In 2024, uutils coreutils aims to replace GNU coreutils on a full Linux system, focusing on Gentoo due to its flexibility. However, replacing GNU coreutils is not straightforward, as many packages have hard dependencies on it. The author bypassed this by modifying the GNU coreutils package to install uutils coreutils instead. Challenges included adjusting for missing commands like md5sum and dealing with symlinks causing errors during installation. The unique and hacky approach taken allowed for uutils coreutils to eventually function as a replacement, highlighting the author’s determination to explore the feasibility of this experiment.
https://www.joshmcguigan.com/blog/gentoo-uutils-coreutils/