<artheader>
<title>Free Software Development HOWTO</title>
-
+
<author>
- <firstname>Benjamin</firstname>
- <othername>Mako</othername>
- <surname>Hill</surname>
- <affiliation>
- <address>
- <email>mako@debian.org</email>
-
- </address>
- </affiliation>
+ <firstname>Benjamin</firstname>
+ <othername>Mako</othername>
+ <surname>Hill</surname>
+ <affiliation>
+ <address>
+ <email>mako@debian.org</email>
+ </address>
+ </affiliation>
</author>
-
- <revhistory>
- <revision>
- <revnumber>v0.01</revnumber>
- <date>27 March 2001</date>
- <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
- <revremark>
- Initial Release
- </revremark>
- </revision>
- </revhistory>
+
+ <revhistory>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>v0.2</revnumber>
+ <date>7 April 2001</date>
+ <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
+ </revision>
+
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>v0.01</revnumber>
+ <date>27 March 2001</date>
+ <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
+ <revremark>Initial Release</revremark>
+ </revision>
+ </revhistory>
<abstract>
- <indexterm>
-
<primary>fswd</primary>
- </indexterm>
-
- This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
- and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
- the world of Free Software. This document is meant to act as a
- guide to the non-technical aspects of free software development
- and was written to act as a crash course in the people skills
- that aren't taught to commercial coders but that can make or
- break a free software project.
- </para>
+ <indexterm>
+ <primary>fswd</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
+ <para>
+ This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
+ and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
+ the world of free software. This document is meant to act as a
+ guide to the non-technical aspects of free software development
+ and was written to act as a crash course in the people skills that
+ aren't taught to commercial coders but that can make or break a
+ free software project.
+ </para>
</abstract>
-
+
</artheader>
<!-- Section1: intro -->
<sect1 id="intro">
- <title>Introduction</title>
-
- <indexterm>
-
<primary>fswd!introduction</primary>
- </indexterm>
-
+ <title>Introduction</title>
+
+ <indexterm>
+ <primary>fswd!introduction</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
<para>
Skimming through freshmeat.net provides mountains of reasons for this
HOWTO's existence--the Internet is littered with excellently
<artheader>
<title>Free Software Development HOWTO</title>
-
+
<author>
- <firstname>Benjamin</firstname>
- <othername>Mako</othername>
- <surname>Hill</surname>
- <affiliation>
- <address>
- <email>mako@debian.org</email>
-
- </address>
- </affiliation>
+ <firstname>Benjamin</firstname>
+ <othername>Mako</othername>
+ <surname>Hill</surname>
+ <affiliation>
+ <address>
+ <email>mako@debian.org</email>
+ </address>
+ </affiliation>
</author>
-
- <revhistory>
- <revision>
- <revnumber>v0.01</revnumber>
- <date>27 March 2001</date>
- <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
- <revremark>
- Initial Release
- </revremark>
- </revision>
- </revhistory>
+
+ <revhistory>
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>v0.2</revnumber>
+ <date>7 April 2001</date>
+ <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
+ </revision>
+
+ <revision>
+ <revnumber>v0.01</revnumber>
+ <date>27 March 2001</date>
+ <authorinitials>bch</authorinitials>
+ <revremark>Initial Release</revremark>
+ </revision>
+ </revhistory>
<abstract>
- <indexterm>
-
<primary>fswd</primary>
- </indexterm>
-
- This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
- and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
- the world of Free Software. This document is meant to act as a
- guide to the non-technical aspects of free software development
- and was written to act as a crash course in the people skills
- that aren't taught to commercial coders but that can make or
- break a free software project.
- </para>
+ <indexterm>
+ <primary>fswd</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
+ <para>
+ This HOWTO is designed for people with experience in programming
+ and some skills in managing a software project but who are new to
+ the world of free software. This document is meant to act as a
+ guide to the non-technical aspects of free software development
+ and was written to act as a crash course in the people skills that
+ aren't taught to commercial coders but that can make or break a
+ free software project.
+ </para>
</abstract>
-
+
</artheader>
<!-- Section1: intro -->
<sect1 id="intro">
- <title>Introduction</title>
-
- <indexterm>
-
<primary>fswd!introduction</primary>
- </indexterm>
-
+ <title>Introduction</title>
+
+ <indexterm>
+ <primary>fswd!introduction</primary>
+ </indexterm>
+
<para>
Skimming through freshmeat.net provides mountains of reasons for this
HOWTO's existence--the Internet is littered with excellently
--- /dev/null
+=================================================
+== Resources - Free Software Development HOWTO ==
+=================================================
+
+This file is a running list of sources that I have read for the
+software HOWTO. There is a list of sources that I have not yet read
+that I keep in the TODO file and as I read then, I will try to give a
+brief synopsis and move them to this file if I think they are
+useful. This file should usually share a good deal of text with the
+resources section at the end of the HOWTO itself but it may differ and
+serves a different purpose and audience.
--- /dev/null
+============================================
+== TODO - Free Software Development HOWTO ==
+============================================
+
+* A paragraph or two about about the importance of well commented code
+ as something that is useful for people that want to begin a
+ project. This is there somewhere but I can work with this a little
+ more and try to highlight it. (Andy King)
+
+* A paragraph on CVS and other version control systems. Maybe
+ something on sourcesafe which is for windows (I don't know if its
+ free software). (Andy King)
+
+* I need to do a final read through because v0.01 has a lot of
+ gramatical errors but not really any spelling errors. A read out of
+ a printed copy may make that kind of checking a lot easier. (Jaime)
+
+* I think a links and resouces sections at the final end might be good. I can put advogato and a bunch of the links to stories I read there that I found good as well as highlighting the good stuff.
+
+LINKS/SOURCES TO CHECK OUT:
+
+Stuff on Advogato.org that I've found that seems to be interesting:
+
+http://www.advogato.org/article/258.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/262.html
+http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html
+http://www.6nc.org/About%20Us/Reenactor%20Skills/yankee_doodle.html
+http://news.linuxprogramming.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2000-10-31-001-05-CD
+http://www.advogato.org/article/196.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/184.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/169.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/128.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/107.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/72.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/67.html
+http://www.advogato.org/article/40.html
\ No newline at end of file
+++ /dev/null
-<!doctype linuxdoc system>
-
-<!--
-The line above starts a comments section
-
-
-A changelog is useful if you don't use cvs etc.
-
-%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
-Changelog:
- 010200: Created this Template for big HOWTOs
- 070500: Continued writing, no release yet.
- 280500: Released. Added examples for diagrams
- 050600: Clarified intent, added acknowledgements and note on conventions, moved samples to the end, added table sample, added small section on style
- 190600: Updated and corrected copyright section
- 240700: Added Troubleshooting section, cleaned up Getting Help and Bits and Pieces, fixed typo
-
-The line below ends the comments section.
- -->
-
-
-<article>
-
-
-<title>HOWTO-template for big HOWTOs <!-- insert your title here -->
-<author>Stein Gjoen, <tt/sgjoen@nyx.net/ <!-- insert your name here -->
-<date>v0.05, 24 July 2000 <!-- always have a version number and a date -->
-<abstract> <!-- the abstract: a short and precise description -->
-<nidx>template</nidx> <!-- add indexing keywords as you go along -->
- <!-- nidx means the indexed word is not in output of main text, only in the index -->
-This is a fully working template for big HOWTOs. The source contains
-fully described slots to make a convenient framework for you to fill in
-for making your own HOWTO, suggesting some names, conventions and contents
-for the chapters.
-</abstract>
-
-
-
-<!-- Table of contents -->
-<toc>
-
-<!-- Begin the document -->
-
-
-<sect>Introduction
-
-<p>
-<nidx>template!introduction</nidx> <!-- here introduction is a sub entry of template, exclamationamrk is separator -->
-<em>My comments to the reader is in this style (emphasized)</em>.
-Example lines are in plain roman style.
-<em>Note that extra comments and advice is found in comments
-within the SGML source.</em> <!-- such as this comment -->
-
-For various reasons this brand new release is codenamed
-the <bf/release/ release.
-
-New code names will appear as per industry standard guidelines
-to emphasize the state-of-the-art-ness of this document.
-
-<p>
-This document was written when I read a feedback asking for a
-template to fill in to make new HOWTOs. This template is made
-by extracting the skeletal structure of the Multi Disk HOWTO
-which is a rather large HOWTO.
-
-<em>This Template is a suggestion and a starting point, a check list
-and examples for authors; it is not a requirement to be followed
-slavishly. Over time HOWTOs might also outgrow any template since
-in the end the goal is to inform readers efficiently.</em>
-
-Stating the background is a simple way to getting started
-writing the intro.
-
-First of all we need a bit of legalese. Recent development shows it is
-quite important.
-
-<sect1>Copyright
-<p>
-<em>Copyright is a source of much and continuous debate on the
-LDP mailing list. For more in depth information please consult
-the Manifesto at the </em>
-<url url="http://www.LinuxDoc.org/"
- name="LinuxDoc">
-site.
-<em>
-The purpose of having a license is to allow appropriate distribution.
-You can use any license that meets the Manifesto.
-What follows is a boilerplate licence.
-</em>
-
-<!--
-This HOWTO is copyrighted 2000 Stein Gjoen. <em>Replace with your name
-when you use this skeleton for a new HOWTO</em>
-
-Unless otherwise stated, Linux HOWTO documents are copyrighted by their
-respective authors. Linux HOWTO documents may be reproduced and distributed
-in whole or in part, in any medium physical or electronic, as long as
-this copyright notice is retained on all copies. Commercial redistribution
-is allowed and encouraged; however, the author would like to be notified of
-any such distributions.
-
-All translations, derivative works, or aggregate works incorporating
-any Linux HOWTO documents must be covered under this copyright notice.
-That is, you may not produce a derivative work from a HOWTO and impose
-additional restrictions on its distribution. Exceptions to these rules
-may be granted under certain conditions; please contact the Linux HOWTO
-coordinator at the address given below.
-
-In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this information through as
-many channels as possible. However, we do wish to retain copyright on the
-HOWTO documents, and would like to be notified of any plans to redistribute
-the HOWTOs.
-
-If you have questions, please contact
-at linux-howto@metalab.unc.edu via email.
-
--->
-
-
-Copyright (c) 2000 by John Doe (change to your name)
-<P>
-Please freely copy and distribute (sell or give away) this document in
-any format. It's requested that corrections and/or comments be fowarded
-to the document maintainer. You may create a derivative work and distribute
-it provided that you:
-
-<itemize>
-<item>
-Send your derivative work (in the most suitable format such as
-sgml) to the LDP (Linux Documentation Project) or the like for posting
-on the Internet. If not the LDP, then let the LDP know where it is
-available.
-<item>
-License the derivative work with this same license or use GPL.
-Include a copyright notice and at least a pointer to the license used.
-<item>
-Give due credit to previous authors and major contributors.
-</itemize>
-
- <P>
-If you're considering making a derived work other than a translation,
-it's requested that you discuss your plans with the current maintainer.
-
-
-
-<sect1>Disclaimer
-<p>
-
-Use the information in this document at your own risk. I disavow any
-potential liability for the contents of this document. Use of the
-concepts, examples, and/or other content of this document is entirely
-at your own risk.
-
-All copyrights are owned by their owners, unless specifically noted
-otherwise. Use of a term in this document should not be regarded as
-affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
-
-Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen as endorsements.
-
-You are strongly recommended to take a backup of your system before
-major installation and backups at regular intervals.
-
-
-<sect1>News
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!news on</nidx>
-<em>This is where you make a summary of what it news. When a HOWTO exceeds
-20 pages it takes more than a casual read to find the updates. This is
-where you help your readers with that, alerting them to specific and
-important news.</em>
-
-This is the second release featuring more samples and an improved structure.
-<!-- This is the first release. No news yet. -->
-<!-- Note that you might wish to keep old news commented out for reference
-and perhaps state news as latest and next to latest update. -->
-
-<em>Tell people where the document home page is so the very newest
-release could be found in case of problems with the main
-<url url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/"
- name="Linux Documentation Project">
-homepage.
-</em>
-
-The latest version number of this document can be gleaned from my
-plan entry if you <!-- do "finger sgjoen@nox.nyx.net" -->
-<url url="http://www.cs.indiana.edu/finger/nox.nyx.net/sgjoen"
- name="finger"> my Nyx account.
-
-<em>If you have the capacity it would be nice to make the HOWTO
-available in a number of formats.</em>
-
-Also, the latest version of the Template will be available on
-my web space on Nyx in a number of formats:
-<itemize>
-<item>
-<url url="http://www.nyx.net/˜sgjoen/template.html"
- name="HTML">.
-
-<item>
-<url url="http://www.nyx.net/˜sgjoen/template.txt"
- name="plain ASCII text">.
-
-<!-- consider PostScript and perhaps also PDF formates
-<item>
-<url url="http://www.nyx.net/˜sgjoen/disk-US.ps.gz"
- name="compressed postscript US letter format">.
-
-<item>
-<url url="http://www.nyx.net/˜sgjoen/disk-A4.ps.gz"
- name="compressed postscript European A4 format">.
--->
-<item>
-<url url="http://www.nyx.net/˜sgjoen/template.sgml"
- name="SGML source">.
-</itemize>
-
-<em>Note that paper sizes vary in the world, A4 and US letter differ
-significantly.</em>
-
-<sect1>Credits
-<p>
-<em>It is always nice to acknowledge people who help you with inputs, it
-is also regarded by many as important in the Linux world new economy</em>
-
-In this version I have the pleasure of acknowledging
-
-<tscreen><verb>
-corff (at) ZEDAT.FU-Berlin.DE
-dwood (at) plugged.net.au
-lcl (at) spiretech.com
-kgh12351 (at) nifty.ne.jp
-dave (at) lafn.org
-name (at) site.org
-</verb></tscreen>
-
-<em>Scramble the addresses so email harvesters cannot get
-addresses from your HOWTO and then spam people. That has
-happened in the past.</em>
-
-
-<sect1>Translations
-<p>
-Not everyone speaks English, pointers to translations are nice.
-Also your translators tend to give very important inputs.
-<itemize>
-<item><url url="http://linuxdoc.org/"
- name="German Translation"> by <tt/someone (at) somewhere.de/
-
-<item><url url="http://www.swe-doc.linux.nu"
- name="Swedish Translation "> by <tt/someone (at) somewhere.se/
-
-<item><url url="http://linuxdoc.org/"
- name="French Translation"> by <tt/someone (at) somewhere.fr/
-
-<item><url url="http://linuxdoc.org/"
- name="Chinese Translation"> by <tt/someone (at) somewhere.cn/
-
-<item><url url="http://linuxdoc.org/"
- name="Italian Translation"> by <tt/someone (at) somewhere.it/
-</itemize>
-
-
-
-
-Also Somecompany is acknowledged for sending me documentation
-on their gizmos as well as permission to quote from the material.
-These quotes have been approved before appearing here and will
-be clearly labelled.
-
-Any comments or suggestions can be mailed to my mail address on Nyx:
-<htmlurl url="mailto:sgjoen@nyx.net/"
- name="sgjoen@nyx.net">.
-
-
-<p>
-
-
-<!--
-%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- -->
-
-
-<sect>Structure
-<p>
-<em>A quick overview on how all parts fit together in the structure.
-Here I use an example from my Multi Disk HOWTO.</em>
-
-As this type of document is supposed to be as much for learning
-as a technical reference document I have rearranged the structure
-to this end. For the designer of a system it is more useful to
-have the information presented in terms of the goals of this exercise
-than from the point of view of the logical layer structure of the
-devices themselves. Nevertheless this document would not be complete
-without such a layer structure the computer field is so full of, so
-I will include it here as an introduction to how it works.
-
-<sect1>Logical structure
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!structure, I/O subsystem</nidx>
-This is based on how each layer access each other, traditionally
-with the application on top and the physical layer on the bottom.
-It is quite useful to show the interrelationship between each of
-the layers used in controlling drives.
-<tscreen><verb>
- ___________________________________________________________
- |__ File structure ( /usr /tmp etc) __|
- |__ File system (ext2fs, vfat etc) __|
- |__ Volume management (AFS) __|
- |__ RAID, concatenation (md) __|
- |__ Device driver (SCSI, IDE etc) __|
- |__ Controller (chip, card) __|
- |__ Connection (cable, network) __|
- |__ Drive (magnetic, optical etc) __|
- -----------------------------------------------------------
-
-</verb></tscreen>
-
-In the above diagram both volume management and RAID and concatenation
-are optional layers. The 3 lower layers are in hardware.
-All parts are discussed at length later on in this document.
-
-<sect1>Document structure
-<p>
-Most users start out with a given set of hardware and some plans on
-what they wish to achieve and how big the system should be. This is
-the point of view I will adopt in this document in presenting the
-material, starting out with hardware, continuing with design constraints
-before detailing the design strategy that I have found to work well.
-I have used this both for my own personal computer at home, a multi
-purpose server at work and found it worked quite well. In addition my
-Japanese co-worker in this project have applied the same strategy on
-a server in an academic setting with similar success.
-
-Finally at the end I have detailed some configuration tables for use
-in your own design. If you have any comments regarding this or notes
-from your own design work I would like to hear from you so this
-document can be upgraded.
-
-<sect1>Reading plan
-<p>
-<em>As you go beyond 50 pages or so there will be a lot of text that
-experts and even the experienced do not need to read. Keeping in mind
-that we wish to care for all kinds of people in the Linux world we
-might have to make a reading plan. Again example follows from my
-HOWTO.</em>
-
-Although not the biggest HOWTO it is nevertheless rather big already
-and I have been requested to make a reading plan to make it possible
-to cut down on the volume
-
-<descrip>
-<tag/Expert/ (aka the elite). If you are familiar with Linux as well
-as disk drive technologies you will find most of what you need in the
-appendices. Additionally you are recommended to read the FAQ and the
-<ref id="bits-n-pieces" name="Bits'n'pieces">
-chapter.
-
-<tag/Experienced/ (aka Competent). If you are familiar with computers
-in general you can go straight to the chapters on
-<ref id="technologies" name="technologies">
-and continue from there on.
-
-<tag/Newbie/ (mostly harmless). You just have to read the whole thing.
-Sorry. In addition you are also recommended to read all the other disk
-related HOWTOs.
-</descrip>
-
-
-<sect>Technologies <label id="technologies">
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!technologies</nidx>
-<em>Introduction of technology for the newbie with a few
-references to detailled works. Remember that not everyone
-has Internet access so you have to explain in sufficient
-details so even the newbie can get by.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Implementation
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!implementation</nidx>
-<em>Now your readers should have a sufficient knowledge of what
-this is about and now we come to the hands on of implementing
-your clever scheme.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Maintenance
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!maintenance</nidx>
-<em>Few systems and designs are maintenance free, here you explain
-how to keep the system running.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Advanced Issues
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!advanced topics</nidx>
-<em>You can get most things up and running in a quick and dirty
-fashion, useful for testing and getting used to how things work.
-For more serious use you would need to be a little more advanced.
-This is the place to explain it all, if applicable.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Troubleshooting <label id="troubleshooting">
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!troubleshooting</nidx>
-<em>Many problems can be solved by a simple structured approach,
-analysing the symptoms, finding the cause and determining the
-solution. The following is an exerpts from the Multi Disk HOWTO.</em>
-
-<sect1>During Installation
-
-<sect2>Locating Disks
-<p>
-<descrip>
-<tag/Symptoms/Cannot find disk
-<tag/Problem/How to find what drive letter corresponds to what disk/partition
-<tag/Solution/Remember Linux does not use drive letters but device names. More
-information can be found in section "Drive names".
-</descrip>
-<p>
-<descrip>
-<tag/Symptoms/Cannot partition disk
-<tag/Problem/Most likely wrong input to the command line for <tt/fdisk/ or similar tool.
-<tag/Solution/Remember to use <tt>/dev/hda</tt> rather than just <tt>hda</tt>. Also
-do not use numbers behind <tt>hda</tt>, those indicate partitions.
-</descrip>
-
-
-<sect2>Formatting
-<p>
-<descrip>
-<tag/Symptoms/Cannot format disk.
-<tag/Problem/Strictly speaking you format partitions not disks.
-<tag/Solution/Make sure you add the partition number after the device name
-of the disk, for instance <tt>/dev/hda1</tt> to the command line.
-</descrip>
-
-
-<sect>Further Information
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!information resources</nidx>
-<em>A HOWTO cannot describe everything, some times the user
-has to venture out on th enet to get more information or just
-updates. Here is the place to tell where and how. Again examples
-from my HOWTO, replace as needed.</em>
-There is wealth of information one should go through when setting up a
-major system, for instance for a news or general Internet service provider.
-The FAQs in the following groups are useful:
-
-<sect1>News groups
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!news groups</nidx>
-Some of the most interesting news groups are:
-<itemize>
-<item><url url="news:comp.arch.storage" name="Storage">.
-<item><url url="news:comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage" name="PC storage">.
-<item><url url="news:alt.filesystems.afs" name="AFS">.
-<item><url url="news:comp.periphs.scsi" name="SCSI">.
-<item><url url="news:comp.os.linux.setup" name="Linux setup">.
-</itemize>
-
-Most newsgroups have their own FAQ that are designed to answer most of your
-questions, as the name Frequently Asked Questions indicate. Fresh versions
-should be posted regularly to the relevant newsgroups. If you cannot find it
-in your news spool you could go directly to the
-<url url="ftp://rtfm.mit.edu"
- name="FAQ main archive FTP site">. The WWW versions can be browsed at
-<url url="http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html"
- name="FAQ main archive WWW site">.
-
-Some FAQs have their own home site, of particular interest here are
-<itemize>
-<item><url url="http://www.paranoia.com/˜filipg/HTML/LINK/F_SCSI.html"
- name="SCSI FAQ"> and
-<item><url url="http://alumni.caltech.edu/˜rdv/comp_arch_storage/FAQ-1.html"
- name="comp.arch.storage FAQ">.
-</itemize>
-
-
-<sect1>Mailing Lists
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!mailing lists</nidx>
-These are low noise channels mainly for developers. Think
-twice before asking questions there as noise delays the development.
-Some relevant lists are <tt/linux-raid/, <tt/linux-scsi/ and <tt/linux-ext2fs/.
-Many of the most useful mailing lists run on the <tt>vger.rutgers.edu</tt> server
-but this is notoriously overloaded, so try to find a mirror. There are some lists mirrored at
-<url url="http://www.redhat.com"
- name="The Redhat Home Page">.
-Many lists are also accessible at
-<url url="http://www.linuxhq.com/lnxlists"
- name="linuxhq">,
-and the rest of the web site is a gold mine of useful information.
-
-If you want to find out more about the lists available you can send a message
-with the line <tt/lists/ to the list server at vger.rutgers.edu (
-<htmlurl url="mailto:majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu"
- name="majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu">).
-If you need help on how to use the mail server just send the line <tt/help/
-to the same address.
-Due to the popularity of this server it is likely it takes a bit to time before
-you get a reply or even get messages after you send a <tt/subscribe/ command.
-
-There is also a number of other majordomo list servers that can be of interest
-such as the EATA driver list (
-<htmlurl url="mailto:linux-eata@mail.uni-mainz.de"
- name="linux-eata@mail.uni-mainz.de">)
-and the Intelligent IO list
-<htmlurl url="mailto:linux-i2o@dpt.com"
- name="linux-i2o@dpt.com">.
-
-Mailing lists are in a state of flux but you can find links to a number of
-interesting lists from the
-<url url="http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP/"
- name="Linux Documentation Homepage">.
-
-
-<sect1>HOWTO
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!HOWTOs</nidx>
-These are intended as the primary starting points to
-get the background information as well as show you how to solve
-a specific problem.
-Some relevant HOWTOs are <tt/Bootdisk/, <tt/Installation/, <tt/SCSI/ and <tt/UMSDOS/.
-The main site for these is the
-<url url="http://metalab.unc.edu/LDP/"
- name="LDP archive">
-at Metalab (formerly known as Sunsite).
-
-There is a a new HOWTO out that deals with setting up a
-DPT RAID system, check out the
-<url url="http://www.ram.org/computing/linux/dpt_raid.html"
- name="DPT RAID HOWTO homepage">.
-
-
-
-<sect1>Mini-HOWTO
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!mini-HOWTOs</nidx>
-These are the smaller free text relatives to the HOWTOs.
-Some relevant mini-HOWTOs are
-<tt/Backup-With-MSDOS/, <tt/Diskless/, <tt/LILO/, <tt/Large Disk/,
-<tt/Linux+DOS+Win95+OS2/, <tt/Linux+OS2+DOS/, <tt/Linux+Win95/,
-<tt/NFS-Root/, <tt/Win95+Win+Linux/, <tt/ZIP Drive/ .
-You can find these at the same place as the HOWTOs, usually in a sub directory
-called <tt/mini/. Note that these are scheduled to be converted into SGML and
-become proper HOWTOs in the near future.
-
-The old <tt/Linux Large IDE mini-HOWTO/ is no longer valid, instead read
-<tt>/usr/src/linux/drivers/block/README.ide</tt> or
-<tt>/usr/src/linux/Documentation/ide.txt</tt>.
-
-<sect1>Local Resources
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!local</nidx>
-In most distributions of Linux there is a document directory installed,
-have a look in the
-<htmlurl url="file:///usr/doc"
- name="/usr/doc"> directory.
-where most packages store their main documentation and README files etc.
-Also you will here find the HOWTO archive (
-<htmlurl url="file:///usr/doc/HOWTO"
- name="/usr/doc/HOWTO">)
-of ready formatted HOWTOs
-and also the mini-HOWTO archive (
-<url url="file:///usr/doc/HOWTO/mini"
- name="/usr/doc/HOWTO/mini">)
-of plain text documents.
-
-Many of the configuration files mentioned earlier can be found in the
-<htmlurl url="file:///etc"
- name="/etc">
-directory. In particular you will want to work with the
-<htmlurl url="file:///etc/fstab"
- name="/etc/fstab">
-file that sets up the mounting of partitions
-and possibly also
-<htmlurl url="file:///etc/mdtab"
- name="/etc/mdtab">
-file that is used for the <tt/md/ system to set up RAID.
-
-The kernel source in
-<url url="file:///usr/src/linux"
- name="/usr/src/linux">
-is, of course, the ultimate documentation. In other
-words, <em>use the source, Luke</em>.
-It should also be pointed out that the kernel comes not only with
-source code which is even commented (well, partially at least)
-but also an informative
-<url url="file:///usr/src/linux/Documentation"
- name="documentation directory">.
-If you are about to ask any questions about the kernel you should
-read this first, it will save you and many others a lot of time
-and possibly embarrassment.
-
-Also have a look in your system log file (
-<htmlurl url="file:///var/log/messages"
- name="/var/log/messages">)
-to see what is going on and in particular how the booting went if
-too much scrolled off your screen. Using <tt>tail -f /var/log/messages</tt>
-in a separate window or screen will give you a continuous update of what is
-going on in your system.
-
-You can also take advantage of the
-<htmlurl url="file:///proc"
- name="/proc">
-file system that is a window into the inner workings of your system.
-Use <tt/cat/ rather than <tt/more/ to view the files as they are
-reported as being zero length. Reports are that <tt/less/ works well here.
-
-
-<sect1>Web Pages
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!WWW</nidx>
-<nidx>disk!information resources!web pages</nidx>
-There is a huge number of informative web pages out there and by their very
-nature they change quickly so don't be too surprised if these links become
-quickly outdated.
-
-A good starting point is of course the
-<url url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/"
- name="Linux Documentation Project"> home page,
-an information central for documentation, project pages and much, much more.
-
-Please let me know if you have any other leads that can be of interest.
-
-
-<sect>Getting Help
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!assistance, obtaining</nidx>
-<em>Your reader might still end up in a situation where extra help is
-needed from someone else, perhaps on the net. In order to get fast and
-efficient help it is best first to get some details on your system.
-What details matter depends on type of problem. For disk problems you
-need to know the disk controllers etc, for networking problems you
-have to know what ethernet card is used and version of drivers etc.
-Here is the place to suggest what details to have ready when asking
-for help.</em>
-
-In the end you might find yourself unable to solve your problems and need
-help from someone else. The most efficient way is either to ask someone
-local or in your nearest Linux user group, search the web for the nearest
-one.
-
-Another possibility is to ask on Usenet News in one of the many, many
-newsgroups available. The problem is that these have such a high
-volume and noise (called low signal-to-noise ratio) that your question
-can easily fall through unanswered.
-
-No matter where you ask it is important to ask well or you will not be
-taken seriously. Saying just <it/my disk does not work/ is not going
-to help you and instead the noise level is increased even further and if
-you are lucky someone will ask you to clarify.
-
-Instead describe your problems in some detail that
-will enable people to help you. The problem could lie somewhere you did
-not expect. Therefore you are advised to list up the following information
-on your system:
-
-<descrip>
-<tag/Hardware/
-<itemize>
-<item>Processor
-<item>DMA
-<item>IRQ
-<item>Chip set (LX, BX etc)
-<item>Bus (ISA, VESA, PCI etc)
-<item>Expansion cards used (Disk controllers, video, IO etc)
-</itemize>
-
-<tag/Software/
-<itemize>
-<item>BIOS (On motherboard and possibly SCSI host adapters)
-<item>LILO, if used
-<item>Linux kernel version as well as possible modifications and patches
-<item>Kernel parameters, if any
-<item>Software that shows the error (with version number or date)
-</itemize>
-
-<tag/Peripherals/
-<itemize>
-<item>Type of disk drives with manufacturer name, version and type
-<item>Other relevant peripherals connected to the same busses
-</itemize>
-
-</descrip>
-
-Remember that booting text is logged to <tt>/var/log/messages</tt> which can
-answer most of the questions above. Obviously if the drives fail you might not
-be able to get the log saved to disk but you can at least scroll back up the
-screen using the <tt/SHIFT/ and <tt/PAGE UP/ keys. It may also be useful to
-include part of this in your request for help but do not go overboard, keep
-it <em/brief/ as a complete log file dumped to Usenet News is more than a
-little annoying.
-
-
-<sect>Concluding Remarks
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!conclusion</nidx>
-<em>Just summing up... Also a place for general recommendations.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Questions and Answers
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!FAQ</nidx>
-<nidx>(your index root)!frequently asked questions</nidx>
-<em>Check the newsgroups and try to determine some frequent
-problems and cover them here. Again an example from my HOWTO.</em>
-
-This is just a collection of what I believe are the most common
-questions people might have. Give me more feedback and I will
-turn this section into a proper FAQ.
-
-<itemize>
-
-<item>Q:How many physical disk drives (spindles) does a Linux system need?
-<p>
-A: Linux can run just fine on one drive (spindle). Having enough
-RAM (around 32 MB, and up to 64 MB) to support swapping is a
-better price/performance choice than getting a second disk.
-(E)IDE disk is usually cheaper (but a little slower) than SCSI.
-
-<item>Q: Are there any disadvantages in this scheme?
-<p>
-A: There is only a minor snag: if even a single partition overflows
-the system might stop working properly. The severity depends of course
-on what partition is affected. Still this is not hard to monitor, the
-command <tt/df/ gives you a good overview of the situation. Also check
-the swap partition(s) using <tt/free/ to make sure you are not about
-to run out of virtual memory.
-
-<item>Q: OK, so should I split the system into as many partitions
-as possible for a single drive?
-<p>
-A: No, there are several disadvantages to that. First of all maintenance
-becomes needlessly complex and you gain very little in this. In fact if your
-partitions are too big you will seek across larger areas than needed.
-This is a balance and dependent on the number of physical drives you have.
-
-</itemize>
-<em>(rest deleted.)</em>
-
-<sect>Bits and Pieces <label id="bits-n-pieces">
-<p>
-<nidx>disk!miscellaneous</nidx>
-<em>This is basically a section where I stuff all the bits I have not yet
-decided where should go, yet that I feel is worth knowing about. It is
-a kind of transient area.</em>
-
-<sect>Examples
-<p>
-<nidx>(your index root)!examples</nidx>
-<em>Example designs and sample configuration files and other
-relevant details is always handy. Keep large samples at the
-end to avoid breaking the flow of the HOWTO reading. Small
-samples are useful within the main body of the HOWTO.</em>
-
-
-<sect>Samples <label id="samples">
-<p>
-<em>This section gives some simple SGML examples you could copy.
-Read the source to see how it was done.</em>
-
-<!-- you can also have comments in the SGML source -->
-
-<sect1>Lists
-<p>
-<em>Lists appears many times, in a number of formats:</em>
-<p>
-Unlisted bullets:
-<p>
-<itemize>
-<item>Apples
-<item>Oranges
-<item>Bananas
-</itemize>
-<p>
-Tagged lists
-<p>
-<descrip>
-<tag/Fruits/ such as apples, oranges, and more.
-<tag/Nuts/ Don't eat too many; you are what you eat.
-<tag/Vegetables/ Potatos are spelled with care.
-</descrip>
-
-
-<sect1>Links
-<p>
-<em>Links can be used within your documents
-to refer to different sections and chapters or
-to refer to documents external to yours.</em>
-<p>
-Internal links
-<p>
-Click on
-<ref id="samples" name="this">
-link to jump to the top of this chapter. Note the
-anchor at the section tag.
-
-<p>
-External links
-<p>
-Click on
-<url url="http://www.LinuxDoc.org/"
- name="this">
-link to jump to the LDP site.
-Note you can use http, ftp, news and other protocols
-in the locator if required.
-Note that the character ˜ has to be escaped, see the source
-for details.
-<!-- ˜ is the way of writing the tilde character -->
-
-<sect1>Images
-<p>
-<em>Avoid diagrams if possible as this cannot be rendered in the
-ascii outputs which are still needed by many around the world.</em>
-
-<figure loc="tbp">
-<eps file="somegraphics.eps">
-<img src="somegraphics.jpg">
-<caption>Graphics Test Image</caption>
-</figure>
-
-<!-- <img file="/usr/src/linux/logo.gif"> -->
-
-
-<sect>Table Samples <label id="tblsamples">
-<p>
-<em>This section gives an example of writing a table.</em>
-
-<table loc=p>
-<tabular ca="rll">
-Line No.<colsep>Country <colsep>Capital <rowsep><hline>
-1 <colsep>Norway <colsep>Oslo <rowsep>
-2 <colsep>Japan <colsep>Tokyo <rowsep>
-3 <colsep>Finland <colsep>Helsinki <rowsep>
-</tabular>
-<caption>Some capitals</caption>
-</table>
-
-
-<sect>Notes on Style <label id="style">
-<p>
-<em>
-Not much here yet but I would like to suggest a few points.
-</em>
-
-
-<descrip>
-<tag/Tags/ Try to use tags extensively
-<tag/Types/ Try using functional tags such as em rather than it.
-<tag/Files/ Try using functional links to files such as
-<tt><htmlurl url="file:///usr/doc" name="/usr/doc"></tt>
-rather than just /usr/doc.
-<tag/Commands/ Try to refer to man pages including section number
-<tt>df (1)</tt> rather than just df.
-</descrip>
-
-
-</article>
+++ /dev/null
-<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V3.1//EN">\r
-\r
-<article>\r
-\r
-<!-- Header -->\r
-\r
- <artheader>\r
- <title>HOWTO-template for big HOWTOs</title>\r
-\r
- <author>\r
- <firstname>Stein</firstname>\r
- <surname>Gjoen</surname>\r
- <affiliation>\r
- <address>\r
- <email>sgjoen@nyx.net</email>\r
- </address>\r
- </affiliation>\r
- </author>\r
-\r
- <author>\r
- <firstname>Gregory</firstname>\r
- <surname>Leblanc</surname>\r
- <affiliation>\r
- <address>\r
- <email>gleblanc@cu-portland.edu</email>\r
- </address>\r
- </affiliation>\r
- </author>\r
-\r
- <author>\r
- <firstname>Greg</firstname>\r
- <surname>Ferguson</surname>\r
- <affiliation>\r
- <address>\r
- <email>gferg@sgi.com</email>\r
- </address>\r
- </affiliation>\r
- </author>\r
-\r
- <revhistory>\r
- <revision>\r
- <revnumber>v0.05</revnumber>\r
- <date>8 June 2000</date>\r
- <authorinitials>gjf</authorinitials>\r
- <revremark>\r
- Fixed ids and comments\r
- </revremark>\r
- </revision>\r
-\r
- <revision>\r
- <revnumber>v0.04</revnumber>\r
- <date>1 June 2000</date>\r
- <authorinitials>gjf</authorinitials>\r
- <revremark>\r
- Additional spacing, layout changes, added new sections\r
- </revremark>\r
- </revision>\r
- </revhistory>\r
-\r
- <abstract>\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>template</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is a fully working template for big HOWTOs. The source\r
- contains fully described slots to make a convenient framework for\r
- you to fill in for making your own HOWTO; suggesting some names,\r
- conventions and contents for the chapters.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para><ulink url="big-howto-template.sgml">SGML source</ulink>\r
- for this document is available and should be consulted while reading.\r
- </para>\r
- </abstract>\r
-\r
- </artheader>\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: intro -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="intro">\r
- <title>Introduction</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!introduction</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- For various reasons this brand new release is codenamed the\r
- <emphasis>release</emphasis> release.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- New code names will appear as per industry standard\r
- guidelines to emphasize the state-of-the-art-ness of this\r
- document.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This document was written when I read a feedback asking for a\r
- template to fill in to make new HOWTOs. This template was\r
- initially made by extracting the skeletal structure of the Multi\r
- Disk HOWTO which is a rather large HOWTO. It then went through\r
- extensive editing.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Stating the background is a simple way to getting started\r
- writing the intro.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- First of all we need a bit of legalese. Recent development\r
- shows it is quite important.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: copyright -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="copyright">\r
- <title>Copyright Information</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This document is copyrighted (c) 2000 Stein Gjoen and is\r
- distributed under the terms of the Linux Documentation Project\r
- (LDP) license, stated below. <emphasis>Replace with your name,\r
- or supply a new license, when you use this skeleton for a new\r
- HOWTO.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Unless otherwise stated, Linux HOWTO documents are\r
- copyrighted by their respective authors. Linux HOWTO documents may\r
- be reproduced and distributed in whole or in part, in any medium\r
- physical or electronic, as long as this copyright notice is\r
- retained on all copies. Commercial redistribution is allowed and\r
- encouraged; however, the author would like to be notified of any\r
- such distributions.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- All translations, derivative works, or aggregate works\r
- incorporating any Linux HOWTO documents must be covered under this\r
- copyright notice. That is, you may not produce a derivative work\r
- from a HOWTO and impose additional restrictions on its\r
- distribution. Exceptions to these rules may be granted under\r
- certain conditions; please contact the Linux HOWTO coordinator at\r
- the address given below.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this\r
- information through as many channels as possible. However, we do\r
- wish to retain copyright on the HOWTO documents, and would like to\r
- be notified of any plans to redistribute the HOWTOs.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- If you have any questions, please contact \r
- <email>linux-howto@metalab.unc.edu</email>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: disclaimer -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="disclaimer">\r
- <title>Disclaimer</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- No liability for the contents of this documents can be accepted.\r
- Use the concepts, examples and other content at your own risk.\r
- As this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors\r
- and inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system.\r
- Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely,\r
- the author(s) do not take any responsibility for that.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- All copyrights are held by their by their respective owners, unless\r
- specifically noted otherwise. Use of a term in this document\r
- should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark\r
- or service mark.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen \r
- as endorsements.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- You are strongly recommended to take a backup of your system \r
- before major installation and backups at regular intervals.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: newversions-->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="newversions">\r
- <title>New Versions</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!news on</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is where you make a summary of what is new. When a\r
- HOWTO exceeds 20 pages it takes more than a casual read to find\r
- the updates. This is where you help your readers with that,\r
- alerting them to specific and important updates to the document.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is the initial release.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Tell people where the document home page is so the very\r
- newest release could be found in case of problems with the main\r
- <ulink url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">Linux Documentation\r
- Project</ulink> homepage.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- The following is a sample from the Multi Disk HOWTO:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- The latest version number of this document can be \r
- gleaned from my plan entry if you \r
- <ulink url="http://www.cs.indiana.edu/finger/nox.nyx.net/sgjoen">\r
- finger</ulink> my Nyx account.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>If you have the capability, it would be nice to \r
- make the HOWTO available in a number of formats.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- The newest version of this HOWTO will always be made available on\r
- my website, in a variety of formats:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://www.nyx.net/~sgjoen/disk.html">HTML</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink URL="http://www.nyx.net/~sgjoen/disk.txt">plain text</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://www.nyx.net/~sgjoen/disk-US.ps.gz">compressed \r
- postscript (US letter format)</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://www.nyx.net/~sgjoen/disk.sgml">SGML source</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Note that paper sizes vary in the world, A4 and US letter differ \r
- significantly. You might also wish to consider using the \r
- <emphasis>universal format</emphasis> (8.27x11in; 210x279mm). \r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: credits -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="credits">\r
- <title>Credits</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>It is always nice to acknowledge people who help you\r
- with input; it is also regarded by many as important in the\r
- Linux world new economy.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- In this version I have the pleasure of acknowledging:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <email>name (at) site.org</email>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Please scramble the addresses so email harvesters\r
- cannot get addresses from your HOWTO and then spam people. That\r
- has happened in the past.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Somecompany</emphasis> is acknowledged for sending me\r
- documentation on their gizmos as well as permission to quote from\r
- the material. These quotes have been approved before appearing\r
- here and will be clearly labeled.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: feedback -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="feedback">\r
- <title>Feedback</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Feedback is most certainly welcome for this document. Without\r
- your submissions and input, this document wouldn't exist. Please\r
- send your additions, comments and criticisms to the following\r
- email address : <email>sgjoen@nyx.net</email>.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: translations -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="translations">\r
- <title>Translations</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Not everyone speaks English, pointers to translations are nice.\r
- Also your translators tend to give very important inputs.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://linuxdoc.org/">German Translation</ulink>\r
- by <email>someone (at) somewhere.de</email>\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://linuxdoc.org/">French Translation</ulink>\r
- by <email>someone (at) somewhere.fr</email>\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://linuxdoc.org/">Italian Translation</ulink>\r
- by <email>someone (at) somewhere.it</email>\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: intro: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: samples -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="samples">\r
- <title>Samples</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>This section gives some simple SGML examples you could\r
- use. Read the SGML source to see how it was done.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Further information and examples can be obtained from the publication\r
- <ulink url="http://docbook.org/tdg/html/">DocBook: The Definitive \r
- Guide</ulink>. Written by <emphasis>Norman Walsh</emphasis>\r
- and <emphasis>Leonard Muellner</emphasis>; 1st Edition, October 1999.\r
- </para>\r
- \r
-<!-- Section2: lists -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="lists">\r
- <title>Lists</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Lists are used frequently, and are available in a number\r
- of formats shown below.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A list in which each entry is marked with a bullet or other dingbat:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Apples</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Oranges</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Bananas</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A list in which each entry is composed of a set of one or more\r
- terms and an associated description:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <variablelist>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Fruits</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>such as apples, oranges, and more.</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Nuts</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Don't eat too many; you are what you eat.</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Vegetables</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Potatos are spelled with care.</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- </variablelist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A list in which each entry is marked with a sequentially \r
- incremented label:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <orderedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Step one</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Step two</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </orderedlist>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: links -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="links">\r
- <title>Links</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Links can be used within your documents to refer to\r
- different sections and chapters or to refer to documents external\r
- to yours.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <sect3 id="int-links">\r
- <title>Internal links</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Click on the <xref LinkEnd="samples"> link to jump to the top of\r
- this chapter. Note the anchor at the section tag.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect3>\r
-\r
- <sect3 id="ext-links">\r
- <title>External links</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Click on <ulink url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">this</ulink> link\r
- to jump to the LDP site. Note you can use http, ftp, news and\r
- other protocols in the locator if required.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect3>\r
-\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: images -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="images">\r
- <title>Images</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Avoid diagrams if possible as this cannot be rendered\r
- in the ASCII outputs which are still needed by many around the\r
- world.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <figure>\r
- <title>Graphics Test Image</title>\r
- <graphic FileRef="red.gif"></graphic>\r
- </figure>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Here is another variation which allows for ALT text:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <mediaobject>\r
-\r
- <imageobject>\r
- <imagedata fileref="green.gif" format="gif">\r
- </imageobject>\r
-\r
- <textobject>\r
- <phrase>\r
- ALT text to be used: Green Ball\r
- </phrase>\r
- </textobject>\r
-\r
- <caption>\r
- <para>\r
- Caption for the graphic goes here: This is a Green Ball.\r
- </para>\r
- </caption>\r
- </mediaobject>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: samples: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: structure -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="structure">\r
- <title>Structure</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>A quick overview on how all parts fit together in the overall\r
- structure. An example from the Multi Disk HOWTO is used.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- As this type of document is supposed to be as much for learning as\r
- a technical reference document I have rearranged the structure to\r
- this end. For the designer of a system it is more useful to have\r
- the information presented in terms of the goals of this exercise\r
- than from the point of view of the logical layer structure of the\r
- devices themselves. Nevertheless this document would not be\r
- complete without such a layer structure the computer field is so\r
- full of, so I will include it here as an introduction to how it\r
- works.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: logical-struct -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="logical-struct">\r
- <title>Logical structure</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!structure, I/O subsystem</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is based on how each layer access each other, traditionally\r
- with the application on top and the physical layer on the bottom.\r
- It is quite useful to show the interrelationship between each of\r
- the layers used in controlling drives.\r
-\r
- <screen>\r
- ___________________________________________________________\r
- |__ File structure ( /usr /tmp etc) __|\r
- |__ File system (ext2fs, vfat etc) __|\r
- |__ Volume management (AFS) __|\r
- |__ RAID, concatenation (md) __|\r
- |__ Device driver (SCSI, IDE etc) __|\r
- |__ Controller (chip, card) __|\r
- |__ Connection (cable, network) __|\r
- |__ Drive (magnetic, optical etc) __|\r
- -----------------------------------------------------------\r
- </screen>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- In the above diagram both volume management and RAID and\r
- concatenation are optional layers. The 3 lower layers are in\r
- hardware. All parts are discussed at length later on in this\r
- document.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: doc-struct -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="doc-struct">\r
- <title>Document structure</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Most users start out with a given set of hardware and some plans\r
- on what they wish to achieve and how big the system should be.\r
- This is the point of view I will adopt in this document in\r
- presenting the material, starting out with hardware, continuing\r
- with design constraints before detailing the design strategy that\r
- I have found to work well. I have used this both for my own\r
- personal computer at home, a multi purpose server at work and\r
- found it worked quite well. In addition my Japanese co-worker in\r
- this project have applied the same strategy on a server in an\r
- academic setting with similar success.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Finally at the end I have detailed some configuration tables for\r
- use in your own design. If you have any comments regarding this\r
- or notes from your own design work I would like to hear from you\r
- so this document can be upgraded.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: reading-plan -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="reading-plan">\r
- <title>Reading plan</title>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>As you go beyond 50 pages or so there will be a lot of\r
- text that experts and even the experienced do not need to read.\r
- Keeping in mind that we wish to care for all kinds of people in\r
- the Linux world we might have to make a reading plan. Again,\r
- an example follows from the Multi Disk HOWTO.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Although not the biggest HOWTO it is nevertheless rather big\r
- already and I have been requested to make a reading plan to make\r
- it possible to cut down on the volume.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <variablelist>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Expert</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- (aka the elite). If you are familiar with Linux as well as\r
- disk drive technologies you will find most of what you need in\r
- the appendices. Additionally you are recommended to read the\r
- FAQ and the <XRef LinkEnd="bits-n-pieces">chapter.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Experienced</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- (aka Competent). If you are familiar with computers in\r
- general you can go straight to the chapters on \r
- <XRef LinkEnd="technologies"> and continue from there on.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Newbie</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- (mostly harmless). You just have to read the whole thing.\r
- Sorry. In addition you are also recommended to read all the\r
- other disk related HOWTOs.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- </variablelist>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: structure: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: technologies -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="technologies">\r
- <title>Technologies</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!technologies</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Introduction of technology for the newbie with a few\r
- references to detailed works. Remember that not everyone has\r
- Internet access so you have to explain in sufficient details so\r
- even the newbie can get by.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: technologies: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: implement -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="implement">\r
- <title>Implementation</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!implementation</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Now your readers should have a sufficient knowledge of\r
- what this is about and now we come to the hands on of implementing\r
- your clever scheme.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: implement: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: maint -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="maint">\r
- <title>Maintenance</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!maintenance</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Few systems and designs are maintenance free, here you\r
- explain how to keep the system running.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: maint: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: adv-issues -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="adv-issues">\r
- <title>Advanced Issues</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!advanced topics</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>You can get most things up and running in a quick and\r
- dirty fashion, useful for testing and getting used to how things\r
- work. For more serious use you would need to be a little more\r
- advanced. This is the place to explain it all, if applicable.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: adv-issues: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: moreinfo -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="moreinfo">\r
- <title>Further Information</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!information resources</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>A HOWTO cannot describe everything, some times the user\r
- has to venture out on th enet to get more information or just\r
- updates. Here is the place to tell where and how. Again examples\r
- from the Multi Disk HOWTO, replace as needed.</emphasis> There is wealth\r
- of information one should go through when setting up a major system,\r
- for instance for a news or general Internet service provider. The\r
- FAQs in the following groups are useful:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: newsgroups -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="newsgroups">\r
- <title>News groups</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!news groups</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>Some of the most interesting news groups are:\r
-\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="news:comp.arch.storage">Storage</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="news:comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage">PC storage</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="news:alt.filesystems.afs">AFS</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="news:comp.periphs.scsi">SCSI</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="news:comp.os.linux.setup">Linux setup</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Most newsgroups have their own FAQ that are designed to answer most\r
- of your questions, as the name Frequently Asked Questions indicate.\r
- Fresh versions should be posted regularly to the relevant newsgroups.\r
- If you cannot find it in your news spool you could go directly to the\r
- <ulink url="ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/">FAQ main archive FTP site</ulink>.\r
- The WWW versions can be browsed at the \r
- <ulink url="http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html">FAQ\r
- main archive WWW site</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Some FAQs have their own home site, of particular interest:\r
-\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://www.paranoia.com/~filipg/HTML/LINK/F_SCSI.html">SCSI FAQ</ulink> \r
- and\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <ulink url="http://alumni.caltech.edu/~rdv/comp_arch_storage/FAQ-1.html">comp.arch.storage FAQ</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: maillists -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="maillists">\r
- <title>Mailing Lists</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!mailing lists</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- These are low-noise channels mainly for developers. Think twice\r
- before asking questions there as noise delays the development.\r
- Some relevant lists are <email>linux-raid</email>,\r
- <email>linux-scsi</email> and <email>linux-ext2fs</email>. Many\r
- of the most useful mailing lists run on the <Literal\r
- remap="tt">vger.rutgers.edu</Literal> server but this is\r
- notoriously overloaded, so try to find a mirror. There are some\r
- lists mirrored at <ulink url="http://www.redhat.com">The Redhat\r
- Home Page</ulink>. Many lists are also accessible at <ulink\r
- url="http://www.linuxhq.com/lnxlists">linuxhq</ulink>, and the\r
- rest of the web site contains useful information as well.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- If you want to find out more about the lists available you can send\r
- a message with the line <command>lists</command> to the list server\r
- at <email>majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu</email>.\r
- If you need help on how to use the mail server just send the line\r
- <command>help</command> to the same address. Due to the\r
- popularity of this server it is likely it takes a bit to time before\r
- you get a reply or even get messages after you send a\r
- <command>subscribe</command> command.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- There is also a number of other majordomo list servers that can\r
- be of interest such as the EATA driver list\r
- (<email>linux-eata@mail.uni-mainz.de</email>)\r
- and the Intelligent IO list <email>linux-i2o@dpt.com</email>.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Mailing lists are in a state of flux but you can find links to a\r
- number of interesting lists from the \r
- <ulink url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">Linux Documentation\r
- Homepage</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: howto -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="howto">\r
- <title>HOWTO</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!HOWTOs</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- These are intended as the primary starting points to get the\r
- background information as well as show you how to solve a\r
- specific problem. Some relevant HOWTOs are\r
- <Literal remap="tt">Bootdisk</Literal>, \r
- <Literal remap="tt">Installation</Literal>,\r
- <Literal remap="tt">SCSI</Literal> and \r
- <Literal remap="tt">UMSDOS</Literal>. The main site for these is the\r
- <ulink url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">LDP archive</ulink>at\r
- Metalab (formerly known as Sunsite).\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- There is a a new HOWTO out that deals with setting up a DPT RAID\r
- system, check out the\r
- <ulink url="http://www.ram.org/computing/linux/dpt_raid.html">DPT RAID\r
- HOWTO homepage</ulink>.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: local-res -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="local-res">\r
- <title>Local Resources</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!local</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- In most distributions of Linux there is a document directory\r
- installed, have a look in the <filename>/usr/doc</filename>\r
- directory. where most packages store their main documentation and\r
- README files etc. Also you will here find the HOWTO archive \r
- (<filename>/usr/doc/HOWTO</filename>) of ready formatted HOWTOs\r
- and also the mini-HOWTO archive \r
- (<filename>/usr/doc/HOWTO/mini</filename>) of plain text\r
- documents.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Many of the configuration files mentioned earlier can be found in\r
- the <filename>/etc</filename> directory. In particular you will\r
- want to work with the <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> file that\r
- sets up the mounting of partitions and possibly also\r
- <filename>/etc/raidtab</filename> file that is used for the\r
- <Literal remap="tt">md</Literal> system to set up RAID.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- The kernel source in <filename>/usr/src/linux</filename> is, of\r
- course, the ultimate documentation. In other words, <quote>use\r
- the source, Luke</quote>. It should also be pointed out that the\r
- kernel comes not only with source code which is even commented\r
- (well, partially at least) but also an informative\r
- <filename>/usr/src/linux/Documentation</filename>. If you are\r
- about to ask any questions about the kernel you should read this\r
- first, it will save you and many others a lot of time and\r
- possibly embarrassment.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Also have a look in your system log file\r
- (<filename>/var/log/messages</filename>) to see what is going on\r
- and in particular how the booting went if too much scrolled off\r
- your screen. Using <command>tail -f /var/log/messages</command>\r
- in a separate window or screen will give you a continuous update\r
- of what is going on in your system.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- You can also take advantage of the <filename>/proc</filename>\r
- file system that is a window into the inner workings of your\r
- system. Use <command>cat</command> rather than\r
- <command>more</command> to view the files as they are reported as\r
- being zero length. Reports are that <command>less</command> works\r
- well here.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section2: web -->\r
-\r
- <sect2 id="web">\r
- <title>Web Sites</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!WWW</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!information resources!web pages</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- There are a huge number of informative web sites available. By\r
- their very nature they change quickly so do not be surprised\r
- if these links become quickly outdated.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A good starting point is of course the \r
- <ulink url="http://www.linuxdoc.org/">Linux Documentation\r
- Project</ulink> home page, an information central for\r
- documentation, project pages and much more.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Please let me know if you have any other leads that can be \r
- of interest.\r
- </para>\r
- </sect2>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: moreinfo: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: help -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="help">\r
- <title>Getting Help</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!assistance, obtaining</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- In the end you might find yourself unable to solve your problems\r
- and need help from someone else. The most efficient way is either\r
- to ask someone local or in your nearest Linux user group, search\r
- the web for the nearest one.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Another possibility is to ask on Usenet News in one of the many,\r
- many newsgroups available. The problem is that these have such a\r
- high volume and noise (called low signal-to-noise ratio) that your\r
- question can easily fall through unanswered.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- No matter where you ask it is important to ask well or you will\r
- not be taken seriously. Saying just <emphasis remap="it">my disk\r
- does not work</emphasis> is not going to help you and instead the\r
- noise level is increased even further and if you are lucky someone\r
- will ask you to clarify.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Instead describe your problems in some detail that will enable\r
- people to help you. The problem could lie somewhere you did not\r
- expect. Therefore you are advised to list the following information\r
- about your system:\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <variablelist>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Hardware</Term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Processor</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>DMA</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>IRQ</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Chip set (LX, BX etc)</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Bus (ISA, VESA, PCI etc)</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Expansion cards used (Disk controllers, video, IO \r
- etc.)\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Software</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>BIOS (On motherboard and possibly SCSI host adapters)</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>LILO, if used</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Linux kernel version as well as possible modifications \r
- and patches\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Kernel parameters, if any</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Software that shows the error (with version number \r
- or date)\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- <varlistentry>\r
- <term>Peripherals</term>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Type of disk drives with manufacturer name, version and type\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>Other relevant peripherals</para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
- </varlistentry>\r
-\r
- </variablelist>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- Remember that booting text is logged to\r
- <filename>/var/log/messages</filename> which can answer most of\r
- the questions above. Obviously if the drives fail you might not be\r
- able to get the log saved to disk but you can at least scroll\r
- back up the screen using the <keycap>SHIFT</keycap> and\r
- <keycap>PAGE UP</keycap> keys. It may also be useful to include\r
- part of this in your request for help but do not go overboard,\r
- keep it <emphasis>brief</emphasis> as a complete log file dumped\r
- to Usenet News is more than a little annoying.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: help: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: remarks -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="remarks">\r
- <title>Concluding Remarks</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!conclusion</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Just summing up... Also a place for general\r
- recommendations.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: remarks: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: faq -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="faq">\r
- <title>Questions and Answers</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!FAQ</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!frequently asked questions</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Check the newsgroups and try to determine some frequent\r
- problems and cover them here. Again an example from the Multi Disk\r
- HOWTO.</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is just a collection of what I believe are the most common\r
- questions people might have. Give me more feedback and I will turn\r
- this section into a proper FAQ.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <itemizedlist>\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Q:How many physical disk drives (spindles) does a Linux system need?\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A: Linux can run just fine on one drive (spindle). Having\r
- enough RAM (around 32 MB, and up to 64 MB) to support swapping\r
- is a better price/performance choice than getting a second\r
- disk. (E)IDE disk is usually cheaper (but a little slower) than\r
- SCSI.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Q: Are there any disadvantages in this scheme?\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A: There is only a minor snag: if even a single partition\r
- overflows the system might stop working properly. The severity\r
- depends of course on what partition is affected. Still this is\r
- not hard to monitor, the command <command>df</command> gives\r
- you a good overview of the situation. Also check the swap\r
- partition(s) using <command>free</command> to make sure you are\r
- not about to run out of virtual memory.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- <listitem>\r
- <para>\r
- Q: OK, so should I split the system into as many partitions as \r
- possible for a single drive?\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- A: No, there are several disadvantages to that. First of all\r
- maintenance becomes needlessly complex and you gain very little\r
- in this. In fact if your partitions are too big you will seek\r
- across larger areas than needed. This is a balance and\r
- dependent on the number of physical drives you have.\r
- </para>\r
- </listitem>\r
-\r
- </itemizedlist>\r
-\r
- <comment>\r
- Greg Leblanc: Depending on how big this FAQ gets, perhaps it\r
- would be worthwhile to have, say, the 5 most FAQ, and put the\r
- rest into an external FAQ. Dunno. Comments?\r
- </comment>\r
-\r
- <emphasis>(rest deleted.)</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: faq: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: bits-n-pieces -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="bits-n-pieces">\r
- <title>Bits and Pieces </title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>disk!miscellaneous</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- This is basically a section where I stuff all the bits I have not\r
- yet decided where should go, yet that I feel is worth knowing\r
- about. It is a kind of transient area.\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: bits-n-pieces: END -->\r
-\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: examples -->\r
-\r
- <sect1 id="examples">\r
- <title>Examples</title>\r
-\r
- <indexterm>\r
- <primary>(your index root)!examples</primary>\r
- </indexterm>\r
-\r
- <para>\r
- <emphasis>Example designs and sample configuration files and other\r
- relevant details is always handy</emphasis>\r
- </para>\r
-\r
- </sect1>\r
-\r
-<!-- Section1: examples: END -->\r
-\r
-</article>\r
-\r
-<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file\r
-Local variables:\r
-mode: sgml\r
-sgml-omittag:t\r
-sgml-shorttag:t\r
-sgml-namecase-general:t\r
-sgml-general-insert-case:lower\r
-sgml-minimize-attributes:nil\r
-sgml-always-quote-attributes:t\r
-sgml-indent-step:1\r
-sgml-indent-data:nil\r
-sgml-parent-document:nil\r
-sgml-exposed-tags:nil\r
-sgml-local-catalogs:nil\r
-sgml-local-ecat-files:nil\r
-End:\r
--->\r
projects / fspm_howto / commitdiff