166 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
166 lines
8.0 KiB
Plaintext
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce,comp.os.linux,news.answers
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Subject: Linux META-FAQ
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Keywords: linux faq
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Followup-To: poster
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Approved: linux-announce@tc.cornell.edu (Matt Welsh)
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Archive-name: linux-faq/meta-faq
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Last-modified: 27 Jan 93
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Version: 2.03
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This is the Meta-FAQ for Linux. It is mainly a list of valuable sources of
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information. Check them out if you want to learn more about Linux, or have
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problems and need help. The Meta-FAQ is posted every Monday (I think).
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Mail Matt Welsh (mdw@tc.cornell.edu) if you have meta-questions about the
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meta-FAQ itself. Lars Wirzenius (wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi) actually wrote the
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first version of this document.
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NOTE: Filenames in this article are for the tsx-11 ftp site (see below for
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full address and more sites). Files are usually located in similar places on
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other sites. The names are relative to the Linux directory on tsx-11.
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What is Linux?
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Linux is a clone of the UNIX operating system that has been written
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entirely from scratch. It has no proprietary code in it. Linux is freely
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distributable under the GNU Public License. It only works on IBM PC
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compatibles with an ISA or EISA bus and a 386 or compatible. See the FAQ
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for more exact hardware requirements. The Linux kernel is written by Linus
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Torvalds (torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi) from Finland. Most of the programs
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running under Linux are generic Unix freeware, much of it comes from GNU.
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The Linux FAQ
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A collection of common problems and their solutions. Answers many
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questions faster than the net. Stored on many Linux ftp sites
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(docs/FAQ) and pit-manager.mit.edu, the general archive site for
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all FAQs. The latest version was posted 1992-11-25.
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Linux newsgroups
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There are two Usenet newsgroups for Linux: comp.os.linux, and
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comp.os.linux.announce. The latter contains important stuff like
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announcements of new programs or versions, the former all the discussion.
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It is a good idea to follow at least c.o.l.a, if you use Linux.
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Getting Linux I: Linux FTP sites
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A more complete list of Linux FTP sites is in the Linux INFO-SHEET.
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The most important sites are listed here; please see the INFO-SHEET for
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a site nearer to you (there are many mirrors).
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textual name numeric addr Linux directory
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tsx-11.mit.edu 18.172.1.2 /pub/linux
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sunsite.unc.edu 152.2.22.81 /pub/Linux
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nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 /pub/OS/Linux
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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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Getting Linux II: Linux on BBS's
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Zane Healy posts (around the beginning and middle of the month) a list of
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BBS's that have Linux available for download. Try them if you can't FTP.
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Getting Linux III: Linux floppy (and other media) distributors
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Linux is distributed on floppies by at least Softlanding Software (910
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Lodge Ave, Victoria, B.C, Canada, V8X-3A8, (604) 360-0188) for USD
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3.25/disk. This is exactly the same SLS distribution that is available via
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FTP (see below). The diskette distribution is mostly meant for people who
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can't FTP.
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Marco Scheibe (mykee@cs.tu-berlin.de), Klaus Weidner
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(klaus@snarc.gold.sub.org) and Gert Doering (gert@greenie.gold.sub.org)
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will copy Linux (the complete SLS distribution, including X, possibly other
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things as well) for you, if you send him diskettes and return postage.
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Contact them via e-mail first.
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Yggdrasil Computing is producing a CD-ROM with Linux. Currently an alpha
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version is available (alpha referring to the fact that the contents are
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still evolving; there will be at least one beta before final release).
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This is a completely new distribution, not SLS. A complete listing of
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files is available via FTP from netcom.com in directory ~ftp/pub/yggdrasil.
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There is also a manual and other information there. Contact
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yggdrasil@netcom.com or call (510)526-7531, 9am-5:30pm, California time.
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If you know of other distributors, send me a note!
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Getting Linux IV: Commercial networks
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GEnie mirrors most of tsx-11 and sunsite (including SLS). Rumor has it
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that CompuServe also has some Linux archives [confirmation welcome].
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Getting Linux V: Mailservers and such
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The trickle server TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.BITNET, aka TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.EARN, aka
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TRICKLE@AWIWUW11.wu-wien.ac.at, send mail to one of these addresses with a
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body consisting of /HELP.
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Linux distributions (aka "releases")
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Linux is distributed by its author only as a kernel. Other people
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have put together "distributions" that can be used.
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Jim Winstead and H.J. Lu maintain the boot and root disks. These
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two form more or less the "official" release. It is fully
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functional, but only has the bare essentials. The filenames are:
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images/bootimage-xxx.Z and images/rootimage-xxx.Z (xxx stands for
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the version number). They're also hard to install for newcomers; I'd
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go for the SLS release (below) if you're new to Linux and want all of the
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goodies.
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MCC and SLS are more complete systems that contain most of what is needed
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for normal use. MCC is older, SLS includes X. These are what a new user
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probably should start with (either one). They aren't updated every week,
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but that shouldn't be a problem if you're only intersted in using the
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system. (Hackers will figure out what to do anyway.) SLS is in directory
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packages/SLS on tsx-11; MCC can be found in directory mcc-interim on
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ftp.mcc.ac.uk (it is not on tsx-11).
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HJ Lu (the Linux GCC maintainer) also has another set of disks,
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including a combined boot and rootdisk, and some additional disks
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with more programs. This package assumes you are already familiar
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with Linux, and at least some of it may be incorporated to the work
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of Jim Winstead. See directories GCC/rootdisk and GCC/basedisk on
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tsx-11.
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Linux mailing-lists
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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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Linux News -- summaries of annoucements
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A weekly summary of announcements of new programs and other interesting
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news. Edited by Denise Tree, posted to comp.os.linux.announce,
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comp.os.linux and the LINUXNEWS channel on the linux-activists mailing list
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(see the FAQ for info on joining mailing lists). It is also available via
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GEnie. Intended for people who don't have time or energy to sift through
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the high volume of comp.os.linux.
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OTHER NEWSGROUPS ARE USEFUL TOO
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At least 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. If you have a
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problem that is not directly Linux-related, ask it in these groups, not in
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c.o.l (which is too big for some people as it is).
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Documentation for various programs
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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.
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Keeping track of current releases
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New releases, programs, and ports are usually announced in comp.os.linux.
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finger torvalds@klaava.helsinki.fi to get some information about the
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current kernel (often long!). See also the next item.
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The Linux Project Registry
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Maintained by James Callison, a list of "who is doing what". See the list
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itself for mail addresses. Posted every two weeks to comp.os.linux.
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Contains information about the current status for included projects.
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The Linux Hardware Compatibility List
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Posted occasionally to comp.os.linux.announce, and found on the major
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Linux FTP sites. This list, maintained by Zane Healy, lists all of the
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devices and hardware that Linux currently supports. It's useful for
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anyone wanting to purchase or upgrade their system.
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Legalese
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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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