Gentoo Linux is a source-based and highly customizable Linux distribution. It uses Portage as its package management system, which allows packages to be compiled from source on the user's machine. This provides optimizations for specific hardware but requires longer compilation times than binary-based distributions. Gentoo offers extensive documentation and community support through forums, IRC, and mailing lists. While the compilation times present a challenge, Gentoo provides a fast, optimized, and up-to-date system through its flexible design and package management approach.