LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Objective 2: Find Linux Documentation on the Internet

No doubt you've heard media reports regarding the genesis of Linux from a bunch of hackers. It is well-known that coders around the world are contributing to the Linux code base. Rarely mentioned, however, are the many dedicated writers working in the public domain to make sure that Linux is as well-understood as it is stable. Most of the people who contribute to the LDP do so on their own time, providing information learned from their own experiences. In most cases, the people who write for the LDP provide their names and email addresses so you can contact them with questions that remain unanswered. These writers are partially responsible for the widespread growth of Linux, because they make it understandable to individuals through documentation efforts not usually seen with commercial software.

The Linux Documentation Project

Most of the documentation in /usr/share/doc and elsewhere on a Linux system is part of an organized approach to system documentation. The LDP is a loosely knit team of writers, proofreaders, and editors who work together to create the definitive set of documentation for Linux. The main web site can be found at http://www.tldp.org and at many mirror sites throughout the world.

The LDP contains a collection of freely contributed documents. Like Linux, all of the LDP's content may be freely distributed, copied, and even published for a fee without royalties to authors or to the LDP. Documents that are contributed ...