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Linux FAQ, draft 3
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<!--- $Id: linux-il.faq,v 1.6 1996/05/19 07:27:22 marc Exp $ ---!>
Linux-IL FAQ
Marc A. Volovic (marc@{leonardo.ls,cs}.huji.ac.il
Computer Science Faculty
Hebrew University
Jerusalem, Israel
(c) May 1996
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This document is a list of frequently asked questions and the pertinent
answers pertaining to the Linux operating system, its use in Israel and
to the use of the Linux-IL mailing list.
This document may be retrieved from the Leonardo FTP site using anonymous
FTP and from other, as yet, unknown places.
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0) Administrativia
This section deals with the structure of this FAQ, the FTP sites where
it may be obtained, its scope and its application.
Q0.1) Where can one get this FAQ?
A0.1) This FAQ may be obtained from the Leonardo FTP site by anonymous
FTP:
leonardo.ls.huji.ac.il:/pub/Docs/FAQ/linux-il.faq
Furthermore, this FAQ may be obtained from Marc Volovic's home page
currently residing on:
http://www.ls.huji.ac.il/~marc/linux/FAQ.html
In addition, this FAQ shall be mailed to every new subscriber of
Linux-IL. Read this FAQ. This FAQ is your friend. This FAQ is your
ONLY friend on Linux-IL. This FAQ and only this FAQ is what stands
between you and Marc A. Volovic's ire.
Q0.2) What is the structure of this FAQ?
A0.2) This FAQ deals with any and all issues pertaining to the Linux
operating system. The preliminary structure is:
Section 0: Administrativia
Section 1: General Information
Section 2: Initial (Primary) Installation
Section 3: Secondary Installations
Section 4: Networking
Section 5: X11
This is not a preordained structure and, in this writer's opinion,
the structure and organization of the FAQ will change significantly
during the writing and updating of the document.
Q0.3) What is Linux-IL?
A0.3) Linux-IL is a loosely bound (some would say mostly unbound) group
of people who share a common interest in the Linux operating system.
This group endeavors to maintain a presence of the Linux operating
system at various trade shows, to promote the use of the Linux
operating system and to assist newcomers to Linux to find the two
mostly underused appendages of their bodies - namely, their feet.
In addition, Linux-IL is also the name of the mailing list used
by the Linux-IL members.
Q0.4) How can I subscribe, unsubscribe and post to Linux-IL mailing list?
A0.4) To subscribe to the list send a mail message containing the
following line to majordomo@cs.huji.ac.il:
subscribe linux-il
To unsubscribe from the list, send a mail message containing the
following line to the very same address :
unsubscribe linux-il
To send a real message to the list members, send the message to
linux-il@cs.huji.ac.il and hope for the best.
Note that sending a subscribe or unsubscribe request to the general
list is cause for flogging. With a SCSI cable. A differential SCSI
cable.
Posting a message with a question from this FAQ without first
reading the documentation pointed out herein and without first
taking all possible steps to overcome a problem by one's own little
droogless self is the cause celebre for Marc Volovic's anger and
outbursts.
Q0.5) Who are the movers and doers of Linux-IL?
A0.5) There are no preset responsibility areas in Linux-IL. Anyone capable
of explaining, obtaining or attaining anything may and should
contribute.
The people who post answers on a more or less regular basis are:
Erez Strauss - Commercial liaison, organizer of trade shows'
participation and generally a presentable
creature. (strauss@actcom.co.il)
Ira Abramov - Commercial liaison, importer of CD sets for
the Linux-IL group, co-organizer of trade shows'
participation. Answers technical questions.
(ira@scso.com)
Harvey Stein - The wisest voice in the wilderness, maintainer
of the UPS-HOWTO. Answers technical questions
nicely. Very nicely. (abel@netvision.net.il)
Amos Shapira - A wise voice in the wilderness. Answers Un*x
questions nicely. (amoss@picton.bard.org.il)
Shay Rojansky - A persistent participator in trade shows. The
group mascot. Answers some technical questions.
Linux maniac, walks around in a Linux T-shirt.
(roji@cs.huji.ac.il)
Marc Volovic - The maintainer of this FAQ, a loudmouthed,
filthy-minded, pugnacious creature. The group
bugbear. Maintainer of the Leonardo FTP site.
Answers technical questions NOT NICELY AT ALL.
(marc@cs.huji.ac.il)
Evgeny Stambulchik - The maintainer of the PLASMA-GATE WWW
site. Answers technical questions nicely.
(fnevgeny@plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il)
MANY OTHERS WHO WILL BE LISTED IN FUTURE VERSIONS OF THIS FAQ.
Q0.6) Where can one find information on Linux in Israel?
A0.6) Probably the best location are Evgeny's WWW site in the Weizmann
Institute. The URL is:
http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Linux/
This WWW site also contains links to other WWW and FTP sites.
Q0.7) Where can I obtain Linux in Israel?
A0.7) While it lasts, the Leonardo FTP site is the largest and the most
current. This may change in the very near future, since its
maintainer (namely, me) has left his job at the Life Sciences
Institute in the Hebrew University. However, this site currently
contains two complete distributions (Slackware and Debian),
significant portions of sunsite (kernel, system, devel, libs,
utils) and NTeX. The URL is:
ftp://leonardo.ls.huji.ac.il/pub/Linux
Other sites with Linux on them are:
ftp://cs.huji.ac.il/mirror/Linux (Slackware)
ftp://ftp.tau.ac.il/pub/OS/Slackware (Slackware)
ftp://ftp.tau.ac.il/pub/OS/linux (emulators, kernel, utils)
ftp://ftp.technion.ac.il/pub/unsupported/Linux (not current)
It is possible to obtain a Linux CD from the System Group in Ross
Building, Computer Science Faculty, Hebrew University. This CD (a
two CD set, actually) is quite old now.
It is possible to purchase Linux CD sets from various computer
shops in Israel. A few types of of CD sets exits, most notably the
Yggdrasil archives (currently five CD's) and the Infomagic Developer's
Resource (currently 6 CD's).
Q0.99) Who are the contributors to this FAQ?
A0.99) Current contributors (in no particular order) are:
Marc A. Volovic (marc@cs.huji.ac.il)
Gili Granot (gil@csc.cs.technion.ac.il)
Raphael Slepon (mrkgnao@actcom.co.il)
Shai Rojansky (roji@cs.huji.ac.il)
Evgeny Stambulchik (fnevgeny@plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il)
1) General Information
The general information section pertains to why Linux, where Linux, what
Linux and other matters of the sort.
Q1.0) What is Linux?
A1.0) Linux is a version of Un*x. It runs on Intel machines, on PPC, on
m68k, on MIPS', on Sparcs and on AXP. If one does not know what
these acronyms mean, then one must be satisfied in the answer that
it is a version of Un*x for Intel machines.
Linux is also a mystique and a modus vivendi - if one is moderately
patient, if one is willing to read documentation, reread it, peruse
it and glance at it again and again, then one will be accorded a
mostly reasonable response by other users of Linux.
If, however, one is a lazy bum why wants a POINTA-CLICKA-NO-THINKA
interface to one's computer, one shall be told off, shown the
egress, kicked in the goolies and otherwise molested.
Q1.1) Why should one install Linux?
A1.1) If this question is asked, then the probable answer is that one
does most certainly NOT need install Linux. One should install
Linux if one wants to learn about Un*x without undue expense or if
one needs a powerful operating system for his computer at home.
Q1.2) Will Linux run Microsoft PowerPoint (Excel, Word 7.0, whatever)?
A1.2) The simple answer is _NO_. Therefore, do not look at Linux as a
Windows (whatever flavour) replacement - it is not.
The complex answer is _MAYBE_. RTF{M,LDP,H,F} (Manual, Linux
Documentation Project, HOWTO's, FAQ's). You are interested in Wine,
a Windows emulator. It is not a complete package and may, in fact,
eat you machine. But it runs minelayer and solitaire.
Q1.3) Will Linux run Microsoft Flight Simulator 5 (Warcraft II, Heretic)?
Q1.3) The simple answer is _NO_. RTFM.
The complex answer is _MAYBE_. RTF{M,LDP,H,F}. You are interested in
DosEmu, a PC-DOS emulator for Linux. Read the DOSEMU-HOWTO with care.
Q1.4) So, what should one want with Linux?
Q1.4) See question 1.1.
2) Initial (Primary) Installation
The Initial Installation Section pertains to the installation of Linux from
scrath.
Q2.0) What should be done first and foremost?
A2.0) (Raphael Slepon answers):
1. One should read chapters 1 and 2 of "Linux Installation and
Getting Started" by Matt Welsh.
2. One should read "Linux Installation HOWTO."
3. One should go through "Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO" and
check whether one's hardware is supported. Most of it probably
is, but better safe than sorry!
4. One should then:
i. Take a deep breath.
ii. Clear the weekend.
iii. Be alone, composed and relaxed (This is _NOT_ about
masturbation, I promise).
iv. Get a few pens, a pad of paper, coffee, a comfy chair, all
the books and documents about Linux one has and that very
nice teddy one used to have as child.
5. JUUUUUUUUUUUMP!
Q2.1) What is one installing when one is installing Linux? What version of
Linux should one install?
A2.1) One is installing a DISTRIBUTION, containing a KERNEL and a set of
bundled commands and applications.
A kernel is the operating system innards - without it there would not
be Linux. There is, normally, TWO current kernels - the current
stable kernel and the current development kernel.
The most recent stable kernel is 1.2.13. It is fairly old now, and
lacks a number of bells and whistles. However, it works or fails
fairly predictably.
The most recent development kernel is (at the time of writing)
pre-2.0pl5. Alas, this kernel is also called 1.99.5 and pre-2.0.5,
so be not deceived.
A distribution is a kernel wrapped in a set of additional commands
and applications. There are a number of distributions, the most
notable being:
Red Hat 3.0.3
Slackware 3.0
Debian 0.93R6
Bogus 1.0.1
Caldera 1.0
Each of the distributions has advantages and disadvantages. In order
to select a distribution, one should read its own documentation.
There is a widespread confusion in the various version numbers,
especially between the kernels and the distributions. Among the
distributions, Slackware and Red Hat are prominent and popular.
Both are ELF. RedHat is supposedly easier to upgrade and downgrade
and contains certain commercial programs. Slackware is, so far,
completely non-commercial but is somewhat uncomfortable to
upgrade or downgrade.
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---MAV (finger for PGP signature block)
Marc A. Volovic (marc@cs.huji.ac.il)
Linguists do it cunningly
Follow-Ups: