source: clfs-embedded/BOOK/prologue/common/audience.xml@ b748208

Last change on this file since b748208 was 5efdb34, checked in by Andrew Bradford <andrew@…>, 11 years ago

audience: Remove big CLFS bits

This is embedded, 10 MB root fs should be easy.

  • Property mode set to 100644
File size: 4.4 KB
RevLine 
[a9e389d]1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
[bd48e48]2<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
3 "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
[a9e389d]4 <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
5 %general-entities;
6]>
7
8<sect1 id="pre-audience">
9 <?dbhtml filename="audience.html"?>
10
11 <title>Audience</title>
12
13 <para>There are many reasons why somebody would want to read this book.
14 The principal reason is to install a Linux system from the source code.
15 A question many people raise is, <quote>why go through all the hassle of
16 manually building a Linux system from scratch when you can just download
17 and install an existing one?</quote> That is a good question and is the
18 impetus for this section of the book.</para>
19
20 <para>One important reason for the existence of CLFS is to help people
21 understand how a Linux system works. Building an CLFS system helps
22 demonstrate what makes Linux tick, and how things work together and
23 depend on each other. One of the best things this learning experience
24 provides is the ability to customize Linux to your own
25 tastes and needs.</para>
26
27 <para>A key benefit of CLFS is that it allows users to have more control
28 over their system without any reliance on a Linux implementation designed
29 by someone else. With CLFS, <emphasis>you</emphasis> are in the driver's
30 seat and dictate every aspect of the system, such as the directory layout
31 and bootscript setup. You also dictate where, why, and how programs are
32 installed.</para>
33
34 <para>Another benefit of CLFS is the ability to create a very compact
35 Linux system. When installing a regular distribution, one is often forced
36 to include several programs which are probably never used. These programs
[5efdb34]37 waste disk space or CPU cycles. It is not difficult to build an CLFS Embedded
38 system of less than 10 megabytes (MB), which is substantially smaller
39 than the majority of existing installations. Try that with a
40 regular distribution!</para>
[a9e389d]41
42 <para>We could compare Linux distributions to a hamburger purchased at
43 a fast-food restaurant&mdash;you have no idea what might be in what you
44 are eating. CLFS, on the other hand, does not give you a hamburger.
45 Rather, CLFS provides the recipe to make the exact hamburger desired.
46 This allows users to review the recipe, omit unwanted ingredients, and
47 add your own ingredients to enhance the flavor of the burger. When you
48 are satisfied with the recipe, move on to preparing it. It can be made
49 to exact specifications&mdash;broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, or
50 barbecue it.</para>
51
52 <para>Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing CLFS with a
53 finished house. CLFS provides the skeletal plan of a house, but it is up
54 to you to build it. CLFS maintains the freedom to adjust plans throughout
55 the process, customizing it to the needs and preferences of the user.</para>
56
57 <para>Security is an additional advantage of a custom built Linux system.
58 By compiling the entire system from source code, you are empowered to
59 audit everything and apply all the security patches desired. It is no
60 longer necessary to wait for somebody else to compile binary packages
61 that fix a security hole. Unless you examine the patch and implement it
62 yourself, you have no guarantee that the new binary package was built
63 correctly and adequately fixes the problem.</para>
64
65 <para>The goal of Cross Linux From Scratch is to build a complete and
66 usable foundation-level system. Readers who do not wish to build their
67 own Linux system from scratch may not benefit from the information in this
68 book. If you only want to know what happens while the computer boots,
69 we recommend the <quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO
70 located at <ulink url="http://axiom.anu.edu.au/~okeefe/p2b/"/> or on
71 The Linux Documentation Project's (TLDP) website at <ulink
72 url="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/From-PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html"/>.
73 The HOWTO builds a system which is similar to that of this book, but it
[5efdb34]74 focuses strictly on creating a system capable of booting to a shell prompt.
[a9e389d]75 Consider your objective. If you wish to build a Linux system and learn
76 along the way, this book is your best choice.</para>
77
78 <para>There are too many good reasons to build your own CLFS system to
79 list them all here. This section is only the tip of the iceberg. As
80 you continue in your CLFS experience, you will find the power that
81 information and knowledge truly bring.</para>
82
83</sect1>
Note: See TracBrowser for help on using the repository browser.