From "Gentoo Linux - About Gentoo Linux" (<a href="http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/about.xml">LINK</a>):
Quote:
What is Portage?
Portage is the heart of Gentoo Linux, and performs many key functions. For one, Portage is the software distribution system for Gentoo Linux. To get the latest software for Gentoo Linux, you type one command: emerge sync. This command tells Portage to update your local "Portage tree" over the Internet. Your local Portage tree contains a complete collection of scripts that can be used by Portage to create and install the latest Gentoo packages. Currently, we have over 4000 packages in our Portage tree, with new ones being added all the time.
Portage is also a package building and installation system. When you want to install a package, you type emerge packagename, at which point Portage automatically builds a custom version of the package to your exact specifications, optimizing it for your hardware and ensuring that the optional features in the the package that you want are enabled -- and those you don't want aren't.
Portage also keeps your system up-to-date. Typing emerge -u world -- one command -- will ensure that all the packages that you want on your system are updated automatically.
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As to why it hasn't been included into other distros? I'm not entirely sure. I haven't looked into it since I use Gentoo, but I do think that portage can be installed on other distros.
As far as my own personal answer as to what makes portage so great - since what I quoted does a better job of just explaining what it does - it goes beyond the ease of typing one command to install most things. Another reason it's great - and this goes for Gentoo Linux as a whole as well - is the fact that everything I install I compile from scratch and, because of that, everything gets to be compiled with the specifications I lay out. For example, if I know I will never use something, I can make sure that support for that isn't compiled in - helping to make everything nice and lean.