How do I turn this draft into a more proper how-to article format:

Title: Personalized Gentoo Linux Installation on the Acer Predator Neo 16

Date: Sunday, September 1st, 2024

Introduction
Motivation
Goals
Preparation
Installation Steps
Wi-Fi Configuration

Heading: Introduction

Subheading: Motivation

I chose to install Gentoo Linux because I wanted to wipe my hard drive. I had the choice between doing a clean install of Windows 11 or installing a Linux distribution. I installed Linux in the past, but my memory is fuzzy. It was on an old Chromebook, and I believe it was Linux Mint. I installed it because I wanted to run applications that ChromeOS could not. I always wanted to install Linux. Since I heard that the switch from Windows is not easy, I decided not to just dip my toes in but to dive completely in with Gentoo Linux.

Gentoo Linux is a free, source-based Linux distribution that uses the powerful Portage package manager to extensively customize and optimize itself for almost every application or need. This allows it to be a tailored-made operating system that performs best on the computer it is installed on.

Subheading: Goals

I want to exercise how I would ideally use Linux during this installation.

I want to:

Use a few commands as possible

Do as much as possible from the command-line.

Automate much of the process during the installation

Complete a minimal Gentoo Linux installation

Streamline the installation process as much as possible

Install Gentoo Linux to my personal liking

Heading: Preparation

Subheading: Hardware Requirements

According to the Gentoo Linux handbook, the AMD64 livedisk requires any x86-64 CPU, 2 GB of memory, 8 GB of disk space, and at least 2 GB of swap space.

Subheading: Installation Environment

Gentoo Linux requires a suitable installation environment for it to be installed.

The Gentoo Linux minimal installation CD is a small, bootable image with a self-contained Gentoo Linux environment.

With only the image, the Gentoo Linux installation process cannot be started. The image has to be written to a bootable media. Most modern systems support booting from a USB flash drive.

Heading: Writing a bootable USB flash drive

Subheading: Writing with Microsoft Windows

<placeholder>
vist gpg4win.org

# click Download Gpg4win

# choose an amount to donate

# click Download

# click Check integrity

# open File Explorer and then the Downloads folder

# right-click the Gpg4win executable

# click Properties

# click Digital Signatures

# click the first signature on the

# click details

# click View Certificate

# click Details

# compare the serial number here to the by Gpg4win’s

# close Properties and run the Gpg4win executable

# install Gpg4win

# visit gentoo.org

# click Downloads

# click the  Minimal Installation CD hyperlink

# right-click the ISO

# click save link as…

# click Save

# right-click file ASC file

# click save link as…

# click Save

# open Powershell

gpg --keyserver hkps://keys.gentoo.org --recv-keys 13EBBDBEDE7A12775DFDB1BABB572E0E2D182910

cd Downloads

gpg --verify ./install(Tab to auto-complete).asc

# make sure

# run the balenaEtcher executable

# install balenaEtcher

# click Flash from file

# click the Downloads folder

# click the Gentoo’s installation ISO

# click Select target

# click target device

# click Select

# click Flash!
</placeholder>

Subheading: Booting into the installation media

Once the installation media is prepared it can be inserted in the target computer. The computer can be powered off and then on again before a key can be pressed at POST to enter the computer's BIOS.

The boot order can be changed to boot the USB flash drive first.

For me, at POST I needed to press F2.

After booting from the USB flash drive, a GRUB boot prompt will be shown. Press Enter to begin the boot process with default boot options.

If needed, the booting process can be customized with specific boot options, such as passing additional kernel parameters.

Highlight a boot and then press e to edit the boot entry. Make the necessary modification(s), then press Ctrl + X or F10 to boot the modified entry.

My computer booted with default options without issue.

After a short wait, a prompt to select a keyboard layout will be shown, and a number can be entered for the appropriate keyboard layout.

For me, I pressed Enter to select the default, which is the US keyboard layout.

After another short wait, a terminal will spawn, and the installation process can be begun.

Heading: Installation Steps

Subheading: Wi-Fi Configuration

One command string can be used to configure the computer’s Wi-Fi network.


<copyerror?>
wpa_passphrase <SSID> "<password>" > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf && \
   sed -i '/^#/d' /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf && \
   iwdev=$(ip link show | awk '/wl/{print $2}' | sed 's/:$//') && \
   wpa_supplicant -B -i "$iwdev" -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf && \
   ip route && ping -c 3 1.1.1.1 && ping -c 3 gentoo.org
</copyerror?>

The first command in the string is wpa_passphrase <SSID> "<password>" > /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf. It pre-computes a PSK entry for a network configuration block of wpa_supplicant.conf.

The network configuration block also includes a commented-out line with the password provided in the wpa_passphrase command. To avoid having the Wi-Fi network’s password in plain text, the command sed -i '/^#/d' /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf can be used to remove all the commented-out lines, including the password in plain text.

The wpa_supplicant service must be started manually with a command. The command to do this requires the name of the wireless interface, which can be found using ip link show. To automate the process, command line tools awk and sed can be used.

The ip route and ping commands are used to confirm Wi-Fi connectivity.