The goal of Gentoo is to enable the user to construct and maintain Linux systems tailored to his or her needs and desires.  The means of achieving this goal are Gentoo software programs installed on the user's computer and on Gentoo servers located around the world (currently about 175).  This software is collectively called Portage.

If you have a Gentoo-enabled computer and you want to add a software package, say, a "mysql" database, you type in the command "emerge mysql".  The Portage software will then fetch the required software from one of the Gentoo servers on the Internet, will verify that the software was received without error, will compile the software to conform to the specifications of the user for his or her system, and will install the software in appropriate directories.  In most cases, the process is completely automatic after the initial command.

A wide range of software packages is available from the Gentoo servers including Linux kernels, window managers such as gnome and KDE, word processors, web browsers and web servers, databases, compilers, games, audio and video players, and, of course, updated versions of the Portage software.  Several different versions of Linux kernels are available: some optimized for stability, some for security, some for advanced (i.e., bleeding-edge) features, and some for speed (e.g., for games).  At this writing, there are about 7000 packages in the Portage system.  Roughly, 100 packages are added each day (including updates of existing packages).  If you have a software program that is not in Gentoo system and you think it should be, you can propose adding it.  Instructions for doing so are on the Gentoo web site.  You can install non-gentoo software on your computer; however, Gentoo will not know that it is there.

Every Gentoo user computer maintains information about all the packages available from the Gentoo servers.  This information is stored as the "Portage Tree," so-called because similar packages are grouped together into a tree of directories.  The "emerge" command has a "search" option that enables you to search the Portage Tree for particular packages.  To update your local Portage Tree with the latest information about the packages available on the Gentoo servers, you use the "emerge sync" command.

To update all the Gentoo packages currently installed on your computer, you type "emerge --update world".  To see what will be updated without actually updating anything, add "--pretend" to that command.  You can remove packages from your computer by using the "emerge unmerge" command.   See the "emerge" man page for all the emerge options.

To use Gentoo Linux, you need Gentoo Linux on your computer.  The easiest way to get started is to order a pair of Gentoo CD disks from the "store" on the Gentoo web site.  Other vendors sell similar disks.  The cost is a few dollars.  It is possible to download the essential files from the Internet; however, unless you have a high speed connection, this can take a very long time.  See the installation manual for details.

You'll probably have questions.  The Gentoo web site has forums where you can find answers.  If no one has an answer, you may have found a bug.  The web site has a "bugs" section.

Some warnings.   Gentoo is designed for people who want to tailor their system to particular requirements, so plan to spend some time tailoring.  See the Gentoo Handbook on how to do this.  You should have some minimal knowledge of Linux commands such as ls, cd, more, su, pwd, rm, and so on.  You'll need to edit Linux configuration files.  (Gentoo offers a choice of popular editors.)   Finally, Gentoo typically downloads source code, meaning that it has to be compiled before it can be used.  This has the advantage that Gentoo can assure that all the software components are compatible.  Software can be incompatible when different components are compiled using different compilers and different Linux kernels.  The disadvantage is that source code is typically larger than binary code and, hence, takes longer to download.

The Gentoo web site is www.gentoo.com.