In this chapter we will install all the software that belongs to a basic Linux system. After you're done with this chapter you have a fully working Linux system. The remaining chapters deal with setting up networking, creating the boot scripts and adding an entry to lilo.conf so that you can boot your LFS system.
The software in this chapter will be linked statically. These programs will be re-installed in the next chapter and linked dynamically. The reason for the static version first is that there is a chance that our normal Linux system and your LFS system aren't using the same C Library versions. If the programs in the first part are linked against an older C library version, those programs might not work well on the LFS system.
The key to learn what makes Linux tick is to know exactly what packages are used for and why you or the system needs them. In depth descriptions of the package are provided after the Installation subsection of each package and in Appendix A as well.
We're about to start with installing the first set of packages. These packages will be, as previously explained, linked statically.
During the installation of various packages you will most likely see compiler warnings scrolling by on your screen. These are normal and can be safely ignored. They are just that, warnings (mostly about improper use of the C or C++ syntax, but not illegal use. It's just that often C standards changed and packages still use the old standard which is not a problem).
Before we start, make sure you have the LFS environment variable setup if you plan on using it, by running the following command:
root:~# echo $LFS