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