mirror of https://github.com/tLDP/LDP
297 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
297 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>Linux Meta-FAQ
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<author>Michael K. Johnson <johnsonm@redhat.com>
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<date>v4.7, 25 October 1997
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<abstract>
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This is the Meta-FAQ for Linux. It is mainly a list of valuable
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sources of information. Check these sources out if you want to learn
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more about Linux, or have problems and need help.
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</abstract>
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<sect>Introduction
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<p><descrip>
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<tag/What is Linux?/
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Linux is an independent implementation of the POSIX operating system
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specification, with SYSV and BSD extensions, that has been written
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entirely from scratch (this means it looks and acts just like Unix).
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It has no proprietary code in it. Linux is freely
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distributable under the GNU General Public License.
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Linux works on IBM PC
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compatibles with an ISA or EISA bus (including local bus variants VLB
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and PCI) and a 386 or higher processor.
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Some Amiga and Atari computers with MMU's are also supported.
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This means 68020 with an external MMU, 68030, 68040, or 68060.
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Support for the Digital Alpha is now stable.
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Red Hat and Craftworks have Alpha distributions of Linux.
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Support for Sparc is stable, and Red Hat Linux is available for Sparc.
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Support for PowerPC is in development for multiple platforms,
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including Nubus and PCI Macintosh, Motorola Powerstack, IBM
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830 and 850, and other platforms.
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Support for ARM, StrongARM, and MIPS is in various stages of
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completion, but don't hold your breath.
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Read comp.os.linux.announce instead.
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See the Linux INFO-SHEET for more technical information on these
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ports, and the Hardware Compatibility HOWTO for more exact hardware
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requirements.
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The Linux kernel
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is written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@transmeta.com>
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and other volunteers. Most of the programs running under
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Linux are generic Unix freeware, many of them from the GNU project.
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<tag/The Linux INFO-SHEET/
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More specific technical information on Linux. Includes pointers
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to information on the various ports, a feature list, information
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about how to get Linux, and more.
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<tag/The Linux HOWTO's/
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These are somewhat like FAQ's, but instead of answering common
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questions, they explain how to do common tasks, like ordering
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a release of Linux, setting up print services under Linux,
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setting up a basic UUCP feed, etc. See
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX.html"> or
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<url url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/">
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for the definitive versions
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of all the HOWTO's. Other sites with up-to-date copies of
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the HOWTOs are ftp.cc.gatech.edu and tsx-11.mit.edu.
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In addition, there are many short, free-form documents called
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"mini-HOWTOs". These documents cover very specific subjects,
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such as BogoMIPS or Color-ls. These are available at
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<url url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/mini/">
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and at
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX.html">.
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<tag/Linux newsgroups/
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There are several Usenet newsgroups for Linux.
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It is a good idea to follow at least comp.os.linux.announce if you
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use Linux. comp.os.linux.announce is moderated by
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Lars Wirzenius. To make submissions to the newsgroup, send mail to
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linux-announce@news.ornl.gov. You may direct questions about
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comp.os.linux.announce to Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@iki.fi>
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.announce is a moderated
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newsgroup for announcements about Linux (new programs, bug
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fixes, etc).
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.answers is a moderated newsgroup
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to which the Linux FAQ, HOWTO documents, and other
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documentation postings are made.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.setup is an unmoderated newsgroup
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for discussion of issues and problems involved in setting up
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Linux systems.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.admin is an unmoderated
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newsgroup for discussion of administration of Linux systems.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.development.system is an
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unmoderated newsgroup specifically for discussion of Linux
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<bf/kernel/ development. The only application development
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questions that should be discussed here are those that are
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intimately associated with the kernel. All other
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development questions are probably generic Unix development
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questions and should be directed to a comp.unix group
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instead, unless they are very Linux-specific applications
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questions, in which case they should be directed at
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comp.os.linux.development.apps.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.development.apps is an
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unmoderated newsgroup specifically for discussion of
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Linux-related applications development. It is not for
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discussion of where to get applications for Linux, nor a
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discussion forum for those who would like to see
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applications for Linux.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.hardware is for Linux-specific
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hardware questions.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.networking is for Linux-specific
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networking development and setup questions.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.x is for Linux-specific X
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Windows questions.
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The newsgroup comp.os.linux.misc is an unmoderated newsgroup for any
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Linux discussion that doesn't belong anywhere else.
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In general, <bf/do not/ crosspost between the Linux newsgroups.
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The <bf/only/ crossposting that is appropriate is an occasional
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posting between one unmoderated group and comp.os.linux.announce. The
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whole point of splitting the old comp.os.linux group into many groups
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was to reduce
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traffic in each. Those that do not follow this rule will be flamed
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without mercy...
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<tag/Other newsgroups/
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Do not assume that all your questions are appropriate for a Linux
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newsgroup just because you are running Linux. Is your question
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really about shell programming under any unix or unix clone? Then
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ask in comp.unix.shell. Is it about GNU Emacs? Then try asking in
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gnu.emacs.help. Also, if you don't know another group to ask in, but
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think there might be, politely ask in your post if there is another
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group that would be more appropriate for your question. At least
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the groups comp.unix.{questions,shell,programming,bsd,admin} and
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comp.windows.x.i386unix should be useful for a Linux user.
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<tag/The World-Wide Web/
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Greg Hankins <gregh@cc.gatech.edu> maintains the home WWW page for
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the Linux project. The URL is <url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">
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<tag/Linux Journal/
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A magazine called <em/Linux Journal/ was launched several
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years ago. It includes articles intended for almost all
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skill levels, and is intended to be helpful to all Linux
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users. Subscriptions are $22 in the U.S., $27
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in Canada and Mexico, and $32 elsewhere around the
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world, all payable in U.S. funds. Subscription inquiries can
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be sent via email to subs@ssc.com or faxed to (U.S.)
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1-206-782-7191 or mailed to Linux Journal, PO Box 85867,
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Seattle, WA 98145-1867 USA. SSC has a PGP public key if
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you wish to send your credit card number via encrypted
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email: finger info@ssc.com
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<tag/The Linux Software Map/
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Information on free software available for Linux can be found in the
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Linux Software Map, which can be found at
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<url url="http://www.execpc.com/~lsm/">
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</descrip>
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<sect>Getting Linux
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<sect1>Linux FTP sites
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<p>
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A more complete list of Linux FTP sites is in the Linux INFO-SHEET,
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which can always be found at
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/INFO-SHEET.html">
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The most important sites are listed here; please
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see the INFO-SHEET for a site nearer to you (there are many mirrors).
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<!--
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\noindent\begin{tabular}{lll}
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{\bf Textual name} & {\bf Numeric address} & {\bf Linux directory}
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\\\hline
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tsx-11.mit.edu & 18.86.0.44 & /pub/linux \\
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sunsite.unc.edu & 152.2.22.81 & /pub/Linux \\
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ftp.kernel.org & 206.184.214.34 & /pub/linux \\
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\end{tabular}
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-->
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<tscreen><verb>
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textual name numeric addr Linux directory
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======================= ============== ===============
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tsx-11.mit.edu 18.86.0.44 /pub/linux
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sunsite.unc.edu 152.2.22.81 /pub/Linux
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ftp.kernel.org 206.184.214.34 /pub/linux
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</verb></tscreen>
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These sites are the main ``home'' sites for Linux where most uploads take
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place. There are many mirror sites; please use the closest (network-wise)
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site to you.
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<sect1>Linux on physical media
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<p>
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Linux is distributed on physical media, mainly CD-ROM,
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by several commercial vendors. Please read the distribution
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HOWTO, posted regularily to comp.os.linux.announce, and available at
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Distribution-HOWTO.html">
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<sect1>AFS
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<p>
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Linux is available over AFS by mounting the
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volume project.linux from sipb.mit.edu
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<sect1>Commercial networks
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<p>
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Compu$erve has some Linux archives.
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<sect1>Mailservers and such
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<p>
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Sunsite offers ftp-mail service --- mail <ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu>.
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<sect>Linux distributions
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<p>
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Linux is distributed by its author only as a kernel. Other people have
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put together ``distributions'' that pair the Linux kernel with utilities
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and application software to make a complete working package.
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There are several distributions of Linux, which are available at
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various sites. Sunsite mirrors many of the distributions at
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<url url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/distributions/">.
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The most commonly-recommended freely-available distributions are
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Red Hat <url url="http://www.redhat.com"> and
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Debian <url url="http://www.debian.org">. These are available for
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free over the internet, and are also sold on CD-ROM.
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There are other distributions of Linux as well. Most commercial
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distributors of Linux advertise in <em/Linux Journal/.
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<sect>Linux mailing-lists
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<p>
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Used mostly for discussion between developers of new features and testers
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of pre-release versions. See addresses in the FAQ.
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Send mail to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu with the single word
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<tt/help/ in the body of the message , and you will get
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mail explaining how to subscribe to the many Linux mailing
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lists there.
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Save this mail, as it tells you how to unsubscribe from the lists,
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and if you post annoying messages to the list complaining
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about not being able to get off the list (because you didn't follow
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instructions and save the mail telling you how to unsubscribe), you
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will likely be flamed for wasting international bandwidth and money.
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<sect>Documentation for various programs
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<p>
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Many programs come with some sort of documentation, often in a file called
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README or something similar. It is a VERY good idea to read them with
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care. It is boring to see (and answer) questions that are answered in
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the documentation. Most programs also have ``man pages''; use the command
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<tt/man programname/ to get documentation on a program named
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<tt/programname/. To get help using the man program, use
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<tt/man man/.
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Most distributions put other documentation about programs in the
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directory /usr/doc/; your distribution should include documentation
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on how to access that documentation.
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<sect>More Documentation
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<p>
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The Linux Documentation Project is working on a lot of
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documentation. Already, over 3000 pages of book-style documentation
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has been released to the general public, and another 2000 or so printed
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pages of man pages
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have also been released, with more to follow. Check
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/"> for documents written by the LDP.
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<sect>Keeping track of current releases
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<p>
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Important new releases, programs,
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and ports are usually announced in comp.os.linux.announce.
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<sect>This Document
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<p>
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The latest version of this document should always be available from
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<url url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/META-FAQ.html">
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<sect>Legalese
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<p>
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Trademarks are owned by their owners. Satisfaction not guaranteed.
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No warranties about this document. Void where prohibited.
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The content of this document is placed in the public domain, but
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if you quote it, please be polite and attribute your source.
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Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@iki.fi> wrote the first version
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of this document; it is now maintained by
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Michael K. Johnson <johnsonm@redhat.com>.
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Mail me if you have any questions about this document.
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</article>
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