From: Digestifier To: Linux-Admin@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Reply-To: Linux-Admin@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 16:14:09 EDT Subject: Linux-Admin Digest #16 Linux-Admin Digest #16, Volume #1 Mon, 23 Aug 93 16:14:09 EDT Contents: Linux HOWTO Index (Matt Welsh) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: mdw@TC.Cornell.EDU (Matt Welsh) Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.announce,comp.os.linux.help,news.answers,comp.answers Subject: Linux HOWTO Index Date: 23 Aug 1993 15:38:57 -0400 Archive-name: linux/howto/index Last-modified: 20 August 1993 The Linux HOWTO Index Matt Welsh, ============================================================================= Last Modified 20 August 1993 This is an introduction and index to the Linux HOWTO documents. 0. What are Linux HOWTOs? Linux HOWTOs are short online documents which describe in detail a certain aspect of configuring or using the Linux system. For example, there is the Installation HOWTO, which gives instructions on installing Linux, and the Mail HOWTO, which describes how to set up and configure mail under Linux. Other examples include the NET-2-HOWTO (previously the NET-2-FAQ) and the Linux-vs-386BSD HOWTO. Information in HOWTOs is generally more detailed and in-depth than what can be squeezed into the Linux FAQ. For this reason, the Linux FAQ is being rewritten. A large amount of the information contained therein will be relegated to various HOWTO documents. The FAQ will be a shorter list of frequently asked questions about Linux, covering small specific topics. Most of the ``useful'' information in the FAQ will now be covered in the HOWTOs. HOWTOs are comprehensive docs---much like an FAQ but generally not in question-and-answer format. However, many HOWTOs contain an FAQ section at the end. For example, the NET-2-FAQ has been renamed to the NET-2-HOWTO, because it wasn't in question-and-answer format. However, you will see the NET-2-HOWTO named as the NET-2-FAQ in many places. The two docs are one and the same. 1. Where to get Linux HOWTOs HOWTOs can be retrieved via anonymous FTP from the following sites: sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/docs/HOWTO The Index, printed below, lists the currently available HOWTOs. HOWTOs are also posted regularly to the newsgroups comp.os.linux and comp.os.linux.announce. In addition, a number of the HOWTOs will be crossposted to news.answers. Therefore, you can find the Linux HOWTOs on the news.answers archive site rtfm.mit.edu. 2. HOWTO Index The following Linux HOWTOs are currently available. The list is small, because this is a relatively new project. * INSTALLATION HOWTO. How to obtain and install Linux. This is the first document which a Linux newcomer should read. It discusses how to obtain Linux, both from the Internet and via Snail-mail, and how to install it. Focuses primarily on the SLS distribution of Linux, which is the current de facto standard. * Linux INFO-SHEET. A general technical introduction to Linux, listing its features, supported hardware, and other general information. * Linux META-FAQ. A list of sources of information about Linux, such as documentation, newsgroups, FTP sites, and so on. * NET-2 HOWTO. Describes how to install and configure the Linux NET-2 TCP/IP code, in kernels 0.99.pl10 and above. (This has nothing to do with the so-called BSD NET-2 distribution.) Discusses various aspects of TCP/IP networking under Linux, including the use of SLIP. The complete instruction manual for TCP/IP under Linux. WANTED. I would be very happy if someone would write the following HOWTO documents, and submit them to me (see the instructions in the next section below). Most of these are modifications of existing FAQ documents, and should be easy to put into HOWTO format. Keep in mind that HOWTOs generally aren't in FAQ format, but can contain an FAQ section at the end. Some of these are under construction; however, if you're interested in working on one of them, please let me know. * GCC/LIBRARY HOWTO. Discussing installation/upgrading of the GCC and shared libraries under Linux. How to build shared libraries. Most of the material would come from Mitchum DeSouza's GCC FAQ. * NEWS HOWTO. How to set up local Cnews, NNTP, and how to set up an NNTP-based newsreader if you don't want to run a news server locally. Most of this can come from Vince's UUCP/MAIL/NEWS FAQ. * MAIL HOWTO. How to setup and configure smail, and how to install a mailer such as elm or mailx. Information can come from the UUCP/MAIL/NEWS FAQ. * UUCP HOWTO. How to setup and configure UUCP under Linux, for mail, news, and uux file transfers. Some information can come from the UUCP/MAIL/NEWS FAQ. * KERNEL HOWTO. How to upgrade and compile the kernel. Basic kernel tweaking, including how to turn on debugging output. How to decrypt panic messages. Basic introduction to kernel structure and hacking. (Under constructions, mdw@tc.cornell.edu). * PRINTING HOWTO. How to install and use printing software such as lp/lpr on your system. How to configure /etc/printcap for various types of printers. Information can come from existing Printer and LPR FAQs. (Whoever writes the printing FAQ, please get in touch with me about this.) * SCSI HOWTO. All of the ins and outs about SCSI drivers for Linux. * SERIAL HOWTO. All of the ins and outs about serial communications under Linux, including use of getty for dialins. Perhaps a section on FAX software. * X WINDOWS HOWTO. How to install and configure XFree86 under Linux. Much of this is general, not Linux-specific, but the current XFree86 documentation consists mostly READMEs which most new users don't understand. What hardware is supported, tweaking the Xconfig file, getting xdm to work, and so on. (Under construction, mdw@tc.cornell.edu). 3. Writing and submitting a HOWTO If you would like to write a Linux HOWTO document, there are a few guidelines that you should follow. * Format the document neatly. HOWTOs must be available in plain ASCII format, but you are free to use a formatting tool (texinfo, LameTeX, nroff) to format the document. Try to use meaningful structure and organization, and write clearly. Remember that many of the people reading HOWTOs do not speak English as their first language. * Make sure that all of the information is correct. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt, speculate, but make it clear that you're only guessing. * Make sure that you are covering the most recent version of the available software. Also, be sure to include full instructions on where software can be downloaded from (FTP site name, full pathname). * Include an FAQ section at the end, if appropriate. Many HOWTO documents need an "FAQ" or "Common Problems" section to cover information which can't be covered in the regular text. * Use other HOWTOs as a model. It is nice to have a common look and feel to HOWTO documents--- this document being an example. The easier the HOWTO is to browse, the more useful it will be to readers. After you have written the HOWTO, mail it to me (Matt Welsh) at mdw@tc.cornell.edu. I am the HOWTO coordinator---I will look over the HOWTO, and make any editorial remarks. I will also take care of approving and posting the HOWTO to the various newsgroups and uploading the HOWTO to the FTP archive sites. Of course, all credit for the HOWTO will go to the author. It is important that you go through me when submitting a HOWTO. I maintain the HOWTO archives and need to keep track of what HOWTOs are being written and who is doing what. If you don't submit a HOWTO to me, I can't include it in the archive or add it to the HOWTO INDEX. I can also help to reformat the HOWTO if needed to make it look nicer. :) Once I have approved the HOWTO, I will post it and upload it to the FTP sites. I will also send you (the author) the "final" version of the HOWTO with any changes. All you have to do is send me periodic updates (every month or so, as needed) and I will take care of posting the HOWTO regularly. 3. Miscellaneous and Legalese If you have questions, please feel free to mail mdw@tc.cornell.edu. The Linux FAQ rewrite is being coordinated by Ian Jackson, ijackson@nyx.cs.du.edu, with help from others. Linux HOWTOs are copyrighted by their authors. You are free to distribute verbatim copies of HOWTOs in any medium, provided that the copyright notice and authorship remains intact. -- Matt Welsh, mdw@tc.cornell.edu "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." ------------------------------ ** FOR YOUR REFERENCE ** The service address, to which questions about the list itself and requests to be added to or deleted from it should be directed, is: Internet: Linux-Admin-Request@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU You can send mail to the entire list (and comp.os.linux.admin) via: Internet: Linux-Admin@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites: nic.funet.fi pub/OS/Linux tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux End of Linux-Admin Digest ******************************