1 | <sect1 id="ch01-how">
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2 | <title>How things are going to be done</title>
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3 | <?dbhtml filename="how.html" dir="chapter01"?>
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4 |
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5 | <para>You are going to build your LFS system by using a previously installed
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6 | Linux distribution (such as Debian, Mandrake, Red Hat, or SuSE). This existing
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7 | Linux system (the host) will be used as a starting point, because you will need
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8 | programs like a compiler, linker and shell to build the new system. Normally
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9 | all the required tools are available if you selected <quote>development</quote>
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10 | as one of the options when you installed your distribution.</para>
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11 |
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12 | <para>In Chapter 3 you will first create a new Linux native partition and file
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13 | system, the place where your new LFS system will be compiled and installed. Then
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14 | in Chapter 4 you download all the packages and patches required to build an LFS
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15 | system, and store them on the new file system.</para>
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16 |
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17 | <para>Chapter 5 will then discuss the installation of a number of packages that
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18 | will form the basic development suite (or toolchain) which is used to build the
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19 | actual system in Chapter 6. Some of these packages are needed to resolve
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20 | circular dependencies. For example, to compile a compiler you need a
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21 | compiler.</para>
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22 |
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23 | <para>The first thing to be done in Chapter 5 is build a first pass of the
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24 | toolchain, which is made up of Binutils and GCC. The programs from these
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25 | packages will be linked statically in order for them to be used independently
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26 | of the host system. The second thing to do is build Glibc, the C library. Glibc
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27 | will be compiled by the toolchain programs we just built in the first
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28 | pass. The third thing to do is build a second pass of the toolchain. This time
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29 | the toolchain will be dynamically linked against the newly built Glibc. The
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30 | remaining Chapter 5 packages are all built using this second pass toolchain and
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31 | dynamically linked against the new host-independent Glibc. When this is done,
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32 | the LFS installation process will no longer depend on the host distribution,
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33 | with the exception of the running kernel.</para>
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34 |
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35 | <para>You may be asking yourself <quote>that seems like a lot of work, just to
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36 | get away from my host distribution?</quote>. A full technical and in-depth
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37 | explanation is provided at the start of Chapter 5, including some notes on the
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38 | differences between statically and dynamically linked programs.</para>
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39 |
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40 | <para>In Chapter 6 your real LFS system will be built. The chroot (change root)
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41 | program is used to enter a virtual environment and start a new shell whose root
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42 | directory will be set to the LFS partition. This is very similar to rebooting
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43 | and instructing the kernel to mount the LFS partition as the root partition.
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44 | The reason that you don't actually reboot, but instead chroot, is that creating
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45 | a bootable system requires additional work which isn't necessary just yet.
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46 | Another advantage is that chrooting allows you to continue using the host while
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47 | LFS is being built. While waiting for package compilation to complete, you can
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48 | simply switch to a different VC (Virtual Console) or X desktop and continue
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49 | using the computer as you normally would.</para>
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50 |
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51 | <para>When all the software from Chapter 6 is installed, the temporary tools
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52 | built in Chapter 5 are removed. In Chapters 7, 8 and 9 the installation will
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53 | then be finalized. The bootscripts are set up in Chapter 7, the kernel and
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54 | bootloader are set up in Chapter 8, and Chapter 9 has some pointers to help
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55 | you after you finish the book. Then, finally, you're ready to reboot your
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56 | computer into your new LFS system.</para>
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57 |
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58 | <para>This is the process in a nutshell. Detailed information on the steps you
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59 | will take are discussed in the chapters and package descriptions as you
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60 | progress through them. If something isn't completely clear now, don't worry,
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61 | everything will fall into place soon.</para>
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62 |
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63 | <para>Please read Chapter 2 carefully as it explains a few important things you
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64 | should be aware of before you begin to work through Chapters 5 and
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65 | beyond.</para>
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66 |
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67 | </sect1>
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68 |
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