I have been using mainstream distros such as Fedora and Ubuntu for a few years. Now I am interested in learning how to build a distro from source. I wish to do this so that 1) I may learn the inner workings of gnu-linux on an intimate level, and 2) so that I may customize the performance and application inventory of the distro.

I know that one of the most popular distros on the web is Gentoo and therefore many people are likely to recommend me to their site. I have reviewed [skimmed] the Gentoo handbook and have come up with the following meta-question before I undergo the process of building Gentoo from scratch.

Are the following steps - albeit broad - the necessary steps, in the necessary order, to successfully build a distro from source?
1. Boot an empty system with a live cd, or with an install cd.
2. Format the empty hdd with a tool such as fdisk.
3. Use the gcc available on the cd to compile the distro's toolchain and all pertinent libraries.
4. Copy the compiled toolchain and libraries to the newly formatted hdd.
5. Chroot to the new hdd and compile the kernel using the new toolchain and libraries.
6. Pick a package maintenance system to use and compile all necessary dependencies on the new system.
7. Compile the package system itself and run it to install all desired packages on the new system.
8. Reboot and you're done?




I hope to avoid much frustration by having the [correct] big picture in mind during the entire process.

I've never done it, but I've heard good things about Linux From Scratch for building your own distro from source. A buddy told me they have step by step guides to help you get along.