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<!--ISBN=1558285660//-->
<!--TITLE=Linux Configuration and Installation//-->
<!--AUTHOR=Patrick Volkerding//-->
<!--AUTHOR=Kevin Reichard//-->
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<P><BR></P>
<H2><A NAME="Heading1"></A><FONT COLOR="#000077">Introduction<BR>Welcome to Linux
</FONT></H2>
<P>Welcome to the Linux operating system and the third edition of <I>Linux Installation and Configuration</I>! 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.</P>
<P>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.</P>
<H3><A NAME="Heading2"></A><FONT COLOR="#000077">What is Linux?</FONT></H3>
<P>Linux (pronounced <I>lih-nux</I>) 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.)</P>
<P>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.</P>
<P>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.</P>
<P>Linux, as an operating system, is actually rather trim and fit. You could install Linux from a three-disk set (the <I>a</I> 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 <B>diff</B> 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.</P>
<P>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.</P>
<H4 ALIGN="LEFT"><A NAME="Heading3"></A><FONT COLOR="#000077">What Makes Slackware Linux Special?</FONT></H4>
<P>Why use Linux? The following features make Linux special in the operating system world:
</P>
<DL>
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux is an alternative to the commercial operating system world.</B> There’s something to be said for striking a blow against the Empire. Linux is the result of many hours of volunteer workers who believed that a grass-roots approach to software development was a more harmonic approach than commercial offerings. Whether you buy into this ethos is up to you, but you cannot help but be impressed that such an outstanding computer operating system, rich in complexity and features, is the work of so many.
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux is built for the Internet and networking.</B> The Internet is all the rage, and the Linux world is part of the hubbub. Linux probably wouldn’t be where it is today without the Internet, as hundreds of volunteers have collaborated via the Internet, shipping source code and program files from machine to machine. In addition, Linux can be used right out of the box for Internet and networking; there’s no need to buy additional software. All you need to do is configure what you have.
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux is completely open.</B> You get the source code for the Linux operating system on an accompanying CD-ROM. If you want to make changes to the operating system, you can do so. If you want a driver for your oddball peripheral, you can write it yourself or con someone else into writing it for you.
</DL>
<H4 ALIGN="LEFT"><A NAME="Heading4"></A><FONT COLOR="#000077">Why Should You Use Linux?</FONT></H4>
<P>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:
</P>
<DL>
<DD><B>•</B> Users who want to learn more about the UNIX operating system and the X Window System.
<DD><B>•</B> Internet surfers who want a powerful platform for cruising the Net.
<DD><B>•</B> System administrators who want an alternative to expensive UNIX workstations, either in their workplace or at home.
<DD><B>•</B> Programmers who want a cheap home or small-business platform for developing software that can be used on other, more powerful UNIX systems.
</DL>
<P>There are many features to Linux that you should find attractive:
</P>
<DL>
<DD><B>•</B> <B>You’ve already paid for it</B>. By purchasing this book, you’ve purchased a full implementation of Linux, complete with scads of useful programs.
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux follows standards</B>. For the most part, Linux and its tools follow various standards, such as POSIX compliance. As a programming platform, Linux can be used to develop and test code for a wide variety of platforms.
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux can be used for most of your everyday needs</B>. True, Linux lacks the wide range of applications found in the PC world. However, for most of your daily tasks (particularly if you want to use Linux for programming or the Internet), the accompanying CD-ROMs contain enough tools to satisfy most of your needs.
<DD><B>•</B> <B>Linux runs binaries created on other PC versions of UNIX</B>. The new iBCS capability allows you to run a program that was compiled for another Intel-based PC, including SCO UNIX and FreeBSD.
</DL>
<P>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 <B>emacs</B> and <B>groff</B> 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.</P>
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