Some time ago I read an article by Ricardo Galli on optimizing KDE packages in Debian. He had also developed a script to automate the process. I found it interesting, although I didn’t take much advantage of it.
Today, in the middle of a Gentoo vs Debian war, I have modified Ricardo’s script to include usage instructions, Debian branch selection and a neat output.
Here it is. Use it at your own risk. I find it more comfortable than apt-src.
Moral of the story: if you want a good Linux, use Debian. You can have optimized packages if you want, and it is easy. If you like to build your system from scratch, don’t resign to the copy (Gentoo): go on with a true ports tree, like the one in FreeBSD.