shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Welcome – Gentoo Linux?

The website of Gentoo, a flexible Linux distribution. - gentoo.org

Depends. Choose Gentoo if you are a power user or developer who wants total control and is willing to spend hours compiling and maintaining your system. Avoid it entirely if you need a working computer today or lack Linux administration experience.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources: the official site, security pages, and community discussions. Evidence is informal but consistent.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Gentoo Linux

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Power users and tinkerers
  • Developers wanting full control
  • Learners of Linux internals
  • Multi-core hardware owners

Not for

  • Beginners who need a working OS today
  • Anyone unwilling to compile packages for hours
  • Old or low-spec machines
  • People who want zero-maintenance updates

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Everything compiles from source; updates can take hours on weaker CPUs.

medium

Support is community wiki and forums only — no vendor SLA or paid helpdesk.

medium

Some security advisories shipped with 'no known workaround' at publication.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source
  • Extreme flexibility via source-based customization
  • Installing it teaches filesystems, boot sequence, and bootloaders
  • Many-core hardware speeds up compilation
  • Publishes regular security advisories (GLSAs)

Cons

  • Users call it 'worth the headache' — it is a headache
  • Time-consuming; compared to sadistic Linux From Scratch territory
  • Needs decent hardware for source builds
  • Listed among power-user distros, not beginner ones

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 8 sources - Actively maintained; publishes regular GLSA security advisories.

official x2review x4security x2
  • Chromium-family browser advisory without workaround, A GLSA covering Chromium, Chrome, Edge, and Opera noted 'no known workaround at this time'; resolution is via package updates.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Completely free and open source
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Install teaches bootloaders; users call it a headache
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Highly flexible, source-based customization
  • Support quality: 3/5. Community wiki, forums; no vendor SLA
  • Security posture: 4/5. Regular GLSAs; some advisories lacked workarounds
  • $0 Price Free, open-source download
  • Source-based Distro type Packages compile locally
  • Ongoing GLSAs Security advisories e.g. GLSA 202609-02 for Chromium
  • Steep Learning curve Install is a 'crash course'

Pricing

Gentoo Linux

Free

  • Full source-based distribution
  • Community wiki, forums, and documentation

Security

Actively maintained; publishes regular GLSA security advisories.

  • Chromium-family browser advisory without workaroundA GLSA covering Chromium, Chrome, Edge, and Opera noted 'no known workaround at this time'; resolution is via package updates.⁸

What users say

Users praise Gentoo's flexibility and educational depth but consistently warn it demands significant time, hardware, and patience.

“Just by installing it you will get a crash course in what's really important: File system, boot sequence, bootloader”
Quora
“I switched to Gentoo Linux and now I get why it's worth the headache”
Facebook (MakeUseOf)
“If you're sadistic and have a lot of time and decent hardware then you can try out Linux From Scratch. I liken Gentoo”
Survivalist Boards forum
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources: the official site, security pages, and community discussions. Evidence is informal but consistent.

Free, deeply customizable source-based Linux. Costs no money, but demands real time, hardware, and skill.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources: the official site, security pages, and community discussions. Evidence is informal but consistent.

Sources

  1. Gentoo Linux: Welcome (official site)gentoo.org
    official
  2. Product security pagegentoo.org
    security
  3. Download Gentoo Linux – MajorGeeksmajorgeeks.com
    official
  4. I switched to Gentoo Linux… (MakeUseOf)facebook.com
    review
  5. 15 Linux Distributions for Power Users and Beginnersmedium.com
    review
  6. Which Linux distribution should I prefer…quora.com
    review
  7. So you've decided to cut off the big tech (forum thread)survivalistboards.com
    review
  8. Gentoo GLSA advisory mirror (Chromium)p0hvo2.fenicepolestudio.it
    security

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