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Linux From Scratch HOWTO

Gerard Beekmans

Version 1.3, February 2000

This document describes the process of creating your own Linux system from scratch from an already installed Linux distribution, using nothing but the source code of software that we need

1. Introduction

1.1 What's this all about?
1.2 New versions
1.3 Version history
1.4 Current Projects
1.5 TODO
1.6 Mailinglists
1.7 Contact info

2. Software packages you need to download

2.1 Mandatory software
2.2 Optional software

3. Preparing the new system

3.1 How we are going to do things
3.2 Creating a new partition
3.3 Creating an ext2 file system on the new partition
3.4 Adding an entry to LILO
3.5 Creating directories
3.6 Copying the /dev directory

4. Installing Sysvinit

4.1 Preparing Sysvinit
4.2 Configuring Sysvinit
4.3 Copying passwd & group files
4.4 Installing a root shell
4.5 Testing the system

5. Installing a kernel

5.1 Note on ftp.kernel.org
5.2 Configuring the kernel
5.3 Updating LILO
5.4 Testing the system

6. Installing the GNU C and C++ Libraries

6.1 Preparing the system for the GNU C Library installation
6.2 Installing the GNU C Library
6.3 Installing the GNU C++ Library

7. Installing the GNU C and C++ compilers

7.1 Making two small test programs
7.2 Installing GCC 2.7.2.3
7.3 Installing the g++_2.91.66-0slink2.deb package
7.4 Creating necessary symlinks
7.5 Testing the compilers

8. Installing login utilities

8.1 Installing agetty + login
8.2 Modifying $LFS/etc/inittab
8.3 Creating the UTMP record file
8.4 Testing the system

9. Installing Vim

9.1 Preparing the system for the Vim installation
9.2 Installing Vim

10. Creating initial boot scripts

10.1 Preparing the directories and master files
10.2 Creating the reboot script
10.3 Creating the halt script
10.4 Creating the mountfs script
10.5 Creating the umountfs script
10.6 Creating the sendsignals script
10.7 Set file permissions and create symlinks
10.8 Creating the /etc/fstab file
10.9 Testing the system

11. Reinstalling statically linked software

11.1 Reinstaling GCC-2.7.2.3
11.2 Installing the Termcap library
11.3 Installing the Readline library
11.4 Reinstalling Bash
11.5 Reinstalling Sysvinit
11.6 Reinstalling Make
11.7 Reinstalling Sed
11.8 Reinstalling Shell Utils
11.9 Reinstalling File Utils
11.10 Reinstalling + Installing Util Linux
11.11 Reinstalling Text Utils
11.12 Reinstalling Tar
11.13 Reinstalling Gzip
11.14 Reinstalling Bison
11.15 Installing Flex
11.16 Reinstalling Binutils
11.17 Reinstalling Grep
11.18 Reinstalling Mawk
11.19 Reinstalling Find Utils
11.20 Reinstalling Diff Utils
11.21 Installing Less
11.22 Reinstalling Perl
11.23 Reinstalling M4
11.24 Reinstalling Texinfo

12. Installing the rest of the basic system software

12.1 Installing E2fsprogs
12.2 Installing File
12.3 Installing Libtool
12.4 Installing Modutils
12.5 Installing Linux86
12.6 Installing Lilo
12.7 Installing DPKG
12.8 Installing Sysklogd
12.9 Installing Groff
12.10 Installing Man-db
12.11 Installing Procps
12.12 Installing Procinfo
12.13 Installing Procmisc
12.14 Installing Shadow Password

13. Setting up basic networking

13.1 Installing Netkit-base
13.2 Installing Net-tools

14. Setting up Email sub system

14.1 Preparing system for Email sub system
14.2 Installing Procmail
14.3 Installing Sendmail
14.4 Installing Mailx
14.5 Creating /etc/init.d/sendmail bootscript
14.6 Setting up permissions and symlinks
14.7 Installing Mutt
14.8 Installing Fetchmail
14.9 Testing the Email sub system

15. Installing Internet Servers

15.1 Installing telnet daemon + client
15.2 Installing Proftpd
15.3 Installing Netkit-ftp
15.4 Installing Apache
15.5 Installing Slang Library
15.6 Installing Zlib
15.7 Installing Lynx
15.8 Configuring the daemons
15.9 Configuring telnetd
15.10 Configuring proftpd
15.11 Configuring apache
15.12 Testing the daemons

16. Installing X Window System

16.1 Installing X
16.2 Creating /etc/ld.so.conf
16.3 Modifying /etc/man_db.config
16.4 Creating the /usr/include/X11 symlink
16.5 Creating the /usr/X11 symlink
16.6 Adding /usr/X11/bin to the $PATH environment variable
16.7 Configuring X
16.8 Testing X

17. Installing Window Maker

17.1 Preparing the system for the Window Maker installation
17.2 Updating dynamic loader cache
17.3 Configuring WindowMaker
17.4 Testing WindowMaker

18. Configuring system for Internet

18.1 Configuring Kernel
18.2 Creating groups and directories
18.3 Installing PPP
18.4 Creating /etc/resolv.conf
18.5 Creating the connect and disconnect scripts
18.6 Creating /etc/ppp/peers/provider
18.7 Creating /etc/chatscripts/provider
18.8 Note on password authentication
18.9 Other resources

19. Migrations from old to new setups

19.1 Migrating from old C++ Library setup to the new setup
19.2 Migrating from old compiler setup to the new setup

20. Copyright & Licensing Information

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