You all used to know Gentoo Linux as a source-based Linux distribution, where compiling things on your own machine was both pleasure and pain, right? Well, some time ago we announced that we now also offer binary packages for download. And while of course a few purists protested, overall this initiative was a resounding success. Now you can mix and match between binary and source based installation, and find your own balance between convenience and tuning.

A lot of LEGO blocks had to come together (and occasionally be stepped on) to make this happen. From quality control and automated rebuilds on the source installation side, to a new package format and support for GPG signing, to package delivery and designated build hosts, extended support in the package manager, ... Let us tell you the story of an experiment that worked out great, and discuss further possible future improvements.