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Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 19:20:09 -0400
From: Gerard Beekmans <gerard@linuxfromscratch.org>
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: Build your own Linux distribution from the ground up

Dear sir/madam,

I'd like to take this oportunity to announce yet another new Linux
distribution. Though we feel that this distribution, called
LinuxFromScratch or LFS for short, is different than others and worth
mentioning. Let me quickly explain what LFS's goals are. 

LinuxFromScratch is a project which aims to teach the inner workings of 
Linux, by describing how to compile a fully functional Linux distribution 
(with the same capabilities as existing Linux distributions such as Debian, 
SuSe, Slackware, RedHat and others) entirely from source.

The instructions can be read either on our website or in the LFS book
(former LFS-HOWTO under Linux Documentation Project's License) which can
be downloaded for free at http://www.linuxfromscratch.org

This book probably isn't a good resource for people who just started
with Linux, or who are about to move from the Microsoft world to the
Linux world but it's more intended for those who want to learn more about how
Linux works, and how the various pieces of the Operating System fit
together. Although even people with little to no Linux experience can
use this book to install their own LFS system, it would be hard to
understand what's going on if you lack some trivial Linux skills.

Currently, LFS supports Intel and Apple PowerPC platforms. We're
working on including procedures to set up diskless clients in
remote-boot situations, and are hoping to add more platforms in time
(as soon as somebody submits modifications to the book).

As you can see, It's not really a distribution like you're used to, but 
it's a complete book describing how to create a distribution rather than 
downloading or buying one.

This is also perfect for people who are concerned with security issues.
Since you compile everything yourself, you don't have to use
pre-compiled packages (such as DEB, RPM and others) which always have
that small chance of having backdoors.

Thanks,

-- 
TTS Linux Solutions
Gerard Beekmans
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org

-*- If Linux doesn't have the solution, you have the wrong problem -*-