[JonnieCache]

Perhaps try it inside a VM. Installing gentoo from scratch is a brilliant way to learn linux, but it's not so much "trial and error" as "trial by error" (message.)

If you do it in a VM or on a spare machine then you will have convenient access to web resources, which you will need :)

[blhack]

This is why I suggested doing it from something like knoppix.

He could even do it from his current Ubuntu install.