[Gllug] Re:linux from scratch

[sean at uncertainty.org.uk]

On Thu, Aug 16, 2001 at 09:47:22AM +0100, Paul Brazier wrote:
> Are there distros that supply up-to-date packages compiled for 486's?

Red Hat still seems to be based on 386rpms 
try www.linuxemporium.co.uk for cheap CD's


> 
> I've had a look at the "Linux From Scratch" HOWTO which looks
> interesting and instructive but I don't really have the time at the
> moment  - has anyone tried this and is it straightforward or are there
> many hidden pitfalls?

I followed this and got a machine up and running but in the end I didn't find the
process as educational as I had expected.

it also took a long time ...

I started with the idea that I would end up knowing the location and purpose of
every file on my system ... (well kind of)

in fact running 'make install' has the tendency to install files all over the place
with no way of identifying what came from where.

What was nice was that I ended up with very few, very simple config files/scripts

however I also had some bugs - probably due to typos, but lfs doesn't include
many patches that most systems apply.

www.linuxfromscratch.org is a great site though - if you can't figure out how
RH do something - see how it's done on LFS and once you have the idea you
are half way there.

I plan to learn to make rpms as i have become convinced of thier usefullnes
- not just for ease of installation but for the query tools

many people arue that you only have control of a package if you install from source
-it seems to me (and I haven't dooen it yet) that you can have the best of both 
worlds if you build rpms from source.

-- 

Sean

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