lfs/prologue/standards.xml
Bruce Dubbs 7413fd73a3 Several Typos
git-svn-id: http://svn.linuxfromscratch.org/LFS/trunk/BOOK@9117 4aa44e1e-78dd-0310-a6d2-fbcd4c07a689
2009-11-23 16:41:04 +00:00

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
<!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../general.ent">
%general-entities;
]>
<sect1 id="pre-standards">
<?dbhtml filename="standards.html"?>
<title>LFS and Standards</title>
<sect2>
<title/>
<para>The structure of LFS follows Linux standards as closely as
possible. The primary standards are:</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para><ulink url="http://www.unix.org/single_unix_specification">The
Single UNIX Specification Version 3 (POSIX)</ulink>. Note:
Free registratration is required.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para><ulink url="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html">Filesystem
Hierarcy Standard (FHS)</ulink></para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para><ulink url="http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_4.0.0/">Linux
Standard Base (LSB) Core Specification 4.0</ulink></para>
<para>The LSB has five separate standards: Core, C++, Desktop,
Runtime Languages, and Printing. In addition to generic requirements
there are also architecture specific requirements. LFS attempts to
conform to the architectures discussed in the previous section.</para>
<note><para>Many people do not agree with the requirements of LSB. The
main purpose of defining it is to ensure that proprietary software will
be able to be installed and run properly on a compliant system. Since LFS
is source based, the user has complete control over what packages are
desired and many choose not to install some packages that are specified
by the LSB. </para></note>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>Creating a complete LFS system capable of passing the LSB
certifications tests is possible, but not without many additional packages
that are beyond the scope of LFS. Most of these additional packages have
intallation instructions in BLFS. </para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Why is each package in the book?</title>
<para>As stated earlier, the goal of LFS is to build a complete and usable
foundation-level system. This includes all packages needed to replicate
itself while providing a relativly minimal base from which to customize
a more complete system based on the choices of the user. This does not
mean that LFS is the smallest system possible. Several important packages
are included that are not strictly required. The lists below document the
rationale for each package int he book.</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>Autoconf</para>
<para>This package contains programs for producing shell scripts that
can automatically configure source code from a developer's
template. It is often needed to rebuild a package after updates
to the build procedures.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Automake</para>
<para>This package contains programs for generating Make files from
a template. It is often needed to rebuild a package after updates
to the build procedures.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Bash</para>
<para>This package satisfies an LSB core requirement to provide
a Bourne Shell interface to the system. It was chosen over
other shell packages because of its common usage and extensive
capabilities beyond basic shell functions. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Binutils</para>
<para>This package package contains a linker, an assembler, and other
tools for handling object files. It contains programs required by
LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Bison</para>
<para>This package contains the GNU version of yacc (Yet Another
Compiler Compiler) needed to build several other LFS programs.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Bzip2</para>
<para>This package contains programs for compressing and decompressing
files. It is required to decompress many LFS packages.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Coreutils</para>
<para>This package contains a number of essential programs for viewing
and manipulating files and directories. It also contains programs
required by LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>DejaGNU</para>
<para>This package contains a framework for testing other programs.
It is only installed in the temporary toolchain.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Diffutils</para>
<para>This package contains programs that show the differences
between files or directories. It contains programs required by
LSB core.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Expect</para>
<para>This package contains a program for carrying out scripted
dialogues with other interactive programs. It is commonly used
for testing other packages. It is only installed in the temporary
toolchain.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>E2fsprogs</para>
<para>This package contains the utilities for handling the ext2, ext3
and ext4 file systems. These are the most common and thouroughly
tested file systems that Linux supports.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>File</para>
<para>This package contains a utility for determining the type of a
given file or files. It is required by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Findutils</para>
<para>This package contains programs to find files in a file system.
They are required by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Flex</para>
<para>This package contains a utility for generating programs that
recognize patterns in text. It is the GNU version of the lex
(lexical analyzer) program. It is required to build several
LFS packages. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Gawk</para>
<para>This package contains programs for manipulating text files.
It is the GNU version of awk (Aho-Weinberg-Kernighan) that
is required by LSB core.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Gcc</para>
<para>This package is the Gnu Compiler Collection. It contains the
C and C++ compilers as well as several others not built by LFS. It
also contains the standard C++ libraries required by the LSB
C++ standard.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>GDBM</para>
<para>This package contains the GNU Database Manager library. It
is used by one other LFS packages.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Gettext</para>
<para>This package contains utilities and libraries for
internationalization and localization of numerous packages.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Glibc</para>
<para>This package contains the main C library. Linux programs would
not run without it. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>GMP</para>
<para>This package package contains math libraries and have
useful functions for arbitrary precision arithmetic. It
is required to build Gcc. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Grep</para>
<para>This package contains programs for searching through files.
It is required by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Groff</para>
<para>This package contains programs for processing and formatting text.
One important function of these programs is to format man pages.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>GRUB</para>
<para>This package is the Grand Unified Boot Loader. It is one
of several boot loaders available, but is the most flexible.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Gzip</para>
<para>This package contains programs for compressing and
decompressing files. It is required by LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Iana-etc</para>
<para>This package provides data for network services and protocols.
It is needed to enable proper networking capabilities.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Inetutils</para>
<para>This package contains programs for basic network
administration.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>IProute2</para>
<para>This package contains programs for basic and advanced IPv4 and
IPv6 networking. It was chosen over the other common network
tools package (net-tools) for its IPv6 capabilities. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Kbd</para>
<para>This package contains key-table files and keyboard utilities
for non-US keyboards. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Less</para>
<para>This package contains a very nice text file viewer that
allows scolling up or down when viewing a file.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Libtool</para>
<para>This package contains the GNU generic library support
script. It wraps the complexity of using shared libraries in a
consistent, portable interface. It is needed by the test
suites in other LFS packages.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Linux Kernel</para>
<para>This package is the Operating System. It is the Linux in
the GNU/Linux environment.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>M4</para>
<para>This package contains a general text macro processor. It is
required by LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Make</para>
<para>This package contains a program for directing the building
of packages. It is required by almost every package in LFS.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Man-DB</para>
<para>This package contains programs for finding and viewing man pages.
It was chosen instead of the <application>man</application> package
due to superior internationalization capabilities. It supplies
the man program required by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Man-pages</para>
<para>This package contains the actual contents of the basic
Linux man pages. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Module-Init-Tools</para>
<para>This package contains programs needed to administer Linux
kernel modules. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>MPFR</para>
<para>This package contains functions for multiple precision
arithmetic. It is required by Gcc.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Ncurses</para>
<para>This package contains libraries for terminal-independent
handling of character screens. It is often used to provide
cursor control for a menuing system. It provides libraries required
by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Patch</para>
<para>This package a program for modifying or creating files by
applying a <emphasis>patch</emphasis> file typically created
by the <application>diff</application> program. It is needed by
the build procedure for several LFS packages. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Perl</para>
<para>This package is an interpreter for the runtime language
PERL. It is required by the LSB Runtime Languages standard.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Pkg-config</para>
<para>This package contains a tool for passing the include path
and/or library paths to build tools during the configure and make
processes. It is needed by many LFS packages. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Procps</para>
<para>This package contains programs for monitoring processes.
It contains programs required by LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Psmisc</para>
<para>This package contains programs for displaying information
about running processes. It contains programs required by LSB
core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Readline</para>
<para>This package is a set of libraries that offers command-line
editing and history capabilities. It is used by Bash. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Sed</para>
<para>This package allows editing of text without opening it in a
text editor. It is also needed by most LFS packages' configure
scripts. It is required by LSB core.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Shadow</para>
<para>This package contains programs for handling passwords
in a secure way. It provides programs required by LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Sysklogd</para>
<para>This package contains programs for logging system messages,
such as those given by the kernel or daemon processes when unusual
events occur.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Sysvinit</para>
<para>This package provides the <application>init</application>
program which it the parent of all other processes on the Linux
system. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Tar</para>
<para>This package provides archiving and extraction capabilities
of virtually all packages used in LFS. It is required by
LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Tcl</para>
<para>This package contains the Tool Command Language used
in many testsuites in LFS packages. It is only installed in
the temporary toolchain. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Texinfo</para>
<para>This package contains programs for reading, writing, and
converting info pages. It is used in the installation
procedures of many LFS packages. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Udev</para>
<para>This package contains programs for dynamic creation of
device nodes. It is an alternative to creating thousands of
static devices in the /dev directory.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Util-linux-ng</para>
<para>This package contains miscellaneous utility programs.
Among them are utilities for handling file systems, consoles,
partitions, and messages. It contains programs required by
LSB core. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Vim</para>
<para>This package an editor. It was chosen because its compatibility
with the classic vi editor and its huge number of powerful
capabilities. An editor is a very personal choice for
many users and any other editor could be substituted if desired.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>Zlib</para>
<para>This package contains compression and decompression routines
used by some programs. It is required by LSB core.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>