[6370fa6] | 1 | <sect1 id="pre-whoread">
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| 2 | <title>Who would want to read this book</title>
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| 3 |
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[22a2710c] | 4 | <para>
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| 5 | There are a lot of reasons why somebody would want to read this book in
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| 6 | order to install an LFS system. The question most people raise is "why
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| 7 | go through all the hassle of manually installing a Linux system from
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| 8 | scratch when you can just download an existing version like Debian or
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| 9 | Redhat". That is a valid question which I hope to answer for you.
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| 10 | </para>
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| 11 |
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| 12 | <para>
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| 13 | The most important reason for LFS's existence is teaching people how a
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| 14 | Linux system works internally. Building an LFS system teaches you about
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| 15 | all that makes Linux tick, how things work together, and depend on each
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| 16 | other. And most importantly, how to customize it to your own taste and
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| 17 | needs.
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| 18 | </para>
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| 19 |
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| 20 | <para>
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| 21 | One of the key benefits of LFS is that you are in control over your
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| 22 | system without having to rely on somebody else's Linux implementation
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| 23 | like Debian. You are in the driver's seat now and are able to dictate
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| 24 | every single thing such as the directory layout and boot script setup.
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| 25 | You will also know exactly where, why and how programs are installed.
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| 26 | </para>
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| 27 |
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| 28 | <para>
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| 29 | Another benefit of LFS is that you can create a very compact Linux
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| 30 | system. When you install a distribution like Debian or RedHat, you end
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| 31 | up installing a lot of programs you would never in your life use.
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| 32 | They're just sitting there taking up (precious) disk space. It's not
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| 33 | hard to get an LFS system installed under 100 MB. Does that still sound
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| 34 | like a lot? A few of us have been working on creating a very small
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| 35 | embedded LFS system. We installed a system that was just enough to run
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| 36 | the Apache web server; total disk space usage was aproximately 8 MB.
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| 37 | With further stripping, that can be brought down to 5 MB or less. Try
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| 38 | that with a generic Debian or Redhat distribution.
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| 39 | </para>
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| 40 |
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| 41 | <para>
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| 42 | If we were to compare a Linux distribution with a hamburger you buy at a
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| 43 | supermarket or fast-food restaurant, you would end up eating it without
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| 44 | knowing precisely what it is you are eating, whereas LFS gives you the
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| 45 | ingredients to make a hamburger. This allows you to carefully inspect
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| 46 | it, remove unwanted ingredients, and at the same time allow you to add
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| 47 | ingredients to enhance the flavour of your hamburger. When you are
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| 48 | satisfied with the ingredients, you go on to the next part of putting it
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| 49 | together. You now have the chance to make it just the way you like it:
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| 50 | broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, barbeque it, or eat it raw.
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| 51 | </para>
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| 52 |
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| 53 | <para>
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| 54 | Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing LFS with a finished
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| 55 | house. LFS will give you the skeleton of a house, but it's up to you to
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| 56 | install plumbing, electrical outlets, kitchen, bathtub, wallpaper, etc.
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| 57 | </para>
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| 58 |
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| 59 | <para>
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| 60 | Another advantage of a custom built Linux system is added security. You
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| 61 | will compile the entire system from source, thus allowing you to audit
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| 62 | everything, if you wish to do so, and apply all the security patches you
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| 63 | want or need to apply. You don't have to wait for somebody else to
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| 64 | provide a new binary package that fixes a security hole. Besides, you
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| 65 | have no guarantee that the new package actually fixes the problem
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| 66 | (adequately). You never truly know whether a security hole is fixed or
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| 67 | not unless you do it yourself.
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| 68 | </para>
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[6370fa6] | 69 |
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| 70 | </sect1>
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| 71 |
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