* ''Stage3'' begins with a minimal set of compiled user software, with which the [[kernel (operating system)|kernel]] and any other additional software are then configured and compiled.
Since October 2005, only the stage3 installations have been officially supported, due to the inherent complexities of bootstrapping from earlier stages (which requires resolving and then breaking numerous [[dependencyCircular graphdependency|circular dependencies]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20051114-newsletter.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125005807/http://www.gentoo.org/news/en/gwn/20051114-newsletter.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-11-25 |title=Gentoo Linux Newsletter – November 14th, 2005 |publisher=Gentoo.org |access-date=2010-01-28}}</ref> [[Tar (file format)|Tar]]balls for stage1 and stage2 were distributed for some time after this,{{when|date=September 2014}} although the instructions for installing from these stages had been removed from the handbook<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.gentoo.org/gentoo-doc/message/10e3dc2fcf03e67fb91e8933ea0e5b35|title=Stage1/2 deprecation from Gentoo Handbook|publisher=Gentoo|date=2005-11-05|access-date=2018-02-10|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212004939/https://archives.gentoo.org/gentoo-doc/message/10e3dc2fcf03e67fb91e8933ea0e5b35|url-status=live}}</ref> and moved into the Gentoo FAQ.<ref name=gentoo-faq>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ|title=Gentoo Linux Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=gentoo.org|access-date=2014-01-06|archive-date=January 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106202051/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/FAQ|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2015|09}}, only the supported stage3 tarballs are publicly available; stage1 and stage2 tarballs are only "officially" generated and used internally by Gentoo development teams. However, if so desired, a user may still rebuild the toolchain or reinstall the base system software during or after a normal stage3 installation, effectively simulating the old bootstrap process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Sakaki's_EFI_Install_Guide/Building_the_Gentoo_Base_System_Minus_Kernel#Bootstrapping_the_Base_System_.28Optional_but_Recommended.29|title=Sakaki's EFI Install Guide/Building the Gentoo Base System Minus Kernel|publisher=Sakaki|date=2014-07-04|access-date=2017-01-09|archive-date=November 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119211822/https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Sakaki%27s_EFI_Install_Guide/Building_the_Gentoo_Base_System_Minus_Kernel#Bootstrapping_the_Base_System_.28Optional_but_Recommended.29|url-status=dead}}</ref>
