source: prologue/common/audience.xml@ 5fcf80d

Last change on this file since 5fcf80d was 62fbb51, checked in by Jim Gifford <clfs@…>, 18 years ago

r4731@server: jim | 2006-07-20 22:20:48 -0700
Text Updates from Karen

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1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
2<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN"
3 "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [
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
37 waste disk space or CPU cycles. It is not difficult to build an CLFS
38 system of less than 100 megabytes (MB), which is substantially smaller
39 than the majority of existing installations. Does this still sound like a
40 lot of space? A few of us have been working on creating a very small
41 embedded CLFS system. We successfully built a system that was specialized
42 to run the Apache web server with approximately 8MB of disk space used.
43 Further stripping could bring this down to 5 MB or less. Try that with a
44 regular distribution! This is only one of the many benefits of designing
45 your own Linux implementation.</para>
46
47 <para>We could compare Linux distributions to a hamburger purchased at
48 a fast-food restaurant&mdash;you have no idea what might be in what you
49 are eating. CLFS, on the other hand, does not give you a hamburger.
50 Rather, CLFS provides the recipe to make the exact hamburger desired.
51 This allows users to review the recipe, omit unwanted ingredients, and
52 add your own ingredients to enhance the flavor of the burger. When you
53 are satisfied with the recipe, move on to preparing it. It can be made
54 to exact specifications&mdash;broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, or
55 barbecue it.</para>
56
57 <para>Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing CLFS with a
58 finished house. CLFS provides the skeletal plan of a house, but it is up
59 to you to build it. CLFS maintains the freedom to adjust plans throughout
60 the process, customizing it to the needs and preferences of the user.</para>
61
62 <para>Security is an additional advantage of a custom built Linux system.
63 By compiling the entire system from source code, you are empowered to
64 audit everything and apply all the security patches desired. It is no
65 longer necessary to wait for somebody else to compile binary packages
66 that fix a security hole. Unless you examine the patch and implement it
67 yourself, you have no guarantee that the new binary package was built
68 correctly and adequately fixes the problem.</para>
69
70 <para>The goal of Cross Linux From Scratch is to build a complete and
71 usable foundation-level system. Readers who do not wish to build their
72 own Linux system from scratch may not benefit from the information in this
73 book. If you only want to know what happens while the computer boots,
74 we recommend the <quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO
75 located at <ulink url="http://axiom.anu.edu.au/~okeefe/p2b/"/> or on
76 The Linux Documentation Project's (TLDP) website at <ulink
77 url="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/From-PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html"/>.
78 The HOWTO builds a system which is similar to that of this book, but it
79 focuses strictly on creating a system capable of booting to a BASH prompt.
80 Consider your objective. If you wish to build a Linux system and learn
81 along the way, this book is your best choice.</para>
82
83 <para>There are too many good reasons to build your own CLFS system to
84 list them all here. This section is only the tip of the iceberg. As
85 you continue in your CLFS experience, you will find the power that
86 information and knowledge truly bring.</para>
87
88</sect1>
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