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==Components== [[File:Linux kernel ubiquity.svg|thumb|350px|A Linux distribution is usually built around a [[package management system]], which puts together the [[Linux kernel]], free and open-source software, and occasionally some proprietary software.]] Many Linux distributions provide an installation system akin to that provided with other modern operating systems. Other distributions, including [[Gentoo Linux]], provide only the binaries of a basic kernel, compilation tools, and an installer; the installer compiles all the requested software for the specific [[CPU Architecture|architecture]] of the user's computer, using these tools and the software's source code. ===Package management=== {{See also|Package management system|Linux package formats}} Distributions are normally segmented into ''packages''. Each package contains a specific application or service. Examples of packages are a library for handling the [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]] image format, a collection of fonts, and a [[web browser]]. The package is typically provided as compiled code, with installation and removal of packages handled by a [[package management system]] (PMS) rather than a simple [[file archiver]]. Each package intended for such a PMS contains meta-information such as its description, version number, and its [[dependency (computer science)|dependencies]] (other packages it requires to run). The package management system evaluates this meta-information to allow package searches, perform automatic upgrades to newer versions, and to check that all dependencies of a package are present (and either notify the user to install them, or install them automatically). The package can also be provided as [[source code]] to be compiled on the system. Most distributions install packages, including the kernel and other core operating system components, in a predetermined configuration. A few now require or permit configuration adjustments at first install time. This makes installation less daunting, particularly for new users, but is not always acceptable. For specific requirements, much software must be carefully configured to be useful, to work correctly with other software, or to be secure, and local administrators are often obliged to spend time reviewing and reconfiguring it. Some (but not all) distributions go to considerable lengths to adjust and customize the software they include, and some provide configuration tools to help users do so. By obtaining and installing ''everything'' normally provided in a distribution, an administrator may create a "distributionless" installation. It is possible to build such systems from scratch, avoiding distributions altogether. One needs a way to generate the first binaries until the system is ''[[Self-hosting (compilers)|self-hosting]]''. This can be done via compilation on another system capable of building binaries for the intended target (possibly by [[cross-compilation]]). For example, see [[Linux From Scratch]].
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