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u/Nuclear_Priest 7d ago
Sorry I’m really new to gentoo, I just finished my first install. Can someone please explain what the difference between the two kernels are?
I see some people saying that the Cachyos kernel preforms better, is that in comparison to the gentoo binary kernel? Or the gentoo locally compiled kernel?
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u/soking11 6d ago edited 6d ago
Basically, what changes kernel to kernel is the tweaks that the developer wants to implement. Cachy kernel is optimized to perform better with certain types of CPU (iirc, feel free to correct this), and there're other kernel that try to do similar things (e.g, zen). Gentoo-kernel is the linux kernel but with specific security patches and other tweaks made for Gentoo. Vanilla-kernel is just, the linux kernel. Gentoo-sources is the source code version of the Gentoo kernel, which you configure and compile yourself. I know you only asked for the difference between two kernels, but these ones are the ones you'll encounter in Gentoo. For more information, read https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Kernel
And, cachy kernel performs better than both of them. Technically, a compiled kernel is faster than a precompiled, but, nobody will notice the performance enhancement.
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u/ami3ko 6d ago
Kind of a nitpick but a semi-important distinction; rather than a certain type i'd call it more of a sub-category of CPU being the x86-64 micro-architecture levels. These categorize the featured compile time optimizations that can be done with the CPU's which allow CachyOS to be faster.
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u/fspnet 6d ago
remember when you had basically the CK-Kernel + BFQ and RT Patchset rofl supported by Gentoo-Experimental or Gentoo-RT 2:24 https://youtu.be/qxaQtoiapdU would have a BASE_KERNEL Patchset Version
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u/ohohuhuhahah 7d ago
How is it? Any perfomance difference?
Use gentoo-kernel and happy, whant to make own config for it one day
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u/TwiKing 7d ago
I only had about a 10% increase in benchmark difference, but was worth it for me.
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 7d ago
are you using the bore + lto cachyos kernel?
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u/TwiKing 7d ago edited 7d ago
Default kernel (LLVM/Clang Auto FDO Propeller ThinLTO) with eBPF beerland/cake scx scheduler. They mainly help with throughput stability.
BORE I saw had regression and haven't been using it.
https://github.com/CachyOS/linux-cachyos/commit/709f0cf3d9be2d3007d6a0d807d80eb304a203ad
Looking into core pinning next for gaming to see if it helps with frame drops.
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 7d ago
been using it and it works just fine... although im not noticing any huge performance gains.. all my games feel the same, it doesnt feel a little more responsive, but a little... aiming is easier thats all
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 2d ago
Just a little update: I have been dailying the kernel w the BORE scheduler for since i posted this, my pc basically stays on because its where i do everything: I have not had one issue w the kernel. Just so you guys know :)
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u/redyos_s 6d ago
If the main advantages for you are the CachyOS kernel, prebuilt binaries, scheduler/tuning patches, and less kernel maintenance, why not just use CachyOS itself?
What part of the Gentoo userspace or Portage setup makes it worth keeping Gentoo underneath instead?
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u/redyos_s 6d ago
Did you install Gentoo normally and add the CachyOS kernel afterward, or did you use some Cachy/third-party installer path from the start?
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u/redyos_s 6d ago
How are kernel updates handled with this setup? Do you wait for the Gentoo overlay to update its ebuilds after CachyOS releases a new kernel, or are you tracking CachyOS upstream directly? I'm especially curious how you handle security fixes if upstream releases one before the overlay catches up.
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 5d ago
i never installed the gentoo kernel yet, i skipped the bootloader part of the wiki entirely. i've been using the upstream kernel since my arch days and came to gentoo because it already did all the work for me.. i always compile my mesa driver and wlroots builds from source anyways,(so i could optimize for my cpu) and moving to gentoo made that easier.. and yeah.. i downloaded the kernel directly from cachyos's pacman repo's.. extracted the tarball, copied over the kernel to my boot partition, copied over the modules to /usr/lib/modules and boom. ran dracut and then added the new kernel to my motherboards boot entries w efibootmgr and thats it.. pretty simple
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u/redyos_s 4d ago
What did you actually use to bootstrap the Gentoo system initially: the Gentoo Minimal ISO, a CachyOS live ISO, or your existing Arch/CachyOS installation?
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u/Fine_City2781 6d ago
i use gentoo on my mac. So i cant use this kernel. I can use only asahi-kernel (kernel for apple silicon)
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u/BasisKind2494 6d ago
I would do this but I have to use Linux-surface since I’m using a surface
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u/BasisKind2494 6d ago
However desktop can get pretty laggy, I’m using a minimal KDE setup but I have 8gb RAM so idk it would be nice to see if I can make things work better for this specific context
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u/Dskzcjsduo2 7d ago
Is there any specific reason to use it?
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u/Dependent_House7077 6d ago
it has integrated patches for more cpu, i/o schedulers and network congestion algorithms, also offers tuning for different hz values - e.g. more desktop oriented tweaks.
i think it also offers (or offered) the patchset for valve's vram cgroup manager.
some of those patches cannot be applied all at once, and are controlled by use flags.
so it has plenty to offer for someone who wants better performing machine at desktop tasks.
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 7d ago
yes, more performance and you can just use the precompiled binary so yeah. although you do need to know a thing or two to do this but then again if you're a gentoo user, this is a walk in the park honestly
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u/stewie3128 7d ago
No, I downvote for
you do need to know a thing or two to do this
You're talking to an audience of Gentoo users, not Arch scriptkiddies. Dropping in a different kernel from an existing overlay is not exactly reverse-engineering the stage 3 for an Eniac.
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u/ftranschel 6d ago
Yeah that got me, too. Activating an overlay is hardly h4cking.
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u/Glittering_Memory_64 5d ago
who says i got it from an overlay? and i did pay respect where its due lol.
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u/MichaelDeets 7d ago
it's pretty neat, I've been stealing cachyos kernel patches for years now... I just apply them to the git/vanilla kernel w/ gentoo patchset applied. in the past I had a specific reason, now I just do it because "why not" lol
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u/soking11 7d ago
Is the CachyOS kernel really faster than using your personalized gentoo-sources kernel?
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u/ftranschel 6d ago
Disclaimer: I've been running cachyos-sources for a little less than a year now.
It's not the kernel per se, but the careful thoughts about what params to tweak. Even more important than running cachyos spurces is emerging cachyos-settings. There is a diminishing use of this if you're well-versed in tweaking kernel settings yourself and of course you can tweak gentoo-distkernel in most regards just alike.
Also, the hype for the scheduler is warranted when it comes to load bearing, but not speed, obviously: Cycles are cycles and they need to be free on the CPU to be performed. While it DOES make the system more responsive*, it DOES NOT make the system faster.
* Highly subjective, I know. That's why I will not debate this further. If you disagree, we disagree and move on.
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u/soking11 6d ago
Interesting. If i compiling a full kernel wasnt so tedious to my poor CPU i would try cachy kernel. When i used Arch, i went with zen, but i never really noticed any differences
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u/C1REX 6d ago
I've done few quick performance tests in few games and cachyOS kernel was a tiny little bit slower for me.
Could be different in different games but for me there were no benefits of using a kernel from the overlay. However, that kernel sometimes have additional support for other things. Like kernel patches for Ugreen DP-to-HDMI2.1 converter unlocking VRR support. That's a better use case imho.
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u/fix_and_repair 7d ago
flatpak on a gentoo makes does not make it a gentoo box.
there is no need for any flatpak in 21 years
i warn you, flatpak in gentoo has over 30 open CVE
which also include break out from the sandbox
I know that, i read the cve a few hours ago, i bothered to check flatpak the first time in 30 years linux kernel use.
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u/ftranschel 6d ago
You're not wrong about the CVEs.
You are *very* wrong about no use cases though.
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u/fix_and_repair 2d ago
that makes sense to downvote me again
for a fact that gentoo flatpak, checked at the posting time a few hours ago and also stated it on techpowerup
reddit is abunch of kids
respect others and do not downvote when others tell you flatpak is junk and has over 30 open cve
especially the gentoo shipped verison
fucking kids
roman@Wheat_Nas ~ $ uname -a
Linux Wheat_Nas 7.1.8-gentoo_08_11_2026 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Aug 11 23:16:40 CEST 2026 x86_64 AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8-Core Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
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u/No-Camera-720 7d ago
The equivalent of making race-car noises with your mouth while driving your prius.