Surprise! Gentoo adds binary support - but there's a catch
Gentoo isn't just any Linux distribution, it's the distribution that targets a special faction of the Linux community. Gentoo is the distro for users who want an operating system that's geared specifically for them. To make that possible, Gentoo is 100% source-based.
What does that even mean?
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It means everything is compiled from source code. From the operating system to the apps that run on top of it, it's all compiled. This means you can make numerous tweaks to the config files before the compilation. By contrast, on traditional operating systems, nearly everything is installed as a binary package.
Think of it this way: When you install the Gentoo operating system, the Portage package manager compiles it on your system directly, according to your exact preferences. The installation takes considerable time and effort. What's more, once you have the operating system installed, every package has to also be compiled from source.
Until now.
On December 29, the Gentoo team announced they were making binary packages available for installation on the OS. That means there'll be software that can be installed, via the Portage package manager, from a binary installer and those packages will install quickly and easily.
There's only one catch. If you use any architecture besides amd64 or arm64, you'll be limited to packages for the core system and weekly updates. If, however, you do use armd64 or arm64 architecture, you'll enjoy over 20 GB of binary packages available for installation. You'll find apps like LibreOffice and desktop environments such as GNOME and KDE Plasma available to install from binary packages, quickly and easily.
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For users who already have Gentoo installed, and would like to add support for binary packages, the Gentoo team has created a quick start howto. For new stages (installations), Gentoo is already set up for binary package support.
To read more about this change to Gentoo, check out the Binary Package Guide, which details how to use, create, and maintain binary packages.
Binary package support is a big step forward for Gentoo but it doesn't strip away the mantel of "most challenging Linux distribution." Gentoo still takes some serious skill to install but that same skill doesn't have to be applied to installing the software you need.