Gentoo 2008.0 Released, Offers Revamped Installer

It may have taken a while to get here, but the latest version of Gentoo, 2008.0, is now out and ready for your CD burners. The road to 2008.0 wasn’t easy. We originally saw a skipped 2007.1 release, followed by a very-delayed current release, but hopefully things will be smoother from here on out. One of the reasons for the delay are staffing issues, so if you have ever wanted to join a distro team and happen to like Gentoo, then the opportunity is there.

The latest release includes an updated installer, one that’s equipped with more drivers for better hardware support (I’ve yet to test X48/P45 support) and also a fresh coat of paint, using Xfce as the backdrop. In addition, packages have been upgraded to their latest stable versions, including the Linux kernel (2.6.24), gcc (4.1.2), glibc (2.6.1) and Portage.

Profiles have also been completely reworked, so for the best optimization, you can emerge –sync and then select a new profile using eselect profile list and eselect profile set after choosing the appropriate one for your machine. Performing an emerge -avuD world will enter you into 2008.0-land.

If you are interested in testing out the latest version, there are numerous versions available on the downloads page. If you are unsure of what Gentoo is or why I use it as my full-time OS, you can check out previous reviews and other Linux-related content right here.

Code-named “It’s got what plants crave,” this release contains numerous new features including an updated installer, improved hardware support, a complete rework of profiles, and a move to Xfce instead of GNOME on the LiveCD. LiveDVDs are not available for x86 or amd64, although they may become available in the future. The 2008.0 release also includes updated versions of many packages already available in your ebuild tree.

Source: Gentoo Linux 2008.0 Forum Thread