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@  <preface id="ch-preface">
    <title>Preface</title>
    <sect1 id="s1-preface-linux-and-rpm-history">
      <title>Linux and RPM &mdash; A Brief History</title>

      <indexterm>
        <primary>Linux and RPM history</primary>
      </indexterm>

      <indexterm>
        <primary>history, Linux and RPM</primary>
      </indexterm>

      <para>
        Welcome!  This is a book about the &RH; Package Manager or, as it is
        known to it's friends, RPM.  The history of RPM is inextricably linked
        to the history of Linux, so a bit of Linux history may be in order.
        Linux is a full-featured implementation of a UNIX-like operating system,
        and has taken the computing world by storm.
      </para>
      <para>
        And for good reason &mdash; With the addition of Linux, an Intel-based
        personal computer that had previously been prisoner of the dreaded
        Windows hourglass is transformed into a fully multitasking, network
        capable, personal <emphasis>workstation</emphasis>.  All for the cost of
        the time required to download, install, and configure the software.
      </para>
      <para>
        Of course, if you're not the type to tinker with downloaded software,
        many companies have created CDROMs containing Linux and associated
        software.  The amount of tinkering required with these
        <firstterm>distributions</firstterm> has varied widely.  The phrase "You
        get what you pay for" is never more true than in the area of Linux
        distributions.
      </para>
      <para>
        One distribution bears the curious name "&RHL;".  Produced by a
        company of the same name, this Linux distribution was different.  One of
        the key decisions a new Linux user needs to make is which of the many
        different parts of the distribution to install on their system.  Most
        distributions use some sort of menu, making it easy to pick and choose.
        &RHL; is no different.
      </para>
      <para>
        But what <emphasis>is</emphasis> different about &RHL; is that the
        creators of the distribution wanted their customers to have the the
        ability to make the same choices long <emphasis>after</emphasis> the
        installation process was over.  Some commercial UNIX systems have this
        capability (called "package management"), and a few Linux distributors
        were trying to come up with something similar, but none had the
        extensive scope present in RPM.
      </para>
      <para>
        Over time, &RHL; has become the most popular distribution available
        today.  For it to edge out the previous leader (known as Slackware) in
        just two years is amazing.  There has to be a reason for this kind of
        success, and a good part of the reason is RPM.  But until now, there has
        been precious little in terms of RPM documentation.  You could say that
        RPM's ease of use has made detailed instructions practically
        unnecessary, and you'd be right.
      </para>
      <para>
        However, there are always people that want to know more about their
        computers, and given the popularity of &RHL;, this alone would have made
        a book on RPM worthwhile.  But there's more to the story than that.
      </para>
      <para>
        There is a truism in the world of free software, that goes something
        like this: If there's a better solution freely available, use it!  RPM
        is no exception to the rule.  Put under the terms of the GNU General
        Public License (Meaning: RPM cannot be made proprietary by
        <emphasis>anyone</emphasis>, not even Bill Gates), RPM started to
        attract the attention of others in the Linux, Unix, and free software
        communities.
      </para>
      <para>
        At present, RPM is used by several commercial software companies
        producing Linux applications.  They find that RPM makes it easier to get
        their products into the hands of their customers.  They also find that
        it can even make the process of <emphasis>building</emphasis> their
        software easier.  (Those of you that develop software for fun and
        profit, stick around &mdash; the second half of this book will show you
        everything you need to know to get your software "RPM-ized")
      </para>
      <para>
        People have also ported RPM to several commercial UNIX systems,
        including DEC's Digital Unix, IBM's AIX, and Silicon Graphics' IRIX.
        Why?  The simple answer is that it makes it easier to install, upgrade,
        and de-install software.  If all these people are using RPM, shouldn't
        you?
      </para>
    </sect1>

    <sect1 id="s1-preface-parts">
      <title>Parts of the book, and Who They're For</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>book, sections of</primary>
      </indexterm>

      <indexterm>
        <primary>sections of book</primary>
      </indexterm>

      <para>
        This book is divided into two major sections.  The first section is for
        anyone that needs to know how to use RPM on their system.  Given the
        state of the Linux arena today, this could include just about anyone,
        including people that are new to Linux, or even UNIX.  So those of you
        that think that

        <screen width="60">
<userinput>ls -FAl !*|less</userinput>
        </screen>

         is serious magic (or maybe even a typing error), relax &mdash; we'll
         explain everything you'll need to know in the first section.
      </para>
      <para>
        In the book's second half, we'll be covering all there is to know about
        building packages using RPM.  Since software engineering on Linux and
        UNIX systems requires in-depth knowledge of the operating system,
        available tools, and basic programming concepts, we're going to assume
        that the reader has sufficient background in these areas.  Feel free to
        browse through the second half, but don't hesitate to seek additional
        sources of information if you find the going a bit tough.
      </para>
    </sect1>

    <sect1 id="s1-preface-acknowledgements">
      <title>Acknowledgements</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>acknowledgements</primary>
      </indexterm>

      <para>
        Writing a book is similar to entering a long-term relationship with an
        obsessive partner.  Throughout the nine months it took to write this
        book, life went on: job changes, births, deaths, and even a hurricane.
        Throughout it all, the book demanded constant attention.  Therefore, I'd
        like to thank the people that made it possible to focus on the book to
        the exclusion of nearly everything else.  My wife, Deb and son, Matt
        supported and encouraged me throughout, even when I was little more than
        a reclusive houseguest hunched over the computer in the study.
        Additionally, Deb acted as my editor and indexer, eventually reading the
        book completely three times!  Thank you both.
      </para>
      <para>
        Thanks also to 
        <indexterm>
          <primary>Ewing, Marc</primary>
        </indexterm>
        Marc Ewing and 
        <indexterm>
          <primary>Troan, Erik</primary>
        </indexterm>
        Erik Troan, RPM architects extraordinaire.  Without their programming
        savvy, RPM wouldn't be the elegant tool it is.  Without their boundless
        patience, my many questions would have gone unanswered, and this book
        would have been much less than it is now.  I hope you find this book a
        worthy companion to your programming handiwork.
      </para>
      <para>
        Rik Faith provided some much-needed information about PMS and PM, two of
        RPM's ancestors.  Thank you!
      </para>
      <para>
        Finally a great big thank you goes to Jessica and the gang at L'il
        Dinos, Jennifer and her crew at the Cary Barnes & Noble coffee shop,
        and Mom and her "kids" at Schlotzsky's Deli in Durham.  If all of you
        hadn't let me sit around for hours writing, this book wouldn't be nearly
        as fat as it is.  And neither would I!
      </para>
      <para>
        February, 1997
        Cary, North Carolina
      </para>
</sect1>

</preface>

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