From: Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi (Lars Wirzenius) Subject: README: Where to find information about Linux (20 July 1992) Date: 20 Jul 1992 16:19:19 GMT
Purpose of this article
This article is a weekly reminder of how you can find information
about Linux. It doesn't answer any questions directly, but it tells
you where you can probably find an answer by yourself. I hope that
it will make people more aware of existing documentation, and cut
down on the unnecessary postings that ask solutions to common
problems, thereby making comp.os.linux more useful for new problems.
I'll try to keep this article short, to save bandwidth, although
it does mean I have to be quite brief. Please mail any comments
to Lars.Wirzenius@helsinki.fi.
Thanks to all the people who have helped form this document. I'm
sorry I can't list your names, you're just too numerous.
Major FTP sites for Linux
textual name numeric addr Linux directory
banjo.concert.net 192.101.21.6 /pub/Linux
tsx-11.mit.edu 18.172.1.2 /pub/linux
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 /pub/OS/Linux
ftp.mcc.ac.uk 130.88.200.7 /pub/linux
kirk.bu.oz.au 131.244.1.1 /pub/OS/Linux
utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp 133.11.11.11 /misc/linux
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de 131.159.0.110 /pub/Linux
Tupac-Amaru.Informatik.RWTH-Aaechen.DE 137.226.112.31 /pub/msdos/replace
fgb1.fgb.mw.tu-muenchen.de 129.187.200.1 /pub/linux
banjo and fgb1 are the official site for Linux' GCC. ftp.mcc is home of
the MCC interim release. Some sites mirror other sites. Please use the
site closest (network-wise) to you.
All filenames given in this article are relative to the directories
given above.
Installation documents
Ian Reid's INSTALL.doc (nic.funet.fi, in the images directory) and Chuck
Boyer's "(DOS) Beginner's Guide to Linux v0.95a" are a bit outdated but
still helpful installation instructions. The FAQ (see below) also has
something to say on this matter.
The MCC release has its own set of installation instructions.
The general Linux FAQ (FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions list, with answers)
The FAQ contains a LOT of information, and is pretty long (posted
as two parts). Everybody should read it, 'cause it really does
contain solutions to the most common problems. It's posted monthly
to comp.os.linux, and can also be FTP'd from at least tsx-11
(docs/FAQ_xxxx, where xxxx is the date) and mirrors.
The GCC README, release-xxxx, and FAQ
README and release-xxxx (xxxx is version number) contain
instructions for installation. It seems that most of the problems
people have had with the release 2.2.2 are due to misreading or not
reading these files. GCC also has its own FAQ. It and the other
two files are part of the GCC distribution (in file 2.2.2misc.tar.Z).
Mailing-lists
There are several mailing-lists for Linux. Check the FAQ for more
information about them, including how to join.
Other newsgroups
Not all problems you encounter while using Linux are Linux specific.
You may also want to read several groups in the comp.unix hierarchy,
comp.sources.wanted, alt.sources.wanted, and especially any FAQs in
these groups.
Documentation for various programs
Most of the various software packages come with some sort of
documentation, often in files that have names similar to README. It
is a VERY good idea to read them with care. It is boring to see
(_and_ answer) questions that are answered in the documentation.
Finding the current releases of programs
New releases and new programs are usually announced in comp.os.linux
and/or the mailing lists. Other than that, you more or less have to
check the FTP sites.
Linus' .plan contains some information about the current kernel. finger
torvalds@klaava.helsinki.fi. (It is often quite long!)
Please try to use the current releases, if possible, at least of the
kernel and compiler. If you have a problem, please first make sure you
have a current release, it often helps.
Getting software
Most or all of the software is available via FTP. If you don't have FTP,
see "How to find sources" in news.answers, and the Linux FAQ.