# Disk Preparation
1. Determine disk name
`# lsblk`

2. Launch parted
`# parted -a optimal /dev/sda`

3. Erase everything
`mklabel gpt`

4. Make partitions
```
unit mib
mkpart primary 1 129
name 1 boot
mkpart primary 129 4225
name 2 swap
mkpart primary 4225 -1
name 3 rootfs
set 1 boot on
print
```

5. Create filesystems
```
# mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sda1
# mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda3
# mkswap /dev/sda2
# swapon /dev/sda2
```

6. Mount root partition
```
# mkdir -p /mnt/gentoo
# mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/gentoo
# cd /mnt/gentoo
```

# Installing Stage 3
1. Check that date is correct. See [here](https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Installation/Stage) if it's wrong.
`# date`

2. Download tarball
a. Find download link from: https://www.gentoo.org/downloads
b. `# wget <url>`

3. Validate tarball
```
# wget <url>.DIGESTS
# openssl dgst -r -sha512 stage3-.tar.xz
```
Ensure a pair of the numbers above match

4. Unpack
`# tar xpf stage3-.tar.xz --xattrs-include='*.*' --numeric-owner`

5. Configure options
`# nano -w /mnt/gentoo/etc/portage/make.conf`

For XPS 8500, add the following:
```
CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"
CFLAGS="-march=native" 
CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -O2 -pipe"
CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

MAKEOPTS="-j8"

INPUT_DEVICES="evdev"
VIDEO_CARDS="nvidia"

USE="X bluetooth dbus pulseaudio savedconfig xinerama zsh-completion"

PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7 python3_6"
PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python3_6"

GRUB_PLATFORMS="efi-64"
```

# Installing the Gentoo base system
1. Add mirrors
`# mirrorselect -i -o >> /mnt/gentoo/etc/portage/make.conf`

or, if mirrorselect isn't available, add this to the bottom of /etc/portage/make.conf:
`GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://lug.mtu.edu/gentoo/ http://mirrors.evowise.com/gentoo/"`

2. Repo config
```
# mkdir -p /mnt/gentoo/etc/portage/repos.conf
# cp /mnt/gentoo/usr/share/portage/config/repos.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/portage/repos.conf/gentoo.conf
```

3. Copy DNS info
`# cp --dereference /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/gentoo/etc/`

4 Mount filesystems
```
# mount --types proc /proc /mnt/gentoo/proc/
# mount --rbind /sys /mnt/gentoo/sys/
# mount --rbind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev/

# test -L /dev/shm/ && rm /dev/shm/ && mkdir /dev/shm/
# mount --types tmpfs --options nosuid,nodev,noexec shm /dev/shm
# chmod 1777 /dev/shm/
```

5. Enter the new environment
```
# chroot /mnt/gentoo /bin/bash
# source /etc/profile
# export PS1="(chroot) ${PS1}"
```

6. Mount boot
`# mount /dev/sda1 /boot/`

7. Update the ebuild repo
`# emerge --sync`

8. Select the right profile
[16]  default/linux/amd64/17.0/desktop (stable)
```
# eselect profile list
# eselect profile set 16
```

9. Update the @world set
`# emerge -auvDN @world`

# Configure the base system
1. Set the timezone
`# `