now install :

Alternative kernels
There are various alternative kernel sources in the Portage tree:


 * - The official, non-patched Linux kernel sources. Note that because they are left as is, and do not contain any additional patches, they are not supported by Gentoo developers.

Sources overview

 * Kernel sources overview: Most, if not all, of the kernel sources packages available in Gentoo are detailed in the kernel sources overview article. Navigate there for further knowledge on specific kernel sources available in the Portage tree.

Searching all alternatives
A full list of kernel sources with short descriptions can be found by searching with emerge:

Configuration help

 * Automatic configuration: genkernel is a tool to used to automate the build process of the kernel and initramfs. The goal of genkernel is to help users through the kernel building process.


 * Manual configuration: Manual configuration enables the user, with some effort, to create a custom-fit kernel configuration.


 * Gentoo kernel configuration guide: Gentoo's kernel configuration guide.


 * Upgrade: Steps to upgrade to a new kernel using an existing configuration.


 * Removal: Steps to completely remove old kernels.


 * Kernel Seeds:Like the option above, Kernels Seeds help the user, with some effort, create a custom-fit kernel configuration using an existing as a base.


 * 2.4 to 2.6 Migration: Migration guide from Linux 2.4 to Linux 2.6.

External resources

 * Blogs related to the Linux kernel at planet.kernel.org/
 * Kernel statistics at kernelhub.org/
 * Torvald's kernel git source repository hosted at github.com/