old-www/FAQ/Linux-FAQ/linux-distributions.html

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><DIV
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><H1
CLASS="sect1"
><A
NAME="linux-distributions"
></A
>7. Linux Distributions</H1
><DIV
CLASS="qandaset"
><DL
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#where-do-i-start"
>How Do I Get Started?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-much-hard-disk-space-does-linux-need"
>What are the Disk Space Requirements for Minimal, Server, and Workstation Use?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-much-memory-does-linux-need"
>What are the Minimum and Maximum Memory Requirements?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#what-is-best"
>What Is the Best Distribution, SCSI Card, Editor, CD-ROM Drive, etc?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-to-get-a-distro"
>How Can I Get a Distribution?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#get-linux-material-by-ftp"
>Where Are the Linux FTP Archives?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#install-linux-using-ftp"
>How Do I Install Linux Using FTP?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#i-dont-have-ftp-access"
>How Can I Get Linux Without FTP Access?</A
></DT
><DT
>Q: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#how-to-install"
>How Do I Install Linux?</A
></DT
></DL
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="where-do-i-start"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>How Do I Get Started?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>If you are new to Linux, you should start by buying or downloading a
general-purpose Linux distribution. A distribution is a complete operating
system, including the Linux kernel and all the utilities and software you are
likely to need, ready to install and use. Most distributions include thousands
of software packages, including user-friendly desktops, office suites, and games.
</P
><P
>There are a handful of major Linux distributions, and as a beginner you are
probably safer using one of them. For information about them, and how they
are installed, see the <I
CLASS="citetitle"
>Distributions-HOWTO</I
> from the Linux Documentation
Project. Also, a list of distributions is updated weekly at <A
HREF="http://lwn.net"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://lwn.net</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>Before you select which distribution you want to try, read their descriptions
carefully and compare them to your needs. Each distribution is tailored to a
particular type of user. Some are optimized to function as servers, some are
optimized for gaming, and some are optimized for desktop and office use.
</P
><P
>There are a few distributions which are considered to be outstanding choices
for new users:
</P
><P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
>Red Hat is particularly good for servers
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Mandrake is excellent as a desktop system
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>SuSE is also excellent as a desktop system
</P
></LI
></UL
><P
>There are also a large number of releases which are distributed less globally
that suit special local and national needs. Many of them are archived at
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.tux.org"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.tux.org</I
></A
>.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="how-much-hard-disk-space-does-linux-need"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>What are the Disk Space Requirements for Minimal, Server, and Workstation Use?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Linux needs about 10Mb for a very minimal installation,
suitable for trying Linux, and not much else.
</P
><P
>You can fit a typical server installation, including the X Window System GUI,
into 80Mb.
Installing a small Debian GNU/Linux workstation takes from 500Mb to 1GB,
including kernel source code, some space for user files, and spool areas.
</P
><P
>Installing a commercial distribution that has a desktop GUI environment,
commercial word processor, and front-office productivity suite, will claim
15.1 GB of disk space, approximately.
</P
><P
>A fully installed Debian GNU/Linux system could use several Gigabytes
of disk space.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="how-much-memory-does-linux-need"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>What are the Minimum and Maximum Memory Requirements?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Linux needs at least 4MB, and then you will need to use special installation procedures
until the disk swap space is installed. Linux will run comfortably in 4MB of
RAM, although running GUI apps is impractically slow because they need to
swap out to disk.
</P
><P
>Some applications, like StarOffice, require 32 MB of physical memory, and
compiling C++ code can easily consume over 100 MB of combined physical and
virtual memory.
</P
><P
>There is a distribution, "Small Linux", that will run on machines with 2MB of
RAM. Refer to the answer to: <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#get-linux-material-by-ftp"
><I
>Where Are the Linux FTP Archives?</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>A number of people have asked how to address more than 64 MB of memory, which
is the default upper limit in most standard kernels. Either type, at the
<TT
CLASS="literal"
>BOOT lilo:</TT
> prompt:
</P
><P
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="screen"
>mem=XXM</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
>
</P
><P
>Or place the following in your <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/etc/lilo.conf</TT
> file:
</P
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="programlisting"
> append="mem=XXM" </PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
>The parameter "<EM
>XX</EM
>M" is the amount of memory, specified
as megabytes; for example, "128M."
</P
><P
>If an "<TT
CLASS="literal"
>append=</TT
>" directive with other configuration options
already exists in <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/etc/lilo.conf</TT
>, then add the
<TT
CLASS="literal"
>mem=</TT
> directive to the end of the existing argument, and
separated from the previous arguments by a space; e.g.:
</P
><TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="programlisting"
># Example only; do not use.
append="parport=0x3bc,none serial=0x3f8,4 mem=XXM"</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
>Be sure to run the "<B
CLASS="command"
>lilo</B
>" command to install the new
configuration.
</P
><P
>If Linux still doesn't recognize the extra memory, the kernel may need
additional configuration. Refer to the <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/usr/src/linux/Documentation/memory.txt</TT
>
file in the kernel source as a start.
</P
><P
>For further information about LILO, refer to the manual pages for
<B
CLASS="command"
>lilo</B
> and <TT
CLASS="filename"
>lilo.conf</TT
>, the documentation
in <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/usr/doc/lilo</TT
>, the <I
CLASS="citetitle"
>LILO-HOWTO</I
>, and the answer for:
<A
HREF="booting.html#boot-time-parameters"
><I
>How Do I Set the Boot-Time Configuration?</I
></A
>, below.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="what-is-best"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>What Is the Best Distribution, SCSI Card, Editor, CD-ROM Drive, etc?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>The "best" of anything depends on your particular needs. Discussions like these
frequently occur on Usenet. Most often they're flame bait. Answering is
generally a waste of time. Free software licensing is unrestrictive enough,
that, with a little experience, you can perform your own testing on your own
hosts.
</P
><P
>A better way to phrase a specific inquiry might be: "Where can I find...."
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="how-to-get-a-distro"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>How Can I Get a Distribution?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>If you can, please dig into your wallet and buy a copy of your distribution.
Linux distributions are extremely inexpensive - usually around $30 for a complete
system, and anywhere from $70 to around $150 for a larger system with more server
software or development tools. Even the $30 "basic" systems contain the equivalent
of thousands of dollars in proprietary tools, and are an incredible value.
The distributors invest many of your dollars into further development, and most
of them fund outside open source projects.
</P
><P
>Commercial distributions are available from book and electronics stores,
or you can order from their websites.
</P
><P
>If you use Debian GNU/Linux, which is a volunteer project and a non-profit,
you can donate directly to them instead.
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>There are some websites that sell Linux CD's very inexpensively. Try:
</P
><P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="http://www.cheapbytes.com"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://www.cheapbytes.com</I
></A
>
</P
></LI
></UL
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Every distribution provides a download on their home page.
This is a requirement of the licensing terms of the software,
so if you cannot afford to pay for your distribution, you can get a copy this way.
Some people compromise between paying and downloading,
for example by buying each major release (such as 6.0) but downloading the
point releases (such as 6.1 and 6.2).
</P
><P
>Also, archives of many of the distributions are on line at:
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.tux.org"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.tux.org</I
></A
> and <A
HREF="http://planetmirror.com/pub/linux"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://planetmirror.com/pub/linux</I
></A
>.
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Some hardware vendors now ship systems with Linux pre-installed.
However, they sometimes make it very difficult to buy them -
they offer Linux on only a few systems, which are server machines,
or they require you to go to a special "Linux" section on their website.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="get-linux-material-by-ftp"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>Where Are the Linux FTP Archives?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>There are three main archive sites for Linux:
</P
><P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/OS/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/OS/Linux/</I
></A
> (Finland).
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="http://ibiblio.org/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://ibiblio.org/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (US), with a nice WWW interface.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu//pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu//pub/linux/</I
></A
> (US).
</P
></LI
></UL
><P
>The best place to get the Linux kernel is
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/</I
></A
>. Linus Torvalds uploads the most
recent kernel versions to this site.
</P
><P
>Of the U.S. distributions, Debian GNU/Linux is available at
<A
HREF="http://www.debian.org/distrib/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://www.debian.org/distrib/</I
></A
>. Red Hat Linux's home site is
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.redhat.com/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.redhat.com/</I
></A
>, and Linux Slackware's is
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>The Small Linux distribution, which can run in 2 MB of RAM, is located at
<A
HREF="http://smalllinux.netpedia.net/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://smalllinux.netpedia.net/</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>The contents of these sites is mirrored (copied, usually approximately daily)
by a number of other sites. Please use a site close to you will be faster
for you and easier on the network.
</P
><P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.sun.ac.za/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (South Africa)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.is.co.za/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.is.co.za/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (South Africa)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.cs.cuhk.hk/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.cs.cuhk.hk/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Hong Kong)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://sunsite.ust.hk/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://sunsite.ust.hk/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Hong Kong)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.spin.ad.jp/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.spin.ad.jp/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Japan)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.nuri.net/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Korea)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.jaring.my/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.jaring.my/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Malaysia)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.nus.sg/pub/unix/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.nus.sg/pub/unix/Linux/</I
></A
> (Singapore)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/mirrors/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.nectec.or.th/pub/mirrors/linux/</I
></A
> (Thailand)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://planetmirror.com/pub/linux"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://planetmirror.com/pub/linux</I
></A
> (Australia) (Also take a look at <A
HREF="http://planetmirror.com/archives.php"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://planetmirror.com/archives.php</I
></A
>.)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Australia)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.univie.ac.at/systems/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.univie.ac.at/systems/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Austria)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/Unix/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.fi.muni.cz/pub/Unix/linux/</I
></A
> (Czech Republic)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/Linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/Linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Finland)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.univ-angers.fr/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.univ-angers.fr/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (France)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.iut-bm.univ-fcomte.fr/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.iut-bm.univ-fcomte.fr/</I
></A
> (France)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (France)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.loria.fr/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.loria.fr/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (France)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.dfv.rwth-aachen.de/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.germany.eu.net/pub/os/Linux/Mirror.SunSITE/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.germany.eu.net/pub/os/Linux/Mirror.SunSITE/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.tu-dresden.de/pub/Linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.tu-dresden.de/pub/Linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/Linux/MIRROR.sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/Linux/MIRROR.sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/mirrors/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/mirrors/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/linux/mirror.sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub/linux/mirror.sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.ba-mannheim.de/pub/linux/mirror.sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.ba-mannheim.de/pub/linux/mirror.sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/pub/Mirrors/sunsite.unc.edu/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.uni-paderborn.de/pub/Mirrors/sunsite.unc.edu/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.uni-rostock.de/Linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.uni-rostock.de/Linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/unix/systems/linux/MIRROR.sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/unix/systems/linux/MIRROR.sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.uni-tuebingen.de/pub/linux/Mirror.sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.uni-tuebingen.de/pub/linux/Mirror.sunsite/</I
></A
> (Germany)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.kfki.hu/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Hungary)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://linux.italnet.it/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://linux.italnet.it/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Italy)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.unina.it/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Italy)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://giotto.unipd.it/pub/unix/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://giotto.unipd.it/pub/unix/Linux/</I
></A
> (Italy)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://cnuce-arch.cnr.it/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://cnuce-arch.cnr.it/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Italy)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/mirror2/metalab.unc.edu/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.flashnet.it/mirror2/metalab.unc.edu/</I
></A
> (Italy)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.nijenrode.nl/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.nijenrode.nl/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Netherlands)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.LeidenUniv.nl/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.LeidenUniv.nl/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Netherlands)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.nvg.unit.no/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Norway)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/Linux/metalab.unc.edu/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/Linux/metalab.unc.edu/</I
></A
> (Poland)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.rediris.es/software/os/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.rediris.es/software/os/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://sunsite.rediris.es/software/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://sunsite.rediris.es/software/linux/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.cs.us.es/pub/Linux/sunsite-mirror/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.cs.us.es/pub/Linux/sunsite-mirror/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/mirror/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.etse.urv.es/pub/mirror/linux/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.etsimo.uniovi.es/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.etsimo.uniovi.es/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.luna.gui.es/pub/linux.new/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.luna.gui.es/pub/linux.new/</I
></A
> (Spain)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.metu.edu.tr/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.metu.edu.tr/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Turkey)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://unix.hensa.ac.uk/mirrors/sunsite/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://unix.hensa.ac.uk/mirrors/sunsite/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (UK)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.maths.warwick.ac.uk/mirrors/linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.maths.warwick.ac.uk/mirrors/linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/</I
></A
> (UK)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/Linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/Linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/</I
></A
> (UK)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/packages/linux/sunsite.unc-mirror/</I
></A
> (UK)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.io.org/pub/mirrors/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.io.org/pub/mirrors/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (Canada)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.cc.gatech.edu/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.cc.gatech.edu/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (US)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (US)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.siriuscc.com/pub/Linux/Sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.siriuscc.com/pub/Linux/Sunsite/</I
></A
> (US)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.engr.uark.edu/pub/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.engr.uark.edu/pub/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (US)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://ftp.infomagic.com/pub/mirrors/linux/sunsite/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.infomagic.com/pub/mirrors/linux/sunsite/</I
></A
> (US)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://linux.if.usp.br/pub/mirror/metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://linux.if.usp.br/pub/mirror/metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/</I
></A
> (Brazil)
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
><A
HREF="ftp://farofa.ime.usp.br/pub/linux/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://farofa.ime.usp.br/pub/linux/</I
></A
> (Brazil)
</P
></LI
></UL
><P
>Please send updates and corrections to this list to the Linux FAQ maintainer,
see <A
HREF="intro.html#feedback"
><I
>Asking Questions and Sending Comments</I
></A
>.
Not all of these mirror all of the other "source" sites,
and some have material not available on the "source" sites.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="install-linux-using-ftp"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>How Do I Install Linux Using FTP?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Most distributions are too large and complex to
make FTP installation practical. Installing a basic Linux system that doesn't
have a GUI or major applications is possible with FTP, however. The main
non-commercial distribution in use is Debian GNU/Linux, and this answer
describes an installation of a basic Debian system, to which you can add
other Linux applications and commercial software as necessary.
</P
><P
>This answer describes installation on IBM-compatible machines with an Intel
x86 or Pentium processor. You will need a machine with at least a 80386
processor, 8 Mb of memory, and about 100 Mb of disk space. More memory and a
larger disk is necessary however, for practical everyday use.
</P
><P
>For other hardware, substitute "-arm", "-ppc", "-m68k", or other
abbreviation in directory names for "-i386".
</P
><P
>For detailed and hardware-specific information refer to:
<A
HREF="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
>Connect to
<A
HREF="http://ftp.debian.org/dists/stable/main/disks-i386/current/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://ftp.debian.org/dists/stable/main/disks-i386/current/</I
></A
>.
If you use anonymous FTP, connect to
<A
HREF="ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/disks-i386/current/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/disks-i386/current/</I
></A
>.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Choose the <TT
CLASS="filename"
>images-*/</TT
> subdirectory that matches the type of floppy drive
installed on your machine, if unsure try <TT
CLASS="filename"
>images-1.44/</TT
>. Retrieve the
<TT
CLASS="filename"
>rescue.bin</TT
>, <TT
CLASS="filename"
>root.bin</TT
>, and <TT
CLASS="filename"
>driver-*.bin</TT
> disk images.
Once you have installed those floppy images, the rest of the system can be retrieved
from a Debian mirror site, or installed from CD. If you have a Linux
machine, you can use dd to write the images to the diskettes. If you
are creating the installation diskettes on a MS-DOS machine, also
download the <B
CLASS="command"
>RAWRITE.EXE</B
> MS-DOS utility, which will copy the raw binary
images to floppy disks. Also download the <TT
CLASS="filename"
>install.en.txt</TT
> document, which
contains the detailed installation instructions.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Create the installation disk set on floppies using either <B
CLASS="command"
>dd</B
> under
Linux (e.g.: <TT
CLASS="literal"
>dd if=resc1440.bin of=/dev/fd0</TT
>), or the
<TT
CLASS="filename"
>RAWRITE.EXE</TT
> utility under MS-DOS. Be sure to label each
installation diskette.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Insert the rescue diskette into the floppy drive and reboot the computer. If all goes well, the
Linux kernel will boot, and you will be able start the installation program
by pressing <B
CLASS="keycap"
>Enter</B
> at the <TT
CLASS="literal"
>boot:</TT
> prompt.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Follow the on-screen instructions for
partitioning the hard disk, installing device drivers, the basic system
software, and the Linux kernel. If the machine is connected to a local
network, enter the network information when the system asks for it.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>To install additional software over the
Internet, be sure that you have installed the <TT
CLASS="literal"
>ppp</TT
> module
during the installation process, and run (as root) the
<TT
CLASS="filename"
>/usr/sbin/pppconfig</TT
> utility. You will need to provide
your user name with your ISP, your password, the ISP's dial-up phone number,
the address(es) of the ISP's Domain Name Service, and the serial port that
your modem is connected to, <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/dev/ttyS0</TT
> <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/dev/ttyS3</TT
>. Be sure also
to specify the <TT
CLASS="literal"
>defaultroute</TT
> option to the PPP system, so
the computer knows to use the PPP connection for remote Internet addresses.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>You may have to perform additional
configuration on the PPP scripts in the <TT
CLASS="filename"
>/etc/ppp</TT
>
subdirectory, and in particular, the ISP-specific script in the
<TT
CLASS="filename"
>/etc/ppp/peers</TT
> subdirectory. There are basic
instructions in each script. For detailed information, refer to the
Debian/GNU Linux installation instructions that you downloaded, the pppd
manual page (type <TT
CLASS="literal"
>man pppd</TT
>), and the <I
CLASS="citetitle"
>PPP
HOWTO</I
> from the Linux Documentation project,
<A
HREF="http://tldp.org/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://tldp.org/</I
></A
>.
</P
></LI
><LI
><P
>Once you have a PPP connection established with your ISP (it
will be displayed in the output of ifconfig), use the dselect program to
specify which additional software you want to install. Use the
<B
CLASS="command"
>apt</B
> <TT
CLASS="literal"
>[A]ccess</TT
> option to retrieve
packages via anonymous FTP, and make sure to use the
<TT
CLASS="literal"
>[U]pdate</TT
> option to retrieve a current list of packages
from the FTP archive.
</P
></LI
></UL
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="i-dont-have-ftp-access"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>How Can I Get Linux Without FTP Access?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>The easiest thing is probably to find a friend with FTP access. If there is a Linux user's group near you, they may be able to help.
</P
><P
>If you have a reasonably good email
connection, you could try the FTP-by-mail servers at
<A
HREF="mailto:ftpmail@ftp.sunet.se"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftpmail@ftp.sunet.se</I
></A
>, or
<A
HREF="mailto:ftpmail@ftp.uni-stuttgart.de"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftpmail@ftp.uni-stuttgart.de</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>Linux is also available via traditional mail on CD-ROM. The file
<A
HREF="ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Installation-HOWTO"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Installation-HOWTO</I
></A
>, and the file
<A
HREF="ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Distribution-HOWTO"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/Distribution-HOWTO</I
></A
> contain information on these distributions.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="qandaentry"
><DIV
CLASS="question"
><P
><A
NAME="how-to-install"
></A
><B
>Q: </B
>How Do I Install Linux?</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Once you obtain a distribution, it will contain instructions on installation.
Each distribution has its own installation program.
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>There is a very thorough installation guide on line at
<A
HREF="http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/linux.html"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/linux.html</I
></A
>
</P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="answer"
><P
><B
>A: </B
>Some distributions (e.g., Debian GNU/Linux) can be installed via anonymous
FTP from various Linux archive sites, but unless you have cable, DSL,
or some other broadband Internet access, the size of the distribution makes this impractical.
See <A
HREF="linux-distributions.html#get-linux-material-by-ftp"
><I
>Where Are the Linux FTP Archives?</I
></A
>.
</P
><P
>Postings on the Usenet News groups, including the FAQ, are archived on
<A
HREF="http://groups.google.com/"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>http://groups.google.com/</I
></A
>. Search for
<A
HREF="news:comp.os.linux"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>news:comp.os.linux</I
></A
>,
<A
HREF="news:alt.uu.comp.os.linux"
TARGET="_top"
><I
CLASS="citetitle"
>news:alt.uu.comp.os.linux</I
></A
> and their subgroups, or whatever is appropriate, to
retrieve articles from the Linux News groups. See <A
HREF="online-resources.html#what-newsgroups"
><I
>What News Groups Are There for Linux?</I
></A
>.
</P
></DIV
></DIV
></DIV
></DIV
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