The Official Damn Small Linux Book

From DSL Wiki

Contents

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Bibliographic information

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Errata

Many of these are transcriptions of entries in the Damn Small Linux Forum >> User Feedback >> Book Errata Topic.

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Page 18 extra period

Is: 

Backports for improvements can be added in the same. way.

Should be: 

Backports for improvements can be added in the same way.

Comment:
Remove extra period.

Contributor and contribution:
lkraemer posted


[edit]

Page 25 1GB pen drive

In the DSL store section, technology limits at the time The Book was published are referenced.
Is: 

This is also the place to buy a DSL CD or
DSL on a bootable USB pen drive (currently, 1GB models are offered).

Should be: 

This is also the place to buy a DSL CD or
DSL on a bootable USB pen drive.

Comment:
Computer hardware changes faster than the normal publishing cycle of a book. References to specific sizes and speeds are good candidates for web sites and other media that can keep pace.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 32 Qemu vs QEMU

Although QEMU does not seem to be an acronym, Fabrice Bellard, the copyright owner, seems to always refer to it as QEMU.
Is:

  • A Qemu Virtual Machine version - Sets up Qemu to run DSL virtually within a running Linux system.

Should be:

  • A QEMU Virtual Machine version - Sets up QEMU to run DSL virtually within a running Linux system.


Contributor:
DmSmLxRep

[edit]

Page 32 Linux vs Windows

From Wikibooks QEMU, "QEMU runs on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and some UNIX platforms, ..." From the following paragraph in The Official Damn Small Linux Book, "The other two versions are discussed in Chapter 7, 'Running DSL Embedded in Windows.' "
Should be:

  • A QEMU Virtual Machine version - Sets up QEMU to run DSL virtually within a running Linux system.

Maybe should be:

  • A QEMU Virtual Machine version - Sets up QEMU to run DSL virtually within a running Microsoft Windows system.

Comment:
If the copy of DSL Embedded available on the Damn Small Linux site runs on a copy of QEMU that runs on Microsoft Windows, this correction needs to be made.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 45 Title

Is:
Running in Background Services Daemons of DSL
Should be:
Running Background Services Daemons of DSL

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

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Page 52 corresponding

The word "cor·re·spond·ing" is broken across a new line incorrectly.
Is: 

You can change which application is displayed by left-clicking its correspon-
ding tab.

Should be: 

You can change which application is displayed by left-clicking its correspond-
ing tab.

Or: 

You can change which application is displayed by left-clicking its corre-
sponding tab.

Or: 

You can change which application is displayed by left-clicking its cor-
responding tab.


Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 55 X-Based Applications

Is: 

In this first section, we are outlying ...

Should be: 

In this first section, we are outlining ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 56 Beaver

Is: 

It packs features that browsers ...

Should be: 

It packs features that editors ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 56 Dillo

Is: 

Dillo is ... or otherwise constraint systems.

Should be: 

Dillo is ... or otherwise constrained systems.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 67 Daemon Applications

Is: 

Often daemons are perform ...

Should be: 

Often daemons perform ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 68 BetaFTPD

Is: 

Yet, mainly include BetaFTPD easy cross-platform file sharing when one does not have access to an SCP client.

Should be: 

?????

Comment:
I don't understand what this sentence is trying to say. Perhaps someone else can rewrite the sentence so it says what was meant to be said.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 73 ls -a .filetool.lst

In the section Selecting Files and Directories to Back Up with .filetool.lst, the chosen command switch will not display the file desired.
Is: 

ls -l /home/dsl

Should be: 

ls -a /home/dsl

Comment:
The "-l" switch shows all the attributes of all the files in the specified directory, but does not display any file name that begins with a dot, ".". The "-a" switch displays all the files, including those that begin with a dot. If one wishes to display all the attributes of all the files, the command should be: 

ls -al /home/dsl

or its equivalent: 

ls -la /home/dsl

Contributor and contribution:
jpeters posted

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Page 73 .filetool.1st

There are two occurrences of ".filetool.1st" (with the numeral "1") on this page.
Is:
Type ls -l /home/dsl to see the .filetool.1st file, ...
Should be:
Type ls -a /home/dsl to see the .filetool.lst file, ...

Is:
Use any of the DSL editors to change/update the .filetool.1st file.
Should be:
Use any of the DSL editors to change/update the .filetool.lst file.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

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Page 74 .filetool.1st

There are two occurrences of ".filetool.1st" (with the numeral "1") on this page.
Is:
The default contents of the .filetool.1st file ...
Should be:
The default contents of the .filetool.lst file ...

Is:
The default .filetool.1st file ...
Should be:
The default .filetool.lst file ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 105 UCI and UNC unmounting

Paragraph that begins, "Don't worry about fully understanding these extension types."
Is: 

Because these extension types are mounted,
you can return your system to a pristine state
by simply unmounting the extensions or rebooting.

Should be: 

Because these extension types are mounted,
you can return your system to a pristine state
by simply unmounting the UCI extensions or rebooting to remove both the UCI and UNC extensions.

Comment:
UNC extensions are not unmountable.

Contributor and contribution:
jpeters posted

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Page 112 extensions' vs extension's

Is: 

Many times an extension requires additional extensions or may have special
instructions.  Many questions arise from failure to perform the extra step to
read the extensions' info file.

Should be: 

Many times an extension requires additional extensions or may have special
instructions.  Many questions arise from failure to perform the extra step to
read the extension's info file.

Comment:
The first sentence refers to "an extension" (singular). The second sentence, therefore, should refer back to "the extension's" (also singular) "info file."

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

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Page 122 types vs tips

Is: 

There are also some types ...

Should be: 

There are also some tips ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 123 dmesg

Is: 

... you need to know your device ...
To do that, you need to look at the output from dmesg.

Comment:
Perhaps a little more guidance could be given as to what we need to "look at"? dmesg(8) produces a lot of output that is not relevant to identifying the device name. The install scripts seem to know what to display from the dmesg output. How about a description of what they use to construct that display?

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

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Page 124 display should

Is: 

The display look much like what you see in Figure 6-1.

Should be: 

The display should look much like what you see in Figure 6-1.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 126 drive location

Is: 

Next you will be presented with a question about drive location, as shown in Figure 6-4.


Comment:
I believe the drive location was established after the display looked as is recorded in Figure 6-3. Figure 6-4 appears to include the responses to the installation or upgrade and the location of the DSL ISO questions.

Perhaps this sentence is a remainder from a previous edit of the book text and needs to be reworked to match the current Figure set?

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 127 language options

Is: 

Next you are asked to choose language options: ...; and so on.

Comment:
Does this dialog use an International Standard set of language designations?

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 128 boot install script exit

Is: 

After the installation is complete, you are free to close the term window.

Comment:
And what should we do if we used the boot install script referenced in the opening paragraph of this section on page 124?

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 130 redundant paragraph

Is: 

Before the script proceeds, it needs to know if you are installing DSL
for the first time or are upgrading.  The dialog is shown in Figure 6-8.

Comment:
With the exception of the reference to Figure 6-8, isn't this what the previous paragraph stated? Perhaps the Figure reference could be incorporated into the previous paragraph and the remaining sentence, "Before ... upgrading." eliminated?

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 131 variables vs values

Is: 

Customization of the boot-up process is possible by adding variable when prompted, ...

Should be: 

Customization of the boot-up process is possible by adding values when prompted, ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 133 Using a LiveCD to Boot a Pen Drive

Comment:
It appears this section assumes the pen drive was created in the USB-HDD format. Perhaps that should be noted in the opening paragraphs.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 135 Extension vs Extensions

Is: 

Saving Extension on a USB-HDD Installation

Should be: 

Saving Extensions on a USB-HDD Installation

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 135 font change

Is: 

... you need to save them in your pen drive's mydsl/directory.

Should be: 

... you need to save them in your pen drive's mydsl/ directory.

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 139 do vs due

Is: 

... Qemu achieves good performance do to ...

Should be: 

... Qemu achieves good performance due to ...

Contributor and contribution:
DmSmLxRep posted

[edit]

Page 199 mkisofs

Step 6: Create the UNC
Is: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
   | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > /tmp/zile.unc

Should be: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
>  | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > /tmp/zile.unc

Comment:
">" Is the secondary prompt character that would normally be displayed if the line is continued by an escape "\" character.

Contributor and contribution:
Juanito posted

[edit]

Page 201 mkisofs

Step 8: Insert Common Extension Elements
The last line before
Step 9: Save Your Extension
Is: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
       | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > zile.unc

Should be: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
>      | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > zile.unc

Comment:
">" Is the secondary prompt character that would normally be displayed if the line is continued by an escape "\" character.

Contributor and contribution:
Juanito posted

[edit]

Page 206 mkisofs

Item 4
Is: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
   | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > /tmp/zile.uci

Should be: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
>  | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > /tmp/zile.uci

Comment:
">" Is the secondary prompt character that would normally be displayed if the line is continued by an escape "\" character.

Contributor and contribution:
Juanito posted

[edit]

Page 207 cp

Item 3
Is: 

# cp -a /opt/zile

Should be: 

# cp -a /opt/zile .

Comment:
The cp command needs a destination. "." specifies the current directory as the destination. The current directory was set by the cd command specified in the previous line of the item.

Contributor and contribution:
jpeters posted

[edit]

Page 207 mkisofs

Item 10
Is: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
   | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > ../zile.uci

Should be: 

# mkisofs -R -hide-rr-moved -cache-inodes -pad zile/ \
>  | create_compressed_fs - 65536 > ../zile.uci

Comment:
">" Is the secondary prompt character that would normally be displayed if the line is continued by an escape "\" character.

Contributor and contribution:
Juanito posted

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