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