User:Ris/notes/bigbagonotes

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Important
These are just personal notes, please ignore this page.

look into Special:DoubleRedirects

wha tis comment on top of this page source ?

page about moding docs, discussing changes, bgo, changes to pgo, like homepages...


BPF

rework Knowledge_Base:Remove_orphaned_packages

+article explaining oneshot

Special:PageTranslation

Low hanging

Screen : rm 2nd person

emerge bdeps

Portage_TMPDIR_on_tmpfs rm info to avoid compile on ssd

sets

System_set_(Portage) Selected_set_(Portage) Selected-packages_set_(Portage) /etc/portage/sets World_set_(Portage) etc.

merge ?

wiki

if somthing doesn't work, plz edit, discuss, mail, or irc. if somthing unclear or missing too. mention irc long

contrib intro guide

=collaborative effort -> consensus based

avoid "one" ?

add to appropriate place: "There are still some conventional ways of doing things that have emerged over the years that may not have been formalized or written down in the help pages, please be patient."

PORTAGE

not all this doc is accessible from a central place

Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_a_single_package

changes

"

* IMPORTANT: 2 config files in '/etc' need updating.
* See the CONFIGURATION FILES and CONFIGURATION FILES UPDATE TOOLS
* sections of the emerge man page to learn how to update config files.
* IMPORTANT: 4 news items need reading for repository 'gentoo'.
* Use eselect news read to view new items.
* After world updates, it is important to remove obsolete packages with
* emerge --depclean. Refer to `man emerge` for more information.

"

packages often (?) not up to date because of stability issues only

how to make portage use rust-bin, etc ? oneshot ? emerge then unmerge compiled rust ?

using overlays and one of the overlays is trying to push for a new version of sddm when i update, but i'd rather stick with the version that is within the normal gentoo repository method is masking everything from an overlay when i add it, and then selectively unmasking

from hb to about gentoo, fac etc: Most distributions compile their packages with support for as much as possible, increasing the size of the programs and startup time, not to mention an enormous amount of dependencies. With Gentoo users can define what options a package should be compiled with. This is where USE comes into play.

mv Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_a_single_package etc from KB to appropriate articles

+broken bashrc, & recovery shell possibilities.

faq: ssd wear out with compilation ? no

make sure it is mentioned that internet is _really_ needed for installation

explain why livecd & stage3 seperate

mention spidermonkey, polkit. maybe ducktape fix

My gentoo wont boot guide page...

how can I force portage to do not remove the source of the current kernel on depclean? emerge -n something-sources:X.Y.Z (remember to depclean/deselect it some day when no longer current)

[1] post by hu good explain preserved libs

unmerge dep. if unmerge x, depclean may not remove if depended on ? if ch use flag, unmerge dep, may need em world update to be able to depclean x ??

say to do world update before installing new software ?

where does it say stick to the handbook or expect problems and no sympathy/support ? I think it says it somewhere, shouldn't it say it in the hb ?

yeah layman is mostly obsolete i think

and i'd say dispatch-conf is "preferred" to etc-update

especially given it keeps backups <kyoran> The only thing I see Layman being able to do that Portage can't is sync two or three more types of (maybe old / little used) repository... yeah, and also useful for g-sorcery and stuff like autogenerated ebuilds or whatever for perl

g-cpan

<kyoran> ah... but it's not really necessary for general overlays

/wiki/Login integrate with shell

put meta category in software categ & rm sw categ from meta articles ?

Project:Portage/FAQ uses 2nd person - dont have perm to edit

explain do not add dependencies to world. If dependancy needed for ie app being devel locally, create custom repo "eselect repository create myprohect-dependencies" or custom profiles ?

man article, sh: /usr/bin/less: No such file or directory section, add better ref to depclean

man page : constrained systems, suggest rm mandb etc from system set ? probably not good idea. maybe for embedded systems though?... The sys-apps/man-db and sys-apps/man-pages packages 'might' be able to be removed

wiki : why after bullet list, too little space - or two much if two crs added ?

--keep-going

irc sect on wik prj pge - indicate may be long time, channel for wiki related not for ask help

virtual packages: how to swap dependenceis : oneshot then depclean

dont run unstable, unless you wnat to help out testing & fileing bug reports, or rally know what you are doing.

Gentoo is rock solid. anyone who runs g stable and has compared it to other major distributions will know what this means. Gentoo does not crash, or dysfunction. Issues come from operator error, not reading & following the docs, or misunderstanding how things work.

Gentoo is rock solid. anyone who runs g stable and has compared it to other major distributions will know what this means. Gentoo does not crash, or dysfunction. Issues come from operator error, not reading & following the docs, or misunderstanding how things work. G pulls this off wile having more up to date packages than most other stable dists, often closely following upstream for many important pkgs.

dont run unstable, unless you wnat to help out testing & fileing bug reports, or rally know what you are doing. only selectively add unstable packages if absolutely necesary. it is often easier to live with an issue or missing func than to deal with unexpected bugs.

gentoo is comlex. why should all linux distributions be simple, at the cost of functionality, of power ? Just because non tech savvy need simple os, server administrators have their own needs etc. all linux distributions must not be constrained by low com denom. Gentoo is the only dist for linux pros, developers & serious enthousiats, that puts the power in the users hands...

g is, pehaps contrary to pop belief, i=not about performance =, optimization. "ricing" is in no way a consideration in g design. the central notion to g design is building a distribution the natural, correct, canonical, best, most papropriate way. if the product is packages, then each piece of software can be trasted as an edge case, ans custom wranlges into being made to - ont time exceptionally - produce an archive that will work for user. t is a prdouct that functions a layer below thins. g is a system to produce the equivalent of pkgs. this being the goal means that edge cases are to ba avoided, each software must produce AUTOMATICALLy an installable pkg. thus sytemeticizd...

"Recommended applications has a list of useful software suited to graphical environments, with descriptions. Recommended tools has suggestions of command-line programs." in sw catgry

quote from Help:Talk_pages: Remember that the wiki does not deal in opinion - consider that opinions will diverge, while fact will tend to consensus.

txt

This wiki aims to present exhaustive documentation for the Gentoo operating system, the packages, commands, and concepts that comprise it or are important for it's use. Basic documentation will be provided for notable packages from the Gentoo repository, developing specific information for getting software running and configured on Gentoo - with some pointers on basic usage, tips, and troubleshooting - for convenience. Many software projects provide comprehensive documentation themselves, delivering this in different ways, and these will be referenced from the wiki where appropriate. For many packages, the man pages will contain the canonical documentation.

the way of doing things laid out in this wiki is not strictly canonical, it is often based on sane defaults, meant for illustration or to get up and running. if you* know better, do not be constrained by how things are presented !

Gentoo is aimed at a specific user. one who wants to invest in learning and using Linux to get the maximum power and rewards for their experience.

gento is aimed at professionals and serious amateur or hobbyists. don't inflict Gentoo on Grandma any more you would a . or a jigh end sportscar

--

because g tries to stay close to upst, and do things rightwaytm, wgo may be a good source of in info for linux/unixlike systems in general.

gentoo is a unix like operating system, and as such will run any piece of software using standard parctices. Using there parctices, that have been standerdiezd and refined for decades, a well informed dav can produce code that will compile and install on many many operating systems, from different Linux distributions, BDSs, to MacOS, and now, even windows. Unfortunately, commercial software is often published for just one or two linux distributions, especially when binary only. Some open source software developpers don't take the sime to make their software distributable in a standerdized way, limiting the targets to one or a few distributions.

(lsb ?)

categorization

fails, django etc in web frameworks under prog langs

handbook

Handbook:AMD64/Working/USE#Declare_permanent_USE_flags +what to do after changing use flags

stage 3 is a very minimal system, a base to get things set up as required. there isn't even a kernel or a bootloader ! this is not because stage 3 is poor, or lazy: these are things that are up to the user - this could be using the bootloder from another system, or even be an installations in a lxc container and will never need either a kernel or bootloader ! there is however included a "fallback" text editor, Nano, because this may be important to have streight away ot set up the system, feel free to choose another at any time !

why mount as /boot not /boot/efi.

masking

wiki//var/db/repos/gentoo/profiles/package.mask

<c> kyoran: well, the exact location depends on your repo location and when you installed your system <w> kyoran: use.mask is USE flags masked globally, package.use.mask is flags masked for specific packages. Older Gentoo builds may have the repository (and, subsequently, profiles directory) at /usr/portage, newer systems tend to have it at /var/db/repos/gentoo, any system can have it elsewhere. how do you unmask a use flag that has been masked by /usr/portage/profiles/base/package.use.mask? c> this is probably an easy question, but I haven't find the answer — how do you unmask a use flag that has been masked by /usr/portage/profiles/base/package.use.mask? <w> /etc/portage/profile/package.use.mask:foo/bar -flag <c> I'm pretty sure I already tried that, let me try again :-m <w> If it doesn't work, provide full command and output to a paste service and link.

<c> no, I hadn't tried that one <c> I had tried /etc/portage/profile/package.use.mask based on the logic that a /etc/portage/package.unmask file can unmask packages masked by /usr/portage/profiles/package.mask <c> isn't this confusing or is it just me? USE masks are a bit different, yes it is confusing there is no use.unmask file <w> You need to negate the mask that was put in place - if it's masked as "foo/bar flag", you need to "foo/bar -flag" in a similarly named file to override locally. <c> yes, sorry, that's what I mean, I wanted to say I tried /etc/portage/profile/package.use.unmask, I guess you got it although I said it wrong <c> yeah, using wraeth's advice worked, thanks The question was about unmasking a USE flag masked for a specific package - package.use.mask.

well, the exact location depends on your repo location and when you installed your system

<w> kyoran: use.mask is USE flags masked globally, package.use.mask is flags masked for specific packages. Older Gentoo builds may have the repository (and, subsequently, profiles directory) at /usr/portage, newer systems tend to have it at /var/db/repos/gentoo, any system can have it elsewhere. <c> I think the new default location for repos is /var/db/repos, but I have systems that are 10 years old when the main portage dir was going to /usr/portage w> Portage has a bit of a learning curve as far as the intricacies of masks, USE flags, per-package handling, and profiles, but it makes sense once you get your head around it. As I suggested, though, we're always open to improving documentation when it's lacking. :)


-


s> Can an ebuild's keyword list be influenced by a use flag? I.e., can a USE flag keyword mask/unmask a package if it set or unset? hi sam_ <w> p: No. A package may have stable, ~arch, or no keywords, and a USE flag may be masked, either globally or for the package, for a given keyword, but the keywords for a package cannot be changed by the state of a USE flag. <sa> that said, you can mask USE flags on certain profiles <w> Yes, well, "keyword" and "profile" is vaguely interchangeable, as far as flags are concerned, there. It's a bit complicated. cesswatch> nvm, what I was thinking about doesn't make sense. I wanted and 'lts' flag to follow the latest lts version, but I guess that is kind of antithetical to 'long-term'. <j> p: LTS for what?

dist-kernel, although the concept could apply to any package that supports it. <x> p: no, use flags are independent of keywords

openrc

what is it that determines the order of services being started?

<C> : each init script has a depend() function where you can define dependencies with various operators like "need", "use", "before" or "after". <C> depend() { before localmount ; after keymaps } <-- example <C> "localmount" and "keymaps" are other init scripts.

periodic tasks

Profile_(Portage) update profile age in 1st §


xfce apps

whisker menu

work on

Upgrading_Gentoo

wiki/Xfce/Guide

wiki/Gentoo_Cheat_Sheet some outdated commands

ideas

make sure to properly explain differences in packages between min live cd and chroot.

unambiguously word livecd / final-chroot-destination-target-etc. distinction

manners/(coc): calling an insult a joke doesn't make it any less insulting than it makes it funny

it is said that Gentoo doesn't "hold users hands", that does not mean that the novice shouldn't be warned of pitfalls

g is a primary distribution, as debian, fedora, suse, or, yes, slackware. it is not a system laid on top of the packages and tools of another disto, but built from the ground up, each tool an internal project, each package maintained by the expert Gentoo community. g is one of the largest disrto currently. g has stood the test of time, being one of the oldest major primary distros still going strong

be careful by what metrics you measure a project. gentoo doesn't do benchmarks, but if it did, the key measurement wouldn't be build time optimization as many may think, but community expertise and professionalism

there are some inherent advantages to compiling packages from source over installing binary archives. The most notable, is the ability to set compile time options when installing a package. next, because dynamic linking, -abi definition is performed upon compilation, it means that a source based package will be installable to more systems. while mixing packages from stable and development branches can be non trivial in binary based distributions, in Gentoo it is simply a case of selecting what packages are desired to be from testing, and with the --autounmask-write switch, even dependencies can be set to automatically be pulled in from the correct branch.

of course there is also the much hyped possibility to have all software on a system complied with cflags and compile times options exactly corresponding to the processor architecture, and thus activate build time optimizations. It has never been a goal of the Gentoo project to build a distribution in order to provide build time optimization. it seems that over the years, press releases and online discourse has somewhat slipped towards the idea that somehow this may be one of the main advantages of gentoo: it is not. the optimizations that gentoo permits are simple a consequence of the system's architecture. it may be a testament to it's power and flexibility, but it was never a goal in and of itself. (this needs checking&rewording, probably wrong, but there is a core tenet that is important nevertheless)


it is often much easier to create an ebuild in Gentoo than to craft a package for many other distributions. this is by design. though it is possible to compile and install software using standard Unix(like) methods, in Gentoo it is preferable to harness Portage's dependency management and file tracking abilities, to keep the system safe and tidy, and to ease package management.

reccomend reading through handbook before starting

source based means can mix testing and stable branches. bin based means abi may differ, son can't always selectively pull stable into testing

rest wiki : btn for important edits

rolling release := bleeding edge

heads up cirtual packages & nano depclean

"propose changes" to protected articles

+pkg to livecd : vim

site like https://man.archlinux.org/ https://manpages.ubuntu.com/ to link to man pages from wiki

invocation template for < command > --help, more compact than current template (less lines) with into text : "presentation of invocation options for command"...

emerge --depclean needs explanation. must warn about removing needed sw, ie nano, kernel etc : virtual packages that get another slot filled...

portage pbs : --keep-goins, --backtrack...

wiki/Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_a_single_package + autoun zz

Upgrading_Gentoo

app pages

Useful_Portage_tools

Qt_Desktop_applications

Qt_Desktop_applications

Recommended_tools

Category:Software

Bootloader

Terminal_emulator

IRC

Qt_Desktop_applications

BitTorrent

Chroot

archive tools list

Software_tools_list


hardware configuration pages

system configuration pages

PPP

Partition




guides

dv : start readme explaining what proj is

of interest

Bootloader wiki/Selected-packages_set_(Portage)#Emerge_a_package_without_adding_it_to_the_world_file


wiki/Gentoolkit#revdep-rebuild no longer needed, so sould not be recomended in Project:Portage/FAQ etc

ext

https://www.serra.me/en/2020/03/using-snap-packages-in-gentoo/

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=gentoo+snaps

glossary


questions

{{Metadata| Category:Documents_containing_Metadata wtf ?

wiki/Cinnamon#Xorg how install X for DE ? dependency pull-in ? desktop profile ? use flag in m.c ?

how to format inline app or framework names

should talk pages use date on talk|open?

comma ? "Lightweight, tiling, minimalist, window manager"

how to reference links in edit summary

Common reasons for masking include pre-release (unstable) versions of a certain package, there is no more upstream development, and there are known security issues in the package.

why clolor map artcile desctiption not come through ? wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Portage#See_also

why does doc use flag not work - or rather why cant it be fixed ?

XEmacs dead ?


how to file a bug against handbook, ie : typo : wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:X86/Portage/Branches#Testing_particular_versions

how autounmask work on new install. should it be said to be best solution for novice ? wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_a_single_package#Using_--autounmask-write_emerge_command_option

is the games group still used ? wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Installation/Finalizing

"Error: This action has been automatically identified as harmful, and therefore disallowed. If you believe your action was constructive, please inform an administrator of what you were trying to do. A brief description of the abuse rule which your action matched is: Disable writing internal wiki links " ie when adding certain plain text http links - explain this somewhere in the wiki docs.

how ofen should gentoo be updated at the most - specify this somewhere.

who when how why close discussions ? Help_talk:Talk_pages

wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Installation/Media#What_are_stages_then.3F should mention what stage tarball to chose, but that comes later: wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Installation/Stage#Choosing_a_stage_tarball also this should be made explicit how it relates to profile selection

profile selection should be better explained


what happens if use changes suggested and applied by emerge... then redo emerge w/o dispatch conf ? problem with double change or not ?


Handbook:AMD64/Working/Portage#Updating_the_Gentoo_repository whould it say webrsync can be faster for new installs ?

ebuilds ?

https://joplinapp.org/

cherrytree

tldr

new pages

find software for gentoo: pfl, packages.gentoo.org etc

not emerging: try stable, other version, wait, ch use, ask

wget

httpS

curl

poweroff shutdown, halt, reboot

sw dev guide, general. dont bundle or pin deps, readme, doc, install to fsh places, uninstall include, cofigure prefix possible, document config options, installtation instructions, test on other distros, homepage, vcs, !:pinning condems code to accumulate all bugs, vulns

visionconf

software installation

software deinstallation

webcam

compilation time : makeopts, beware swap usage, vm,

memory, swap, oom killer. what happens oom during merge. how many cores for merge vs reactivity.

how to run gentoo in vm : memory, cores, expectations.

Gentoo_Wiki:Requested_Articles

asking for support. netiquette. follow hb, wgetpaste, wait long in some channels, file bugs, forum, dont expect...

security suggestions ?

complilation time. rust, ff, chrome, bin... tool to see past times:genlop or qlop

clipboards

circular dependencies + explain as inextricable problem of boostrapping.

news items : ln hb, distinction gentoo news (on g.o), from News Items, from wiki news items. are NIs avtually Gentoo Repo NIs ?

profiles, repositories, ebuilds differences &how they fit together

/etc/portage/profile/packages emerge --inject (depreciated)

how do you unmask a use flag that has been masked by /usr/portage/profiles/base/package.use.mask?

move gentoo fron one partition to another, one pc to another

move from dos to gpt, bios to uefi

what is on my system ? page : equery belongs, whereis info, system set, world...

compling software on gentoo : NEVER sudo make install !!! maybe prefix to ~ or just make; ./exe, but should ebuild in local overlay use wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Custom_ebuild_repository www.reddit.com/r/Gentoo/comments/lt3369/best_way_to_install_custom_compiled_software/ forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1072328-start-0.html

doc : explain docs : man, info, web, -h --help, fish hep, f1, yelp, kde help, pydoc, sphynx, rest, *doc use flag*

essential sw, cf wiki/Troubleshooting#Programs

coreutils

kitty

files : where is what does it do

New Meta pages

pagers

suggestions

warn aginst testing keyword and using external repos

warn about PC upgrade and cflags. maybe reccomend low cflags, emerge empytree before change ?

script to show handbook, from web ? local handbook in installation iso

include on livecd : wgetpaste. vi. handbook. wiki subsection ?

interactive installation guide ?

make tools like genfstab arch-chroot from arch

say to use guide as installation method - no other, there are no shortcuts.

replace doc use flag with : userdoc, apidoc, mangen etc

+dont o3, dont lto pgo, EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS no -jx, dont use ~arch=lots of rebuilds.

"dependency calculation is difficult problem. build tools are legacy heavy, config is dependent on system state. sometimes this can cause emerge pbs 4 which jumping 2 rest of emerge + coming back, or emerging select packages --oneshot in advance, can help."

info on compile times. nb. compiles can be quick on modern high end, save a few, such as browsers. 1st install will be longest.

gentoo automates software build and installation, and it does it a level above other pms, ie maints dont have to manually...

please read and make sure the handbook was followed correctly before asking for help

basic rules 2 start

never em -C

avoid testing

dont sudo make install

dont o3

dont gold, lto etc

sure there are more obvious & more important ones

dont login as root ?

do use keys, dont put passwords in shell scripts ?

do use pw manager ?

dont use doc use flag

dont pollute world & dont put dependancies in it :use -1

disable root over ssh

move

Android/Terminal_Emulators_(Tips-and-tricks)

RECCOMENDED APPS TO CONSIDER FOR SECONDARY LIST

packages.gentoo.org/packages/dev-libs/input-pad xpad standardnotes.org

++

Feh

Ethernet

PPP

GTK_themes_in_Qt_applications

Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_all_packages

Knowledge_Base:Unmasking_a_package

Knowledge_Base:Autounmask-write

Knowledge_Base:Unmasking_a_package

Knowledge_Base:Accepting_a_keyword_for_a_single_package

Portage

Hwinfo

Screen

Tmux

Init_system

Localization

Profile_(Portage)

Upgrading_Gentoo

Kakoune

Portage

Dispatch-conf

PulseAudio

Emacs

MATE

GNOME

Alacritty

LibreOffice

Quassel

Skype

Signal_Desktop

Chromium

GIMP

Mpv

VLC

Audacious

Samba

Systemd

Pciutils

GNOME/GDM

Desktop_environment

FAQ

Terminal_emulator

Bash

Dash

KDE

Display_manager

Qtile

Window_manager

File_managers

Shell

Desktop_environment

Recommended_applications

Info

Python

Django

Zsh

Xfce

GNU_Emacs

Man_page

PipeWire

Vim

Runit

Distributions_based_on_Gentoo

Mdev

OpenRC/Users

OpenRC

Fish

OpenRC/openrc-init

Prefix

OpenRC/supervise-daemon

Recommended_tools

make.conf

[[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]] [[]]

Bugs to have a go at

[2] [3] [4]


Tips for a smooth Gentoo installation.

Gentoo is a powerful Linux distribution, that will reward any serious user over time - both with the possibilities and flexibility of such a flexible system, and with the knowledge and insight that installing and using Gentoo provides

particularly easy distribution to write ebuilds for, (as they are sort of like advanced shell scripts)

ADVantage : slots allow installation of several simultanious versions of packages such as php, python, that would be impossoble in many other mainstream distributions without special mecanisms such as php fpm or conda

crypt kernel

no change use flags globally dont over optimieze use stable use bin rust, chrome, ff

cflags -o2 - NOTHING else (except...)

-march=native

+beginner hints : --oneshot always if reinstalling somthing not working. dont overload world.

say is hard for absolute beginners to computers, say oriented to power users, pros, enthusiasts, rather than casual users. not for grandma.

firstly for those who want to understand how things work, and use that knowlege to get thinds done in an elegant way.

great for choice, but just using most common fine, if no specific need. van in fact make things easier. can always change later.



Article status
This article has some todo items:
  • Make sure all this is in accordance with best practices.
  • What should users be warned about, 3rd party installation method wise ?
  • What about a tarball with binary ? Thinking Google Earth or the like.
  • What about .rpm, .deb ? Just say no ?
  • What about ".sh" installers ? Thinking [5] or [6].
  • What about "app stores" ? I know Flatpak for example seems a real no no (that maybe shouldn't have a wiki page even). What about others (Guix, )
  • Suggest chroot/

The Gentoo repository is a trove of easily installable, stable, free software - one of the largest in the world in fact[1].

Third party, or even user-written software is sometimes needed though, and Gentoo provides facilities to compile, install, and manage user custom packages.

Software on Gentoo is compiled, installed, and managed through Portage - a modern, advanced, package build, management and distribution system. Portage installs files to the root partition (though it is possible to install elsewhere). These files are tracked, to allow updates and uninstallation. This article covers what can be done to install third party software on Gentoo, notably using Portage.

Warning
Caution should be taken concerning the safety and security when considering software from outside the Gentoo repository. The provenance of software should also be considered. Never install or run untrustworthy software. Data loss and theft is a real possibility.
Note
This article does not cover usual software installation on Gentoo, see the Handbook on installing software with Portage from the Gentoo repository.

Alternative repositories

The easiest way to install software not currently present in the Gentoo repository is to use a third party repository if someone has already made an Ebuild for the required software. Just add a repository then use Portage to emerge as usual.

See Eselect/Repository#Usage for details.

Installing software from source

Important
Software should not be installed to root ("/") other than through Portage. Never type "sudo make install" or equivalent, this will clutter root with files that cannot be tracked and could event corrupt the Gentoo installation. "make install --prefix=~/.local" or such may be used, though it is recommended to write an Ebuild.

Using Portage is the recommended way to install all software system-wide on Gentoo. Portage will track all files installed to the root partition, as to allow clean removal and updates - as well as management with the system administration tools.

On a default installation, Portage will search for software in the Gentoo repository. Given, say a .tar.gz containing C source code, it is possible to write a custom Ebuild that will instruct Portage how to compile and install the package.

Containers

Docker is available on Gentoo and may be helpful for some software that is not available fin the repository.

See also

---

vm's plugin managers nix