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diff --git a/prologue/audience.xml b/prologue/audience.xml index bf8077102..6e1eb6440 100644 --- a/prologue/audience.xml +++ b/prologue/audience.xml @@ -10,77 +10,56 @@ <title>Audience</title> - <para>There are many reasons why somebody would want to read this book. - The principal reason is to install a Linux system 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>There are many reasons why you would want to read this book. One of the +questions 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></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>One important reason for this project's existence is to help you 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 can +provide you with is the ability to customize a Linux system to suit your +own unique 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>A key benefit of LFS is that it allows you to have more control over the +system without relying on someone else's Linux implementation. With LFS, +you are in the driver's seat and dictate every aspect of the system.</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 - include several programs which are probably never used. These programs - waste 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 - than the majority of existing installations. 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>LFS allows you to create very compact Linux systems. When installing +regular distributions, you are often forced to install a great many +programs which are probably never used or understood. These programs waste +resources. You may argue that with today's hard drive and CPUs, such +resources are no longer a consideration. Sometimes, however, you are still +constrained by size considerations if nothing else. Think about bootable +CDs, USB sticks and embedded systems. Those are areas where LFS can be +beneficial.</para> - <para>We could compare Linux distributions to a hamburger purchased at a - fast-food restaurant—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—broil it, bake it, deep-fry it, or barbecue it.</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 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>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>The goal of Linux From Scratch is to build a complete and usable +foundation-level system. If you do not wish to build your own Linux system +from scratch, you may not entirely 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>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> +<para>There are too many good reasons to build your own LFS system to list them +all here. In the end, education is by far the most powerful of reasons. As +you continue in your LFS experience, you will discover the power that +information and knowledge truly bring.</para> </sect1> + |