Translations:FAQ/9/en

Gentoo builds the entire system from source code on installation, specifically to the user's choice of configuration and optimizations. The user has complete control over which packages are, or are not installed. Gentoo permits many alternatives for system software, so users can mould Gentoo according to their own needs and preferences. Exceptionally fine-grained control of low level parameters for the whole installation (compiler flags, architecture choices, base subsystem selection, etc.) is provided right from the initial installation, which, along with the scope of choice of core system component software, is why Gentoo is called a meta-distribution.