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authorJames Robertson <jwrober@linuxfromscratch.org>2003-09-14 02:11:20 +0000
committerJames Robertson <jwrober@linuxfromscratch.org>2003-09-14 02:11:20 +0000
commit27a00d980f5db55b9e286cc322ba08bc56332d85 (patch)
treec2e08a14f32bf1194f834b385ef394d68d020ee8 /preface
parentc3bfd90ce14ebf317c126bbf2ca7b6df65f18590 (diff)
Merged whoread and whonotread into a since audience page.
git-svn-id: http://svn.linuxfromscratch.org/LFS/trunk/BOOK@2803 4aa44e1e-78dd-0310-a6d2-fbcd4c07a689
Diffstat (limited to 'preface')
-rw-r--r--preface/audience.xml91
-rw-r--r--preface/preface.xml3
-rw-r--r--preface/whonotread.xml22
-rw-r--r--preface/whoread.xml57
4 files changed, 92 insertions, 81 deletions
diff --git a/preface/audience.xml b/preface/audience.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..00e0cdc18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preface/audience.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+<sect1 id="pre-audience">
+<title>Audience</title>
+<?dbhtml filename="audience.html" dir="preface"?>
+
+<sect2>
+<title>Who would want to read this book</title>
+
+<para>There are many reasons why somebody would want to read this book. The
+principle reason being to install an Linux system straight from the source
+code. A question many people raise is "Why go through all the hassle of
+manually building a Linux system from scratch when you can just download and
+install an existing one?". That is a good question and is the impetus for this
+section of the book.</para>
+
+<para>One important reason for LFS' existence is to help people learn how a
+Linux system works from the inside out. Building a LFS system helps demonstrate
+to you what makes Linux tick, how things work together and depend on each
+other. One of the best things that this learning experience provides in the
+ability to customize Linux to your own tastes and needs.</para>
+
+<para>A key benefit of LFS is that you have more control of your system
+without relying on someone else's Linux implementation. With LFS, you are
+in the driver's seat and dictate every aspect of your system, such as the
+directory layout and bootscript setup. You also dictate where, why and how
+programs are installed.</para>
+
+<para>Another benefit of LFS is the ability to create a very compact Linux
+system. When installing a regular distribution, you are usually forced to
+install several programs which you are likely never to use. They're just
+sitting there wasting precious disk space (or worse, CPU cycles). It isn't
+difficult to build a LFS system less than 100 MB. Does that still sound like a
+lot? A few of us have been working on creating a very small embedded LFS
+system. We successfully built a system that was just enough to run the Apache
+web server with approximately 8MB of disk space used. Further stripping could
+bring that down to 5 MB or less. Try that with a regular distribution.</para>
+
+<para>We could compare distributed Linux to a hamburger you buy at a
+fast-food restaurant -- you have no idea what you are eating. LFS, on the
+other hand, doesn't give you a hamburger, but the recipe to make a hamburger.
+This allows you to review it, to omit unwanted ingredients, and to
+add your own ingredients which enhance the flavor of your burger. When you
+are satisfied with the recipe, you go on to preparing it. You make it just
+the way you like it: broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, barbecue it, or eat it
+tar-tar (raw).</para>
+
+<para>Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing LFS with a
+finished house. LFS will give you the skeletal plan of a house, but it's up
+to you to build it. You have the freedom to adjust your plans as you
+go.</para>
+
+<para>One last advantage of a custom built Linux system is security.
+By compiling the entire system from source code, you are empowered to audit
+everything and apply all the security patches you feel are needed. You don't
+have to wait for somebody else to compile binary packages that fix a security
+hole. Unless you examine the patch and implement it yourself you have no
+guarantee that the new binary package was built correctly and actually fixes the
+problem (adequately).</para>
+
+<para>There are too many good reasons to build your own LFS system for them all
+to be listed here. This section is only the tip of the iceberg. As you
+continue in your LFS experience, you will find on your own the power that
+information and knowledge truly bring.</para>
+
+</sect2>
+
+<sect2>
+<title>Who would not want to read this book</title>
+
+<para>There are probably some, for whatever reason, would feel that they do not
+want to read this book. If you do not wish to build your own Linux system from
+scratch, then you probably don't want to read this book. Our goal is to help
+you build a complete and usable foundation-level system. If you only want to
+know what happens while your computer boots, then we recommend the <quote>From
+Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO. The HOWTO builds a bare system which is
+similar to that of this book, but it focuses strictly on creating a system
+capable of booting to a BASH prompt.</para>
+
+<para>While you decide which to read, consider your objective. If you wish
+to build a Linux system while learning a bit along the way, then this book
+is probably your best choice. If your objective is strictly educational and
+you do not have any plans for your finished system, then the
+<quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO is probably a better choice.</para>
+
+<para>The <quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO is located at
+<ulink url="http://axiom.anu.edu.au/~okeefe/p2b/"/> or on The Linux
+Documentation Project's website at <ulink url="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/From-
+PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html"/>.</para>
+
+</sect2>
+
+</sect1>
diff --git a/preface/preface.xml b/preface/preface.xml
index 333a1b397..c7bda60f5 100644
--- a/preface/preface.xml
+++ b/preface/preface.xml
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
<?dbhtml filename="preface.html" dir="preface"?>
&pf-foreword;
-&pf-whoread;
-&pf-whonotread;
+&pf-audience;
&pf-prerequisites;
&pf-organization;
diff --git a/preface/whonotread.xml b/preface/whonotread.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 8f234e92f..000000000
--- a/preface/whonotread.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-<sect1 id="pre-whonotread">
-<title>Who would not want to read this book</title>
-<?dbhtml filename="whonotread.html" dir="preface"?>
-
-<para>If you do not wish to build your own Linux system from scratch, then
-you probably don't want to read this book. Our goal is to build a complete
-and usable foundation system. If you only want to know what happens while
-your computer boots, then we recommend the
-<quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO. The HOWTO builds a bare
-system which is similar to that of this book, but it focuses strictly on
-creating a system capable of booting to a BASH prompt.</para>
-
-<para>While you decide which to read, consider your objective. If you wish
-to build a Linux system while learning a bit along the way, then this book
-is probably your best choice. If your objective is strictly educational and
-you do not have any plans for your finished system, then the
-<quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO is probably a better choice.</para>
-
-<para>The <quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO is located at
-<ulink url="http://axiom.anu.edu.au/~okeefe/p2b/"/>.</para>
-
-</sect1>
diff --git a/preface/whoread.xml b/preface/whoread.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6e3625308..000000000
--- a/preface/whoread.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,57 +0,0 @@
-<sect1 id="pre-whoread">
-<title>Who would want to read this book</title>
-<?dbhtml filename="whoread.html" dir="preface"?>
-
-<para>There are many reasons why somebody would want to read this book. The
-principle reason being to install an LFS system. A question many people raise
-is "Why go through all the hassle of manually building a Linux system
-from scratch when you can just download and install an existing one?". That
-is a good question.</para>
-
-<para>One important reason for LFS' existence is to help people
-learn how a Linux system works from the inside out. Building an LFS system
-helps demonstrate what makes Linux tick, and how things work together and
-depend on each other. And perhaps most importantly, how to customize it to
-your own tastes and needs.</para>
-
-<para>A key benefit of LFS is that you have more control of your system
-without relying on someone else's Linux implementation. With LFS, you are
-in the driver's seat and dictate every aspect of your system, such as the
-directory layout and boot script setup. You also dictate where, why and how
-programs are installed.</para>
-
-<para>Another benefit of LFS is the ability to create a very compact Linux
-system. When installing a regular distribution, you end up with several
-programs which you are likely to never use. They're just sitting there wasting
-(precious) disk space. It isn't difficult to build an LFS system less than
-100 MB. Does that still sound like a lot? A few of us have been working on
-creating a very small embedded LFS system. We successfully built a system
-that was just enough to run the Apache web server with approximately 8MB
-of disk space used. Further stripping could bring that down to 5 MB or
-less. Try that with a regular distribution.</para>
-
-<para>We could compare distributed Linux to a hamburger you buy at a
-fast-food restaurant - you have no idea what you are eating. LFS, on the
-other hand, doesn't give you a hamburger, but the recipe to make a hamburger.
-This allows you to review it, to omit unwanted ingredients, and to
-add your own ingredients which enhance the flavor of your burger. When you
-are satisfied with the recipe, you go on to preparing it. You make it just
-the way you like it: broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, barbecue it, or eat it
-tar-tar (raw).</para>
-
-<para>Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing LFS with a
-finished house. LFS will give you the skeletal plan of a house, but it's up
-to you to build it. You have the freedom to adjust your plans as you
-go.</para>
-
-<para>Another advantage of a custom built Linux system is security.
-By compiling the entire system from source code, you are empowered to audit
-everything and apply all the security patches you feel are needed. You don't
-have to wait for somebody else to compile binary packages that fix a security
-hole. Unless you examine the patch and build it yourself you have no
-guarantee that the new package was built correctly and actually fixes the
-problem (adequately). You never truly know whether a security hole is fixed
-or not unless you do it yourself.</para>
-
-</sect1>
-