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85 lines
5.0 KiB
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<!Converted with LaTeX2HTML 95.1 (Fri Jan 20 1995) by Nikos Drakos (nikos@cbl.leeds.ac.uk), CBLU, University of Leeds >
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<TITLE>1.6.2 Hints for UNIX gurus</TITLE>
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<meta name="description" value="1.6.2 Hints for UNIX gurus">
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1952 HREF="node25.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1950 HREF="node22.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1946 HREF="node23.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1954 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1955 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1953 HREF="node25.html">1.7 Differences Between Linux </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1951 HREF="node22.html">1.6 The Design and </A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1947 HREF="node23.html">1.6.1 Hints for UNIX </A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<H2><A NAME=SECTION00362000000000000000>1.6.2 Hints for UNIX gurus</A></H2>
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<P>
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Even those people with years of UNIX programming and systems administration
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experience may need assistance before they are able to pick up and
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install Linux. There are still
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aspects of the system that UNIX wizards will need to be familiar with
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before diving in. For one thing, Linux is not
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a commercial UNIX system. It does not attempt to uphold the same standards as
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other UNIX systems you have may have come across. To be more
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specific, while stability is an important factor in the development of Linux,
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it is not the <em>only</em> factor.
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<P>
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More important, perhaps, is functionality.
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<A NAME=474> </A>
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In many cases, new code will make it into the standard kernel even though
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it is still buggy and not functionally complete. The assumption is that it
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is more important to release code which users can test and use than delay
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a release until it is ``complete''. As an example, WINE (the Microsoft
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Windows Emulator for Linux) had an ``official'' alpha release before it was
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completely tested. In this way, the Linux community at large had a chance to
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work with the code, test it, and help develop it, while those who found the
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alpha code ``good enough'' for their needs could use it. Commercial UNIX
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vendors rarely, if ever, release software in this manner.
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<P>
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<A NAME=475> </A>
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If you have been a UNIX systems administrator for more than a decade, and
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have used every commercial UNIX system under the Sun (no pun intended),
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Linux may take some getting used to. The system is very modern and
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dynamic. A new kernel release is made approximately every few months.
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New software
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is constantly being released. One day your system may be completely
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up-to-date with the current trend, and the next day the same system is
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considered to be in the Stone Age.
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<P>
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With all of this dynamic activity, how can you be expected to keep up with the
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ever-changing Linux world?
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<A NAME=476> </A>
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For the most part, it is best to upgrade
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incrementally; that is, upgrade only those parts of the system that <em>need</em>
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upgrading, and then only when you think an upgrade is necessary. For example,
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if you never use Emacs, there is little reason to continuously install
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every new release of Emacs on your system. Furthermore, even if you are an
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avid Emacs user, there is usually no reason to upgrade it unless you find that
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some feature is missing that is in the next release. There is little or no
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reason to always be on top of the newest version of software.
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<P>
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We hope that Linux will meet or exceed your expectations of a homebrew
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UNIX system. At the very core of Linux is the spirit of free software,
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of constant development and growth. The Linux community favors expansion over
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stability, and that is a difficult concept to swallow for many people,
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especially those so steeped in the world of commercial UNIX. You cannot
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expect Linux to be perfect; nothing ever is in the free software world.
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However, we believe that Linux really is as complete and useful as any other
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implementation of UNIX.
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<P>
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<A NAME=478> </A>
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1952 HREF="node25.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1950 HREF="node22.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1946 HREF="node23.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1954 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1955 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1953 HREF="node25.html">1.7 Differences Between Linux </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1951 HREF="node22.html">1.6 The Design and </A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1947 HREF="node23.html">1.6.1 Hints for UNIX </A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<BR> <HR>
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<P><ADDRESS>
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<I>Matt Welsh <BR>
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mdw@sunsite.unc.edu</I>
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</ADDRESS>
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