eselect

Display a list of installed modules

$ eselect

$ tldr eselect [module]

$ eselect [module] help

eselect [global-options] module [module-options args]

--help -h
    Display general help or module-specific help.

--version -V
    Print eselect version information.

--color={always|auto|never}
    Control colored output (default: auto).

--prefix=<PATH>
    Prefix all commands with the given path.

Eselect is a versatile command-line tool integral to Gentoo Linux and its derivatives, designed to simplify the management of system configurations. It acts as a frontend for selecting and switching between various options such as profiles, kernels, OpenGL implementations, news updates, repositories, and more. By providing a consistent interface across different modules, eselect streamlines tasks that would otherwise require manual editing of configuration files or complex Portage commands.

Users typically invoke eselect with a module name followed by actions like list, set, or update. For example, eselect profile list displays available profiles, and eselect profile set 3 activates a specific one. This modularity makes it user-friendly for both beginners and advanced users customizing their Gentoo installations. Eselect integrates deeply with Portage, ensuring changes are applied correctly during updates or emerges.

While powerful, it's Gentoo-specific and relies on the eselect package being installed. It's widely used during system initialization, profile switches, and maintenance, enhancing the flexibility of Gentoo's source-based package management.

Gentoo-specific; unavailable on non-Gentoo distros without manual installation. Module availability depends on installed eselect libraries.

profile: Manage system profiles.
kernel: Select kernel sources.
opengl: Choose OpenGL implementation.
repository: Handle overlays.
news: Read Portage news.

Run eselect --help or eselect <module> help for module-specific details.

Developed by Gentoo developers around 2003 to unify configuration selection, replacing ad-hoc scripts. Actively maintained as part of Portage ecosystem.

emerge(1), portage(5), equery(1)