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