Editing Linux from Scratch (section)

== Projects under LFS==
''Linux From Scratch'' is a way to install a working Linux system by building all components of it manually. This is, naturally, a longer process than installing a pre-compiled [[Linux distribution]]. According to the ''Linux From Scratch'' site, the advantages to this method are a compact, flexible and secure system and a greater understanding of the internal workings of the Linux-based operating systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/|title=What is Linux From Scratch?|accessdate=2025-03-11}}</ref>

To keep LFS small and focused, the book ''Beyond Linux From Scratch'' (BLFS) was created, which presents instructions on how to further develop the basic Linux system that was created in LFS. It introduces and guides the reader through additions to the system including the [[X Window System]], [[desktop environment]]s ([[KDE]], [[GNOME]], [[Xfce]], [[LXDE]]), [[productivity software]], [[web browser]]s, [[programming language]]s and tools, [[multimedia]] software, and [[network management]] and [[system administrator|system administration]] tools. Since Release 5.0, the BLFS book version matches the LFS book version.<ref>Gerard Beekmans: Beyond Linux From Scratch, Version 6.3 (August 2008)</ref>

The book ''Cross Linux From Scratch'' (CLFS) focuses on [[cross compiling]], including compiling for [[Headless computer|headless]] or [[embedded system|embedded]] systems that can ''run'' Linux, but lack the resources needed to ''compile'' Linux. CLFS supports a broad range of [[Central processing unit|processors]] and addresses advanced techniques not included in the LFS book such as cross-build [[toolchain]]s, multilibrary support (32 & 64-bit [[Library (computing)|libraries]] side-by-side), and alternative [[instruction set architecture]]s such as [[Itanium]], [[SPARC]], [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], and [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]].

The Linux from Scratch project, like [[BitBake]], also supports cross-compiling Linux for [[ARM architecture|ARM]] embedded systems such as the [[Raspberry Pi]] and [[BeagleBone]].<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://clfs.org/view/clfs-embedded/|title=Cross-Compiled Linux From Scratch - Embedded|accessdate=2025-03-11}}.
</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Practical Raspberry Pi |last=Horan |first=Brendan |publisher=Apress |isbn=9781430249726 |publication-date=2013-06-12 |pages=105 |language=English}}</ref>

The book [https://web.archive.org/web/20180211010358/https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/hlfs/download.html ''Hardened Linux From Scratch'' (HLFS)] focuses on security enhancements such as [[Hardening (computing)|hardened]] kernel patches, mandatory [[Computer access control|access control]] policies, [[stack-smashing protection]], and [[address space layout randomization]]. Besides its main purpose of creating a [[security-focused operating system]], HLFS had the secondary goal of being a security teaching tool.  It has not been updated since 2011. As of 17 February 2025, the HLFS book has disappeared from the LFS web site.

[http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/alfs/ ''Automated Linux From Scratch'' (ALFS)] is a project designed to automate the process of creating an LFS system. It is aimed at users who have gone through the LFS and BLFS books several times and wish to reduce the amount of work involved. A secondary goal is to act as a test of the LFS and BLFS books by directly extracting and running instructions from the XML sources of the LFS and BLFS books.