Gentoo

Gentoo is the GNU/Linux distribution that has the users that compile all of their own software. There are other such distributions, including Source Mage, but Gentoo is leading.

http://www.gentoo.org/

The command emerge nethack will probably give the latest version of NetHack to a Gentoo user, though it helps that 3.4.3 has long been current. However, the online package database suggests that emerge slashem will continue to give you SLASH'EM 0.0.7E6F0, unless you request the unstable build for 0.0.7E7F2. Gentoo does not seem to provide 0.0.7E7F3.

Though Gentoo facilitates certain customisations of the system, such as "Hardened Gentoo", if you want to build NetHack with your own selection of patchs, you are probably better to do it manually than to go through their "Portage" system.

Perhaps a fortune cookie could read:


 * They say that Debian and Gentoo are the best at providing current versions of packages.

However, another one may read:


 * They say that "emerge sync" may give you a broken system.

The "emerge sync" command upgrades the scripts that build Gentoo packages to the latest version.