1 | <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
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2 | <!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
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3 | "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
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4 | <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../general.ent">
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5 | %general-entities;
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6 | ]>
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7 |
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8 | <sect1 id="pre-foreword">
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9 | <?dbhtml filename="foreword.html"?>
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10 |
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11 | <title>Foreword</title>
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12 |
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13 | <para>My journey to learn and better understand Linux began
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14 | back in 1998. I had just installed my first Linux distribution and had
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15 | quickly become intrigued with the whole concept and philosophy behind
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16 | Linux.</para>
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17 |
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18 | <para>There are always many ways to accomplish a single task. The same can be
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19 | said about Linux distributions. A great many have existed over the years. Some
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20 | still exist, some have morphed into something else, yet others have been
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21 | relegated to our memories. They all do things differently to suit the needs of
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22 | their target audience. Because so many different ways to accomplish the same
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23 | end goal exist, I began to realize I no longer had to be limited by any one
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24 | implementation. Prior to discovering Linux, we simply put up with issues in
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25 | other Operating Systems as you had no choice. It was what it was, whether you
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26 | liked it or not. With Linux, the concept of choice began to emerge. If you
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27 | didn't like something, you were free, even encouraged, to change it.</para>
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28 |
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29 | <para>I tried a number of distributions and could not decide on any one. They
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30 | were great systems in their own right. It wasn't a matter of right and
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31 | wrong anymore. It had become a matter of personal taste. With all that
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32 | choice available, it became apparent that there would not be a single
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33 | system that would be perfect for me. So I set out to create my own Linux
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34 | system that would fully conform to my personal preferences.</para>
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35 |
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36 | <para>To truly make it my own system, I resolved to compile everything from
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37 | source code instead of using pre-compiled binary packages. This
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38 | <quote>perfect</quote> Linux system would have the strengths of various
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39 | systems without their perceived weaknesses. At first, the idea was rather
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40 | daunting. I remained committed to the idea that such a system could be
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41 | built.</para>
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42 |
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43 | <para>After sorting through issues such as circular dependencies and compile-time
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44 | errors, I finally built a custom-built Linux system. It was fully
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45 | operational and perfectly usable like any of the other Linux systems out
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46 | there at the time. But it was my own creation. It was very satisfying to
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47 | have put together such a system myself. The only thing better would have
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48 | been to create each piece of software myself. This was the next best
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49 | thing.</para>
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50 |
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51 | <para>As I shared my goals and experiences with other members of the Linux
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52 | community, it became apparent that there was a sustained interest in these
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53 | ideas. It quickly became plain that such custom-built Linux systems
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54 | serve not only to meet user specific requirements, but also serve as an
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55 | ideal learning opportunity for programmers and system administrators to
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56 | enhance their (existing) Linux skills. Out of this broadened interest, the
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57 | <emphasis>Linux From Scratch Project</emphasis> was born.</para>
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58 |
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59 | <para>This Linux From Scratch book is the central core around that project. It
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60 | provides the background and instructions necessary for you to design and
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61 | build your own system. While this book provides a template that will result
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62 | in a correctly working system, you are free to alter the instructions to
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63 | suit yourself, which is, in part, an important part of this project. You
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64 | remain in control; we just lend a helping hand to get you started on your
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65 | own journey.</para>
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66 |
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67 | <para>I sincerely hope you will have a great time working on your own Linux From
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68 | Scratch system and enjoy the numerous benefits of having a system that is
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69 | truly your own.</para>
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70 |
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71 | <literallayout>--
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72 | Gerard Beekmans
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73 | gerard@linuxfromscratch.org</literallayout>
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74 |
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75 | </sect1>
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