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 <title>Audience</title>
 <?dbhtml filename="audience.html"?>
 
-<para>See testing</para>
+<para>There are many reasons why somebody would want to read this
+book. The principle reason is to install a Linux system straight
+from the source code. A question many people raise is, <quote>why go
+through all the hassle of manually building a Linux system from
+scratch when you can just download and install an existing
+one?</quote> That is a good question and is the impetus for this
+section of the book.</para>
+
+<para>One important reason for LFS's 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. One of the best things that this learning
+experience provides is the ability to customize Linux to your own
+tastes and needs.</para>
+
+<para>A key benefit of LFS is that it allows users to have more
+control over the system without relying on someone else's Linux
+implementation.  With LFS, <emphasis>you</emphasis> are in the
+driver's seat and dictate every aspect of the 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, one is often
+forced to install several programs which are probably never used.
+These programs waste precious disk space, or worse, CPU cycles. It is
+not difficult to build an LFS system of less than 100 megabytes (MB),
+which is substantially smaller compared to most existing setups.  Does
+this still sound like a lot of space? A few of us have been working on
+creating a very small embedded LFS system. We successfully built a
+system that was specialized to run the Apache web server with
+approximately 8MB of disk space used. Further stripping could bring
+this down to 5 MB or less.  Try that with a regular distribution!
+This is only one of the many benefits of designing your own Linux
+implementation.</para>
+
+<para>We could compare Linux distributions to a hamburger purchased at
+a fast-food restaurant&mdash;you have no idea what might be in what
+you are eating. LFS, on the other hand, does not give you a hamburger.
+Rather, LFS provides the recipe to make the exact hamburger desired.
+This allows users to review the recipe, omit unwanted ingredients, and
+add your own ingredients to enhance the flavor of the burger.
+When you are satisfied with the recipe, move on to preparing it. It
+can be made to exact specifications&mdash;broil it, bake it, deep-fry
+it, or barbecue it.</para>
+
+<para>Another analogy that we can use is that of comparing LFS with a
+finished house. LFS provides the skeletal plan of a house, but it is up
+to you to build it. LFS maintains the freedom to adjust plans
+throughout the process, customizing it to the user's needs and
+preferences.</para>
+
+<para>An additional 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
+desired. It is no longer necessary 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 adequately fixes
+the problem.</para>
+
+<para>The goal of Linux From Scratch is to build a complete and usable
+foundation-level system. Readers who do not wish to build their own
+Linux system from scratch may not benefit from the information in this
+book. If you only want to know what happens while the computer boots,
+we recommend the <quote>From Power Up To Bash Prompt</quote> HOWTO
+located at <ulink url="http://axiom.anu.edu.au/~okeefe/p2b/"/> or on
+The Linux Documentation Project's (TLDP) website at <ulink
+url="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/From-PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html"/>.
+The HOWTO builds a system which is similar to that of this book,
+but it focuses strictly on creating a system capable of booting to a
+BASH prompt. Consider your objective. If you wish to build a Linux
+system while learning along the way, then this book is your best
+choice.</para> 
+
+<para>There are too many good reasons to build your own LFS system to
+list them all here. This section is only the tip of the iceberg. As
+you continue in your LFS experience, you will find the power that
+information and knowledge truly bring.</para>
 
 </sect1>
+