[6370fa6] | 1 | <sect1 id="ch01-how">
|
---|
| 2 | <title>How things are going to be done</title>
|
---|
[04f5529] | 3 | <?dbhtml filename="how.html" dir="chapter01"?>
|
---|
[6370fa6] | 4 |
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 5 | <para>We are going to build the LFS system by using a previously installed
|
---|
| 6 | Linux distribution such as Debian, SuSe, Slackware, Mandrake, RedHat, etc.
|
---|
| 7 | We will use the existing Linux system as the development platform, because
|
---|
| 8 | we need tools like a compiler, linker, text editor, and other necessary
|
---|
| 9 | development tools to build our system. Ordinarily, the required tools are
|
---|
| 10 | available by default if we selected "development" as one of our installation
|
---|
| 11 | options when we installed the distributed Linux.</para>
|
---|
[6370fa6] | 12 |
|
---|
[b822811] | 13 | <para>After you have downloaded the necessary packages that make up an LFS
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 14 | system we will create a new Linux native partition and filesystem. Here
|
---|
| 15 | is where the LFS system will be compiled and installed.</para>
|
---|
| 16 |
|
---|
| 17 | <para>The next step, chapter 5, will discuss the installation of a number of
|
---|
[c4270ca] | 18 | packages that will form the basic development suite which is used to
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 19 | build the actual system, or needed to resolve circular dependencies. For
|
---|
| 20 | example, you need a compiler to build a new compiler, and you need a shell
|
---|
| 21 | in order to install a new shell. The packages in this chapter will be linked
|
---|
| 22 | statically. Static linking describes a method of compiling software so that
|
---|
| 23 | it does not require the presence of libraries when building is complete.
|
---|
| 24 | The resulting program is able to function on its own. The program is able to
|
---|
| 25 | do so because the pieces of the program that would normally remain in the
|
---|
| 26 | libraries are copied from the libraries and built right into the program.
|
---|
| 27 | Ordinarily software is built with dynamic linking. This conserves storage
|
---|
| 28 | space and increases the efficiency of many programs. We statically link
|
---|
| 29 | our software in chapter 5 because we will in theory be moving our
|
---|
| 30 | development system to a virtual environment where the already mentioned
|
---|
| 31 | libraries will be absent. If the software is built dynamically, our
|
---|
| 32 | development suite will not function. Since the libraries we are talking
|
---|
| 33 | about are provided by our distribution Linux, the goal of chapter 5 is to
|
---|
| 34 | build a development environment where those libraries are not required
|
---|
| 35 | and is therefore independent of the distribution.</para>
|
---|
| 36 |
|
---|
| 37 | <para>In chapter 6 we will build and install our final system. We will use
|
---|
| 38 | the chroot program to enter a virtual environment and start a new shell
|
---|
| 39 | whose root directory will be set to the partition where we built all the
|
---|
| 40 | chapter 5 software. This is very similar to rebooting and instructing the
|
---|
| 41 | kernel to mount our LFS partition as the root partition. The reason that
|
---|
| 42 | we don't actually reboot, but instead chroot, is that creating a static
|
---|
| 43 | system that we can boot into requires more work that simply isn't necessary.
|
---|
| 44 | As well, we can continue to use our platform system while we are building
|
---|
| 45 | LFS. While software is being compiled and installed you can simply switch
|
---|
| 46 | to a different VC (Virtual Console) or X desktop and continue using your
|
---|
| 47 | computer normally.</para>
|
---|
| 48 |
|
---|
[c4270ca] | 49 | <para>When all the software from chapter 6 is installed, chapters 7, 8 and 9
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 50 | will help us finalize our installation. We will set up our boot
|
---|
| 51 | scripts in chapter 7. In chapter 8 we will build our final linux kernel and
|
---|
| 52 | set up the Linux boot loader. Chapter 9 has some pointers to help you after
|
---|
| 53 | you finish the book. Then finally, you reboot your system and boot into your
|
---|
| 54 | new LFS system, and start to really use it.</para>
|
---|
[32489b5] | 55 |
|
---|
[b822811] | 56 | <para>This is the process in a nutshell. Detailed information on the steps
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 57 | we will take are discussed in the chapters and package descriptions as you
|
---|
| 58 | progress through them. If something isn't completely clear now, don't worry.
|
---|
| 59 | It should become very clear shortly.</para>
|
---|
[32489b5] | 60 |
|
---|
[b822811] | 61 | <para>Please read chapter 2 carefully as it explains a few important things
|
---|
[c61dd1e] | 62 | you should be aware of before you begin to work through chapters 5 and
|
---|
| 63 | later.</para>
|
---|
[6370fa6] | 64 |
|
---|
| 65 | </sect1>
|
---|
| 66 |
|
---|