[PLUG] Moving from CP/M to Linux

[Richard Owlett]

Rich Shepard wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Jan 2012, Richard Owlett wrote:
>
>> I think the key thing I'm missing is understanding just what are
>> distributions and dependencies. In the old days you wrote a program that
>> compiled/linked/loaded ALL needed code into a single executable that the
>> OS fetched and loaded. Later came precompiled libraries that could be
>> loaded during execution e.g. DLL's. Now Linux has Something _Better(tm).
>> Just what Something _Better is remains undefined.
>
>     Distributions are linux with different administrative approaches (CLI vs.
> GUI, for example), different included applications, and so on. Just like
> different brands of pick up trucks: they all do the same thing but look
> different and have different trim packages.

Can that analogy be properly extended to families
{Ford vs GM} compares to {Debian vs Slackbuild vs Red 
Hat}[common repository structure]
with each having competing lines
{commercial vs passenger} might compare to {CLI vs GUI}
and each having models
{sedan vs mini van vs pickup} compare to {Ubuntu vs Kubuntu 
vs Edubuntu}
with all the above coming with various horsepower (32/64 
bit) and custom trim/apps.

>
>     Dependencies are most often libraries that are needed for a particular
> application. No need for the applicatoin developer to re-invent the user
> interface when an existing one can be incorporated. Same with printing
> cababilies, use of periferal hardware such as optical drives, and other
> components. The linux/UNIX equivalent of .dlls are shared libraries, .so. If
> you look in /usr/lib/ or /lib/ you'll see both .a and .so files. The former
> are static, the latter dynamic. The dynamic libraries can be used
> simultaneiously by multiple applications.
>
>
>> Another question (related???); "What is a LIVE edition?" Not why needed or
>> how to use, but how is it constructed? There must be something "standard"
>> as I've noticed references to tools that can make a "Live CD" from a
>> running configuration.
>
>     When the CD/DVD is created it contains a boot loader that allows the
> computer in which it's place to boot the OS from the optical drive. If you
> download a distribution you can usually find a version with the .iso
> extension. This means that it will produce a bootable disk when burned to
> the plastic.
>
>

Having meandered through links of linked links, I'm now reading
"Filesystem Hierarchy Standard" 
http://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_2.3/fhs-2.3.html
and
"How to Switch to the LILO Boot Loader in Debian GNU/Linux" 
http://users.wowway.com/~zlinuxman/lilo.htm

The later may be an opinion piece, but it helps me to ask 
myself the right questions.