# Introduction

Linux is a freely-distributable implementation of UNIX for 80386 and 80486 machines. It supports a wide range of software, including X Windows, Emacs, TCP/IP networking (including SLIP), the works. This document assumes that you have heard of and know about Linux, and just want to sit down and install it.

### Other sources of information

If you have never heard of Linux before, there are several sources of basic information about the system. One is the Linux Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ), available from `sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/FAQ`. This document contains many common questions (and answers!) about Linux---it is a ``must read'' for new users.

In the directory `/pub/Linux/docs` on `sunsite.unc.edu` you'll find a number of other documents about Linux, including the Linux `INFO-SHEET` and `META-FAQ`, both of which you should read. Also take a look at the USENET newsgroups `comp.os.linux.help` and `comp.os.linux.announce`.

Another source of online Linux documentation is the Linux HOWTO archive, on `sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO`. The file `HOWTO-INDEX` in that directory explains what Linux HOWTOs are available.

The Linux Documentation Project is writing a set of manuals and books about Linux, all of which are freely distributable on the net. The directory `/pub/Linux/docs/LDP` on `sunsite.unc.edu` contains the current set of LDP manuals.

The book ``Linux Installation and Getting Started'' is a complete guide to getting and installing Linux, as well as how to use the system once you've installed it. It contains a complete tutorial to using and running the system, and much more information than is contained here. This HOWTO is simply a condensation of some of the most important information in that book. You can get ``Linux Installation and Getting Started'' from `sunsite.unc.edu` in `/pub/Linux/docs/LDP/install-guide`. The `README` file there describes how you can order a printed copy of the book (about 180 pages).

### New versions of this document

New versions of the Linux Installation HOWTO will be periodically posted to `comp.os.linux.announce`, `comp.os.linux`, and `news.answers`. They will also be uploaded to various Linux FTP sites, including `sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO`.

### Feedback

If you have questions or comments about this document, please feel free to mail Matt Welsh, at `mdw@sunsite.unc.edu`. I welcome any suggestions, criticism, or postcards. If you find a mistake with this document, please let me know so I can correct it in the next version. Thanks.