Package updates
A modern Gentoo system requires regular updates to function as designed.
The system should be updated at least once a week but no more than once a day.
Instructions
- Open your terminal emulator as the root user (either directly or with
su
if logged-in as a regular user). - Connect to the Internet if disconnected.
- Synchronize currently eselected package repositories with
emaint sync
. - Update packages with
emerge -avuDN --with-bdeps=y @world
. Proceed when prompted if the provided update list appears fine. - Update USE flag requirements through
dispatch-conf
if changes are required, and restart withemerge -avuDN --with-bdeps=y @world
. - Wait for package updates to finish.
- If there are new news items, read them with
eselect news read
and follow the provided instructions for any necessary changes. - Remove obsolete packages with
emerge -c
.
Tips
- The
--with-bdeps=y
keyword updates build dependencies, but this is often uneccessary and can be omitted if desired. - There’s many ways to update USE flags.
dispatch-conf
is the most straightforward way since it is included with Portage, and these changes can be further edited after USE flags have been updated.
Sources
- Ebuild repository. The Gentoo Wiki. Accessed 2024-02-21. https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Ebuild_repository/en.
- News Items. The Gentoo Development Guide. Accessed 2024-02-21. https://devmanual.gentoo.org/general-concepts/news/index.html.