Software Alternatives & Reviews

Gentoo VS Whonix

Compare Gentoo VS Whonix and see what are their differences

Gentoo logo Gentoo

The website of Gentoo, a flexible Linux or BSD distribution.

Whonix logo Whonix

Whonix aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity by helping you use your applications...
  • Gentoo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02
  • Whonix Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-20

Gentoo videos

Gentoo Linux: Explained | Linux Distro Reviews

More videos:

  • Review - Gentoo Linux Review: Awesome Linux distribution for advanced users
  • Review - 10 Gentoo Tips!

Whonix videos

Whonix 15 - Anonymous Web Browsing

More videos:

  • Review - Internet Security Part II: Tor Whonix Tails Comparison and Review
  • Review - Whonix Linux 15.0.0.9.4

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Gentoo and Whonix)
Linux Distribution
64 64%
36% 36
Operating Systems
60 60%
40% 40
Linux
59 59%
41% 41
Linux Distro
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Gentoo and Whonix

Gentoo Reviews

  1. have you seen the glibc ebuild? it's 1500 lines. lfs does it in less than 50

    gentoo has a feature creep and bitrot problem that has been going on for no less than 15 years. glibc is a package that should be closely guarded as it is at the CORE of your system.

    🏁 Competitors: Funtoo Linux

The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
Gentoo Linux is aimed at more experienced users and is regularly updated as part of a rolling release. The operating system is based on source code and considered a secure option for servers. Gentoo Linux can be customized and optimized to suit one’s own needs.
Source: www.ionos.com
Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Some larger packages or those without source code have precompiled binaries. Gentoo Linux takes its name from the Gentoo penguin. The name was selected to emphasize machine-specific optimization, a key Gentoo feature.
Avoid The Hack: 11 Best Privacy Friendly Operating Systems (Desktops)
Gentoo is flexible and gives the user many alternatives for system software, which allows users to tailor Gentoo to their needs and preferences. The user has near-complete control of all packages installed on a Gentoo system.
11 Best Linux Distros For Programming And Developers [2020 Edition]
The installation process will teach you a lot about your system and its subtleties. One of the best parts about Gentoo, which is also a curse for some people, is its ability to configure what compilation flags packages should support. If we keep the ease part aside, Gentoo gives a developer power, stability, and flexibility — everything that he/she wants.
Source: fossbytes.com

Whonix Reviews

Best Linux distro for privacy and security of 2024
As it runs in a virtual machine, Whonix is compatible with all operating systems that can run Virtualbox. Virtual machines can only use a portion of your real system's resources, so Whonix will not necessarily perform as fast as an OS that has been installed to a local hard drive.
Top 5 Secure Operating Systems for Privacy and Anonymity
Meanwhile, the Whonix-Workstation provides a safe, isolated workspace so you can carry out your online activities. This virtual machine is intentionally kept separate from the host operating system and the Whonix-Gateway, establishing a highly secure environment. As a result, even if the Whonix-Workstation were to be compromised, an attacker would still be unable to access...
The 5 Best Privacy-Focused Operating Systems
Developed by the Tor Project, Whonix is another privacy-focused OS that relies on virtualization, but it's specifically designed for use within a virtual machine. This Linux distribution routes all your internet traffic through the Tor network, ensuring strong anonymity and privacy.
Avoid The Hack: 11 Best Privacy Friendly Operating Systems (Desktops)
Whonix focuses on privacy, security, and anonymity. It aims to realistically addresses common attack vectors, possibly protecting users from zero-day vulnerability exploitation. Whonix can be figured to run in a "live mode" similar to TAILS, though this is not Whonix's default.
Best Secure Linux Distros for Enhanced Privacy & Security
Whonix has recently added an amnesic live mode that “forgets” user’ activities - not leaving traces on disk. The distro is currently working to create a unified desktop experience. Whonix developer Patrick Schleizer explains, “Our upcoming Whonix-Host extends many of our usability and hardening features to the entire desktop.”

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Gentoo should be more popular than Whonix. It has been mentiond 27 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Gentoo mentions (27)

  • Gentoo bans AI-created contributions
    > Gentoo does not accept art contributions of any kind (human/ai), there is just no place for this. Okay, let's do a short fact check on that: 1. Visit https://gentoo.org, notice logo in top left: a first sign of contributed art. - Source: Hacker News / 18 days ago
  • Linux saved my life
    And just wait till you discover Arch Linux, Gentoo, Guix, or NixOS. Source: 10 months ago
  • I'd like to interview redditors here about their favorite distro release.
    I'm daily driving Gentoo GNU/Linux (https://gentoo.org). I prefer it over other GNU/Linux distributions because it allows me to customize the operating system down to a lower level. I'm also planning on installing Linux From Scratch (https://linuxfromscratch.org) for educational purposes. However, I might end up daily driving it. I do extremely difficult and tedious activities on my computer just for fun and I... Source: about 1 year ago
  • Is the Gentoo Wiki down?
    I can't access any of the gentoo.org services at this time (forums, bugs, etc.) They all report server errors. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Did it tell me the truth? LOL
    Surely this info is on the official site, gentoo.org, so you don't have to worry about asking? Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Whonix mentions (13)

  • When downloading and exmaning files from the darkweb, what is the safest option for opening a file in virtualbox tails.
    Virtual box Tails is pointless. Just use Whonix.. To examine files also use VirusTotal. Source: over 1 year ago
  • currently running tails over vm on the most secure settings for both programs what could be a point of weakness like would u recommend a vpn a proxy chain? what would u recommend for extra anonymity?
    Running TAILS in a virtual machine for anonymity is a fools errand. Research Whonix and its independent gateway and workstation VM. Configured correctly the only network interface of the workstation is the gateway over Tor providing a higher assurance of security. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Firefox with tor?
    Whonix is a Linux-based environment that can theoretically transport any TCP/IP application over Tor and greatly reduces the potential for IP leaks by having a secondary 'gateway' that runs Tor independent from the client device over a private network. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How to Code Anonymously, Part 2: Network Security
    The previous strategy is great, but it's actually easier and more effective to just use Whonix. Whonix is a Linux distro - designed to be run out of VirtualBox - that implements all the goodness of the previous strategy. Even better, it comes with a novel network architecture that involves two virtual machines for extra protection:. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Qubes os Team - issue report
    Since this appears in sys-whonix, I suggest reporting this to the Whonix team. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Gentoo and Whonix, you can also consider the following products

Debian - Debian is a free distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system.

Tails - Tails is a Debian based live CD/USB with the goal of providing complete Internet anonymity for the...

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

Qubes OS - Qubes is a security-oriented, free and open-source operating system for personal computers that allows you to securely compartmentalize your digital life.‎Download Mirrors · ‎Qubes R4.

Fedora - Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

Linux Kodachi - Kodachi is a Debian-based distro which can be run from a DVD or USB thumb drive.