Triton OS is based on the Gentoo Linux distribution. In Gentoo, when new software is installed, the source code for the software is downloaded and it is compiled locally. The compilation process will include and omit different features in the software based on settings in the operating system configuration files. The binaries that are produced by the software installation process are then installed on the local system.

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Gentoo can also run in binary mode. In this mode, when new software is installed, pre-compiled binaries are downloaded and used directly. This is how most Linux distributions, such as Debian, operate. These binaries are produced using some predetermined set of configuration files. The result may or may not be compatible with your requirements, but these binaries are generally compiled to support as many features as possible. This can bloat software and make it unnecessarily slow.

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Triton OS is a binary Gentoo distribution for the Raspberry Pi with its own binary package server. The packages are all optimized for a specific Raspberry Pi (3, 4 or 5) through strict compilation settings. These binary packages are somewhat expensive to produce in terms of time and equipment. They have to be compiled on a moderately powerful ARM64 system, and the packages have to be hosted online. With this in mind, Triton OS's package server provides the service of highly optimized binaries with no time or hardware investment. It requires a subscription in order to use. 40% of all subscription revenue is donated to the Gentoo Linux Foundation and to the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

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An alternative to purchasing a subscription is to use Gentoo's free ARM64 binary package repository. As mentioned, these packages will work but are not optimized for Raspberry Pi. See the Getting Started page for more information.