The Linux From Scratch Project -- build your own Linux

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(Last updated: Sep. 13, 2001)

Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with the steps necessary to build your own custom Linux system.

Why would I want an LFS system?

There are a lot of reasons why somebody would want to install an LFS system. The question most people raise is "why go through all the hassle of manually installing a Linux system from scratch when you can just download an existing version like Debian or Redhat". That is a valid question which [this site] hope[s] to answer for you.

The most important reason for LFS's existence is teaching people how a Linux system works internally. Building an LFS system teaches you about all that makes Linux tick, how things work together, and depend on each other. And most importantly, how to customize it to your own taste and needs.

One of the key benefits of LFS is that you are in control over your system without having to rely on somebody else's Linux implementation like Debian. You are in the driver's seat now and are able to dictate every single thing such as the directory layout and boot script setup. You will also know exactly where, why and how programs are installed.

Another benefit of LFS is that you can create a very compact Linux system. When you install a distribution like Debian or Red Hat, you end up installing a lot of programs you would never in your life use. They're just sitting there taking up (precious) disk space. It's not hard to get an LFS system installed under 100 MB. Does that still sound like a lot? A few of us have been working on creating a very small embedded LFS system. We installed a system that was just enough to run the Apache web server; total disk space usage was aproximately 8 MB. With further stripping, that can be brought down to 5 MB or less. Try that with a generic Debian or Redhat distribution.

Note: the above text was quoted from the LFS homepage.

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