E-Book: Linux From Scratch (version 6.5) by Gerard Beekmans

My journey to learn and better understand Linux began over a decade ago, back in 1998. I had just installed my firstLinux distribution and had quickly become intrigued with the whole concept and philosophy behind Linux.

There are always many ways to accomplish a single task. The same can be said about Linux distributions. A greatmany have existed over the years. Some still exist, some have morphed into something else, yet others have beenrelegated to our memories. They all do things differently to suit the needs of their target audience. Because so manydifferent ways to accomplish the same end goal exist, I began to realize I no longer had to be limited by any oneimplementation. Prior to discovering Linux, we simply put up with issues in other Operating Systems as you had nochoice. It was what it was, whether you liked it or not. With Linux, the concept of choice began to emerge. If youdidn't like something, you were free, even encouraged, to change it.

I tried a number of distributions and could not decide on any one. They were great systems in their own right. Itwasn't a matter of right and wrong anymore. It had become a matter of personal taste. With all that choice available,it became apparent that there would not be a single system that would be perfect for me. So I set out to create myown Linux system that would fully conform to my personal preferences.

To truly make it my own system, I resolved to compile everything from source code instead of using pre-compiledbinary packages. This “perfect” Linux system would have the strengths of various systems without their perceivedweaknesses. At first, the idea was rather daunting. I remained committed to the idea that such a system could be built.

After sorting through issues such as circular dependencies and compile-time errors, I finally built a custom-builtLinux system. It was fully operational and perfectly usable like any of the other Linux systems out there at the time.But it was my own creation. It was very satisfying to have put together such a system yourself. The only thing betterwould have been to create each piece of software myself. This was the next best thing.

As I shared my goals and experiences with other members of the Linux community, it became apparent that there wasa sustained interest in these ideas. It quickly became plain that such custom-built Linux systems serve not only to meetuser specific requirements, but also serve as an ideal learning opportunity for programmers and system administratorsto enhance their (existing) Linux skills. Out of this broadened interest, the Linux From Scratch Project was born.

This Linux From Scratch book is the central core around that project. It provides the background and instructionsnecessary for you to design and build your own system. While this book provides a template that will result in acorrectly working system, you are free to alter the instructions to suit yourself, which is, in part, an important part ofthis project. You remain in control; we just lend a helping hand to get you started on your own journey.

I sincerely hope you will have a great time working on your own Linux From Scratch system and enjoy the numerousbenefits of having a system that is truly your own. (Gerard Beekmans)

This book is divided into the following parts:

1. Part I - IntroductionPart I explains a few important notes on how to proceed with the LFS installation. This section also provides meta-information about the book.
2. Part II - Preparing for the BuildPart II describes how to prepare for the building process—making a partition, downloading the packages, andcompiling temporary tools.
3. Part III - Building the LFS SystemPart III guides the reader through the building of the LFS system—compiling and installing all the packages one byone, setting up the boot scripts, and installing the kernel. The resulting Linux system is the foundation on which othersoftware can be built to expand the system as desired. At the end of this book, there is an easy to use reference listingall of the programs, libraries, and important files that have been installed.

Download: Linux-From-Scratch-6.5.pdf