source: introduction/welcome/packages.xml

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   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
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<sect1 id="packages" xreflabel="Getting the Source Packages">
  <?dbhtml filename="packages.html"?>


  <title>Getting the Source Packages</title>

  <para>Within the BLFS instructions, each package has two references for
  finding the source files for the package&mdash;an HTTP link and an FTP link
  (some packages may only list one of these links). Every effort has been made
  to ensure that these links are accurate. However, the World Wide Web is in
  continuous flux. Packages are sometimes moved or updated and the exact URL
  specified is not always available.</para>

  <para>To overcome this problem, the BLFS Team, with the assistance of Oregon
  State University Open Source Lab, has made an HTTP/FTP site available through
  world wide mirrors.  See <ulink
  url="https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/download.html#sources">
  https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/download.html#sources</ulink> for a
  list.  These sites have all the sources of the exact versions of the packages
  used in BLFS.  If you can't find the BLFS package you need at the listed
  addresses, get it from these sites.</para>

  <para>We would like to ask a favor, however.  Although this is a public
  resource for you to use, please do not abuse it.  We have already had one
  unthinking individual download over 3 GB of data, including multiple copies of
  the same files that are placed at different locations (via symlinks) to make
  finding the right package easier.  This person clearly did not know what files
  he needed and downloaded everything.  The best place to download files
  is the site or sites set up by the source code developer.  Please try
  there first.</para>

</sect1>