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Install Gentoo

Using UEFI and OpenRC

1. Boot Gentoo from USB

Download the latest ISO (I use the LiveGUI USB image):

Gentoo Downloads

Use your preferred tool to create a bootable USB drive.

Boot from the USB. In the GUI, you can configure the keyboard, network, etc. Then, open a terminal.

2. Prepare the disks

Create a GPT Partition Table

Use fdisk on the correct device:

fdisk /dev/sda
  • Press g to create a new GPT disk label.
  • Press d to delete existing partitions (if any).
  • Create partitions in the following order:

EFI System Partition

  • Press n, choose partition 1, size e.g., +1G
  • If prompted, remove any existing signature
  • Press t, choose partition 1, type 1 (EFI System)

Swap Partition

  • Press n, choose partition 2, size e.g., +4G
  • Press t, choose partition 2, type 19 (Linux swap)

Root Partition

  • Press n, choose partition 3, accept default size to use remaining space
  • Press t, choose partition 3, type 23 (Linux root x86-64)

Press w to write and exit.

Format the partitions 

mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1
mkswap /dev/sda2
mkfs.xfs /dev/sda3

Mount the partitions

Create the directories:

mkdir -p /mnt/gentoo
mkdir -p /mnt/gentoo/efi
swapon /dev/sda2
mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/gentoo
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/gentoo/efi

3. Configure the Stage 3

Download the Stage 3 file

Change to the working directory:

cd /mnt/gentoo

Sync the time:

chronyd -q

Use links or wget to download the stage tarball:

links https://www.gentoo.org/downloads/mirrors/

Choose a stage 3 tarball. For example:

Stage 3 desktop profile with OpenRC

Extract the Stage 3 

tar xpvf stage3-amd64-desktop-openrc-20250511T165428Z.tar.xz --xattrs-include='*.*' --numeric-owner -C /mnt/gentoo

Edit make.conf file:

nano /mnt/gentoo/etc/portage/make.conf

Example flags:

COMMON_FLAGS="-O2 -march=x86-64 -pipe"

CFLAGS="${COMMON_FLAGS}"
CXXFLAGS="${COMMON_FLAGS}"

MAKEOPTS="-j4 -l8"

4. Install the kernel

Prepare the Environment 

cp --dereference /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/
mount --types proc /proc /mnt/gentoo/proc
mount --rbind /sys /mnt/gentoo/sys
mount --make-rslave /mnt/gentoo/sys
mount --rbind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev
mount --make-rslave /mnt/gentoo/dev
mount --bind /run /mnt/gentoo/run
mount --make-slave /mnt/gentoo/run

Enter to the new environment:

chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash
source /etc/profile
export PS1="(chroot) ${PS1}"

Sync and Set Profile (e.g. 3 for gnome)

emerge-webrsync
eselect profile list
eselect profile set 3

Set Timezone

ls -l /usr/share/zoneinfo
ln -sf ../usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Guatemala /etc/localtime

Uncomment the UTF-8 locale:

nano /etc/locale.gen

Set locale:

locale-gen
eselect locale list
eselect locale set 2

Reload the environment:

env-update && source /etc/profile && export PS1="(chroot) ${PS1}"

Enable GRUB Support 

echo "sys-kernel/installkernel grub" >> /etc/portage/package.use/installkernel
emerge --ask sys-kernel/installkernel
echo "sys-kernel/installkernel dracut" >> /etc/portage/package.use/installkernel
emerge --ask sys-kernel/installkernel

Install a distribution kernel

Emerge a precompiled kernel instead use the kernel-sources and clean up:

emerge --ask sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel-bin
emerge --depclean

Edit make.conf and ensure:

echo 'USE="dist-kernel"' >> /etc/portage/make.conf

Configure /etc/fstab

Use blkid to get PARTUUID values, then:

nano /etc/fstab

Example entries:

PARTUUID=c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b   /efi        vfat    umask=0077,tz=UTC            0 2
PARTUUID=0657fd6d-a4ab-43c4-84e5-0933c84b4f4f   none            sw                           0 0
PARTUUID=44479540-f297-41b2-9af7-d131d5f0458a   /           xfs    defaults,noatime              0 1

Network & Basic Setup

Set the hostname:

echo gentoo > /etc/hostname

Configure DHCP:

emerge --ask net-misc/dhcpcd
rc-update add dhcpcd default
rc-service dhcpcd start
systemctl enable dhcpcd

Edit the hosts file:

nano /etc/hosts

Check the following lines:

# This defines the current system and must be set
127.0.0.1     gentoo.localdomain gentoo localhost
::1           gentoo.localdomain gentoo localhost

Set the root password:

passwd

Configure OpenRC, keymaps and hwclock:

nano /etc/rc.confnano /etc/rc.conf
nano /etc/conf.d/keymaps
nano /etc/conf.d/hwclock

Install system logger:

emerge --ask app-admin/sysklogd
rc-update add sysklogd default

5. Configure the Bootloader (GRUB)

Add efi configuration to make.conf file:

echo 'GRUB_PLATFORMS="efi-64"' >> /etc/portage/make.conf

Download the Grub package:

emerge --ask sys-boot/grub

Install Grub:

grub-install --efi-directory=/efi

Configure Grub:

grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Check for vmlinuz and initramfs in /boot.

Exit chroot and reboot:

exit
umount -l /mnt/gentoo/dev{/shm,/pts,}
umount -l /mnt/gentoo
umount -l /mtn/gentoo/efi
reboot

6. User management

Create a new user:

useradd -m -G users,wheel,audio,video -s /bin/bash luisespino

Set user password:

passwd luisespino

Install sudo package:

emerge --ask app-admin/sudo

Edit sudo configuration:

visudo

Uncomment the line:

%wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

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