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Welcome to the Linux operating system and the third edition of Linux Installation and Configuration! Whether you are looking for a version of UNIX that you can run on an inexpensive PC or are just totally disgusted with the antics of Microsoft et al. when it comes to operating systems, we think you’ll get a lot out of this book.
In these pages, you’ll be guided through a Linux installation and configuration process from beginning to end. You’ll also learn about the many unique tools offered by the Linux operating system, as well how to use these tools in a variety of situations.
Linux (pronounced lih-nux) is a 32-bit operating system designed for use on Intel 80386 (or better) PCs. Technically, Linux is a UNIX workalike, which means that it responds to standard UNIX commands and will run UNIX programs. You might see some references elsewhere to Linux as a UNIX clone, but that’s not strictly correct. (If it were a UNIX clone, Linux would be a lot more expensive than it is, due to the additional overhead of licensing fees.)
Linux began life as the project of a single man, Linus Torvalds (then a student at the University of Finland at Helsinki), who wanted his own alternative to another UNIX alternative—namely, the Minix operating system. He designed Linux to be similar to Minix (the original Minix filesystem was incorporated into Linux), yet more stable and freely available.
For a long time Linux was an operating system under development, as many beta versions of Linux circulated throughout the computer world—mostly distributed through the Internet world. Version 0.2 was released to the world in the middle of 1991; in 1994, version 1.0 was finally released. A ready and willing group of volunteers helped Torvalds finish Linux; additionally, these volunteers (including one of the authors of this book, Patrick Volkerding) helped create the add-on software that helps make Linux so popular. The CD-ROMs that accompany this book are based on Linux 2.0.
Linux, as an operating system, is actually rather trim and fit. You could install Linux from a three-disk set (the a series, which you’ll learn about in Chapter 2). So why do you need two CD-ROMs, filled to the brim with bits and bytes? Because the core Linux operating system, as such, doesn’t do much more than offer a command line and respond to the core UNIX commands. You’ll need the additional software—ranging from utilities like diff from the Free Software Foundation to compilers and editors. Because this additional software is different from distribution to distribution (on the accompanying CD-ROMs, you’re using the highly regarded Slackware distribution), there are differences between Linuxes (Linuci? Linuces?) available on the market. (For example, the installation program—so critical for many users—is unique to Slackware.) And Linux features its own graphical interface, based on the X Window System.
This leads us to one essential truth about Linux (something also true about UNIX): Linux is a series of tools. You use one tool to do one thing, another tool to perform another function. As a set of tools, the Slackware distribution is more than just Linux.
Why use Linux? The following features make Linux special in the operating system world:
Because it runs UNIX programs—most notably through compiling original source code written for the many UNIX variants around the world—Linux is the ideal platform for many potential users:
There are many features to Linux that you should find attractive:
Will Linux replace more popular operating systems, like MS/PC-DOS and Windows? That depends on your needs. For many basic computing tasks—word processing, spreadsheets, telecommunications—Linux and the Slackware distribution are a perfectly adequate alternative to other PC operating systems. As a development platform, Linux is more than adequate. Because Linux is freely available, it attracts the attention of many programmers and developers who release their software to the computing community—meaning that there’s a decent selection of software in the computing world, even beyond what’s available on the CD-ROMs with this book. The one drawback to Linux—which, admittedly, is a major drawback—is the lack of robust applications for everyday use. True, you can do work with emacs and groff for document creation, but this process is awkward at best. Given the track record of the UNIX industry and the robust growth enjoyed by Linux, you can expect to see many more applications down the road.
Of course, this isn’t to say that you won’t use the applications on the CD-ROMs with this book. For many, the use of Linux as an Internet tool will alone be worth the price of the book. Programmers who want to code for other UNIX and X Window platforms will also find this book and its CD-ROMs extremely useful.
This book isn’t a general primer on the Linux operating system. Instead, we’ve decided to focus on the version of Linux included on the accompanying CD-ROMs. We made this decision because the world of Linux is very wide and varied, and despite what some people think, there are differences among Linux distributions.
If you own another Linux distribution, there will be things in this book that apply to your distribution (particularly in Chapter 4 and beyond). However, be warned that we’re sticking to the Slackware distribution of Linux for the particulars in this book.
Linux, as distributed by the many good people who work on it, is actually quite a limited piece of software. Essentially, it’s the three-disk set beginning with a that make up the true core of the operating system.
The Slackware distribution of Linux builds on this core with utilities, programming libraries, and ports of other UNIX and X Window programs, under a unified whole. Many of the setup utilities on the CD-ROMs, for example, are unique to the Slackware distribution of Linux. These things make the Slackware distribution unique.
The first edition of this book sold phenomenally well—much better, quite frankly, than we anticipated. It quickly spawned a group of Linux wannabes who really didn’t know the operating system but could license Linux from another source and pawn it off as an authentic guide to Linux.
But this sort of approach, quite honestly, isn’t in the true spirit of Linux. As a whole, Linux owes a lot to the many volunteers who make it work and help others use it. We’ve bought into this ethos; Slackware Linux is available at no charge via the Internet. And, as a bonus, we’ve managed to keep the cost of this book affordable (less than other commercial implementations of Linux) while at the same time offering two CD-ROMs containing a slew of Linux software. The second CD-ROM contains the work of many other software programmers, and if you find their work to be useful in your work, we strongly recommend that you send along a contribution to reward their efforts.
So, what else distinguishes this book from the first and second editions? Well, Linux has changed, and so has the Slackware implementation. On a user level, you’ll notice that the operating system is generally more stable, and the X Window implementation is easier to configure and much less cranky to tweak. More tools have been added to the core Slackware Linux distribution on the first CD-ROM. Programmers will appreciate the new data formats that cut down on the size of executable files and the new tools that allow Motif programs to be run without an actual OSF/Motif license from the Open Software Foundation. Several security tools have been added, as well as an updated version on XFree86.
In short, if you’ve been a Linux user, you’ll have reasons both to upgrade your version of Linux and to review the new information presented in this book. Linux is a dynamic, ever-changing operating system, and it’s always fun to keep track of the latest and greatest.
Many of the utilities and programs contained in this distribution of Linux (and most other Linux distributions) come from the Free Software Foundation (FSF) or are licensed under the general terms of the Free Software Foundation. Because so many of the utilities are connected with the FSF, we urge you to check out the group (via its many Usenet newsgroups) and to read through its general license, which is contained along with its programs (for example, emacs gives you an option to read through the general license). For more information about the Free Software Foundation, write:
We’ve included two CD-ROMs with this book. A full implementation of the Linux operating system can be found on the first CD-ROM. This includes a rather robust set of UNIX utilities and a complete implementation of the X Window System. In addition, we’ve included a set of documents, called the Linux HOW-TOS, in the docs directory. These are text files that examine a portion of the Linux operating system in great detail. Occasionally, we will refer to these documents in the course of this book.
The second CD-ROM contains software, software, software. Most of the software contained on the second CD-ROM is already compiled for Slackware Linux, but when appropriate we’ve included source code so you can compile the software for use on your own system. We present the software “as is” (that is, directly from the authors via the Internet), and there’s no way we can support it. Almost all of the software has files that contain information about contacting the authors, and that’s where you should turn if you have problems with the software. Also, some of the authors ask for a contribution if you find their software useful, and we strongly urge you to send one.
To make this book more usable, we’ve incorporated a few formatting conventions that should make it easier for you to find what you need. These include the following icons:
NOTE: The Note icon indicates something that you should pay special attention to.
WARNING: The Warning icon warns you about actions that could be hazardous to the health of your computer or your Linux installation.
ON THE CD-ROMS: The CD-ROMs icon refers to items found on the accompanying CD-ROMs, such as the aforementioned HOWTO files.
In addition, we’ve used some specific formatting commands in the text:
gilbert:/ elvis
You’re free to drop us a line via electronic mail at: [email protected].
However, we must warn you that we promise no further guidance to Linux than what’s printed in this book. Among the three of us, we receive a lot of electronic mail, and at times it’s impossible to keep up with it. Please don’t assume that this electronic-mail address will bring you instant help.
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