Couchbase's Sync Gateway, which supports various platforms including Linux, provides two main installation packages for Linux: a Debian format for Ubuntu and an rpm format for RedHat Enterprise and CentOS. The challenge arises when using other Linux distributions, as these packages may not fully complete the installation or might alter system settings unexpectedly. Sync Gateway consists of a single binary executable that relies on a few dynamic libraries, making manual installation feasible. For distributions not directly supported, manual installation involves unpacking the Debian package's data archive and placing the sync_gateway binary in a preferred directory. It's recommended to run Sync Gateway under a dedicated user ID for security and to automate its startup and restart processes. For further guidance, resources are available on Couchbase's developer portal, and community support can be accessed through their forums and Stack Overflow.