Gentoo Linux Explained: A Comprehensive Guide to Installation

Step 1: Establish Your Network Connection

To begin your Gentoo installation, ensure that you are connected to the Internet. The installer will automatically connect if you are using a wired connection. Use the command below to confirm your connection:

ping -c 4 www.example.com

Pro Tip: If you’re setting up a wireless connection, you’ll need to configure wpa_supplicant.

Step 2: Create the EFI Disk Partition

Use the fdisk command to format your desired installation disk:

fdisk /dev/sdX

In fdisk, use G to wipe existing partitions, then press N to create a new partition. For the EFI partition, specify size with +100M and configure the type with T followed by 1.

Step 3: Partition the Remaining Disk Space

Create a partition for boot and swap spaces:

For the boot partition, repeat the process with N, followed by +1G. For swap, again use N, set the size with +4G, and use T to designate the type as swap.

Step 4: Format Your Disk Partitions

Format the partitions using the following:

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1 mkfs.ext2 /dev/sdX2 mkswap /dev/sdX3 mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX4

Step 5: Download the Gentoo Stage 3 Tarball

Mount the root partition:

mount /dev/sdX4 /mnt/gentoo

Then download the Stage 3 tarball using wget from the official repository:

wget https://gentoo.org/downloads/releases/...

Step 6: Select a Download Mirror and Configure DNS

Run mirrorselect to choose the closest download server and copy the repository information:

cp /mnt/gentoo/usr/share/portage/config/repos.conf /etc/portage/repos.conf cp /mnt/gentoo/etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc

Step 7: Mount Device Files and Enter Chroot

Mount necessary directories and switch to the new environment:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash

Step 8: Mount the /boot Partition and Update Gentoo

Mount the boot partition:

mount /dev/sdX2 /boot

Then update the system:

emerge --sync emerge gentoo-sources

Step 9: Set Time Zone and Locale Settings

Determine your timezone:

echo "Asia/YourCity" > /etc/timezone

Edit locale.gen to enable your desired locale and run locale-gen afterwards.

Step 10: Install the Linux Kernel and Configure fstab

Begin by installing the kernel:

emerge sys-kernel/gentoo-sources

Update your fstab to include your partitions:

nano /etc/fstab

Step 11: Set Up the Root Password and Install Additional Tools

Secure your system by creating a root password:

passwd

Install necessary network utilities:

emerge net-misc/netifrc

Step 12: Install the GRUB Bootloader

To finalize your installation, install GRUB:

emerge sys-boot/grub

Configure and initialize:

grub-install /dev/sdX update-grub

What is the main advantage of using Gentoo Linux?

Is Gentoo suitable for beginners?