Systemd/Installing Gnome3 from scratch

To install a desktop environment such as GNOME3 requires the use of systemd but the present Gentoo Handbook is based on the use of Openrc. It just indicates that changes have to be made when using systemd but never tells the user where the changes occur. As for the systemd page, it mainly concentrate on an update starting from an existing system. Thus, it can be a kind of challenge, specially for a new comer to Gentoo, to install a GNOME3 desktop from scratch. The purpose of this page is to indicate where changes have to be made to the current Gentoo Handbook to do so. The indications given refer mainly to an amd64 install.

Base System Installation
Hereafter are the modifications to bring to the Gentoo Handbook for an amd64 platform.

Part 1 to 5 of the handbook
No change here.

Updating the system
As the choice of desktop/gnome/systemd implies a lot of changes in the packages to be installed, you are advised to make a full update before going on:

Configuring the kernel
Do not emerge genkernel here but genkernel-next instead.

If you plan to include support for your graphic card and in case this graphic card requires proprietary binary blobs, emerge linux-firmware otherwise kernel will not compile.

May not be necessary at this stage but doesn't harm, add VIDEO_CARDs=" " in.

Use option menuconfig with genkernel

Select the systemd init system without disabling Openrc

Include settings for your graphic card referring to the ad hoc page on this wiki, most currently radeon and NVidia/nvidia-drivers.

Create the symlink for (see this for details)

Defining your keyboard
With systemd, setting keyboard=fr into will be effectless. Instead, you should set this into. The various keymaps are stored into subdirectories of  and can be listed with the following command

Once you have you keymap listed, select it with the following command, replacing fr-dvorak-bepo with your own keymap  :

Doubble check with

System Logger
syslog-ng conflicts with systemd systemd creates as datagram socket   so you will need to tell syslog-ng to read from a unix-dgram instead of a unix-stream if you are hitting problems and are using "wrong" stream:

should be replaced with: in order to use the syslog-ng service in systemd. To enable syslog-ng use the following command :

To disable it, use :

Networking tools
dhcpcd will not be started at boot unless you enable dhcpcd.service with systemd. Refer to the systemd page to know how to do it before rebooting. Otherwise you will be able to do so after boot with

Installing systemd itself
In a first stage install dbus with temporary -systemd USE flag:

then emerge systemd

Configuring the Bootloader
After emerging, edit  and add the following line (if using ext4 for root partition)

Then run:

Finalizing your Gentoo Installation
It may be necessary to enable and start dcpcd.service and to use systemd to define keyboard layout (see the systemd page).

/etc/portage/make.conf
Don't forget to add the following lines to the file:

Then emerge the drivers:

Kernel settings
Follow the page X server to set the kernel paramaters for evdev and the kernel parameters for your graphic card if not already done. Recompile the kernel

Check startx
In order to check the x server install xterm and twm

Then use the following command:

If everything is correct you should see a graphic page with some terminals inside. Quit with -- and unmerge xterm and twm.

Gnome3 Installation
You are now ready to install GNOME 3:

In order to have the Gnome Display Manager after boot, enable it:

Reboot and enjoy Gnome3 !