Kernel

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.

Installation
To create a kernel, it is necessary to install the kernel source code first. The recommended kernel sources for a desktop system are. 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.

Before installing, check the active USE flags:

Now install gentoo-sources:

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.


 * A full list with short descriptions can be found by searching with emerge:



Guides

 * Kernel package overview: Guide explaining the various kernel source flavors Gentoo provides.


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


 * Automatic configuration: genkernel is a tool to automatically configure and setup a kernel. The needed drivers for your system are detected and loaded at boot time.


 * 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.


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