Expanded introduction, removed parskip

This commit is contained in:
Kenneth John Odle 2021-11-18 19:13:44 -05:00
parent ac7c0166b1
commit 52ce612e6c

View File

@ -84,22 +84,38 @@
\section{The Introduction}
\end{center}
{\parskip=0pt %Remove parskip
\begin{multicols}{2}
What follows is a dictionary of various terms related to Linux. It currently resides at\\ \texttt{https://git.kjodle.net/kjodle/linux-dictionary}. Go here to buy a paper copy of this book.
What follows is a dictionary of various terms related to Linux. It currently resides at\\ \texttt{https://git.kjodle.net/kjodle/linux-dictionary}. Go there to buy a paper copy of this book.
\tabto{0.3cm} \textbf{Note:} A lot of these terms also relate to Unix. \textit{Caveat emptor!}
\tabto{0.3cm} \textbf{Note:} A lot of these terms also relate to Unix, upon which Linux is based, but which have no meaning in a Linux context. \textit{Caveat emptor!}
\tabto{0.3cm} \textbf{n.b.:} Some of these terms may also refer to Mac OSX or Windows. \textit{Intense shuddering intensifies.}
\tabto{0.3cm} I make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any of these terms. Most of the software described herein is in a fairly heavy state of development and things change. Sometimes they change quickly, sometimes they evolve slowly over time, but the salient point is that they change. Sources sometimes confirm one another and sometimes contradict one another because they may be looking at information which was published in different years. The moving hand writes, and having written, moves on.
\tabto{0.3cm} As well, there is no small amount of controversy regarding the definition of some of these terms. This is to be expected: the Linux community is large and diverse, and some of these terms no doubt have different meanings in different contexts. I have tried to be as thorough in my research as I can, but I have no doubt missed a great many things. If you would like to make aware of errors and/or omissions, contact info is inside the back cover.
\tabto{0.3cm} I have tried to make as few value judgments as possible, particularly with regard to distros. The best distro is the one that works best for your particular set of needs. The same is true of command options. Anyone can get a directory listing with \textbf{ls}, but I prefer \textbf{ls -Ahl}. You may prefer \textbf{ls -al} or even just \textbf{ls -A}. The choice is yours. While there are often many wrong ways to do something, there are often many right ways to do something, as well.
\tabto{0.3cm} Likewise, when I point out that a lot of people like a particular item, or that a lot of people dislike a particular item, I am not suggesting that you should be in the same camp, or that I consider either option valid. I am merely reporting what has come up in my research. As much as is humanly possible, I have tried to exclude my own opinion from these pages. My experience is neither broad enough nor deep enough as to inform other's opinions on a wide range of Linux-related topics. When I say that people like or don't like something, I try to include the most often cited reason(s), and in the case where they don't like something, I also try to include the most popular alternatives, if there are any.
\tabto{0.3cm} I created this document in \LaTeX{}, which is an ideal situation for a document like this, because it makes it easy to keep things uniform. It does introduce other issues, however. To see what they were and how I handled them, please consult the source code, listed at the beginning of this introduction. Again, if you have suggestions as to how to do it better, contact info is inside the back cover.
\end{multicols}
\hrule
} % End removal of parskip
\newpage
\begin{center}
\section{The Abbreviations}
\end{center}
{\parskip=0pt %Remove parskip
\begin{multicols}{2}
Standard Latin definitions are used extensively throughout this document.
@ -126,10 +142,10 @@ Additional modern abbreviations used include:
\tabto{0.3cm} \textbf{YMMV} -- ``Your mileage may vary''
\end{multicols}
} % End removal of parskip
\hrule
\begin{center}