@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ If you're using a Linux distro with a GUI (Ubuntu, Puppy OS, Mint, etc.) you lan
\footnotetext{For more information about this, consult the Linux Foundation Referenced specifications, which are found at \href{https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/}{https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/}. You're probably going to want the pdf version of this, which is at \href{https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs-3.0.pdf}{https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS\_3.0/fhs-3.0.pdf}. It really is amazing how much you can learn just by reading the specs and manuals.}
\section{bin}
This directory contains essential command binaries that need to be available for all users. Many of these include binaries that bring up the system or repair it. Your basic binaries like \verb|cat|, \verb|ls|, and \verb|mv| live here.
This directory contains essential command binaries\footnote{Files that contain compiled source or machine code. They are also called ``executables'' because they can be run (i.e., ``executed'') on the computer. Programs, if you will.} that need to be available for all users. Many of these include binaries that bring up the system or repair it. Your basic binaries like \verb|cat|, \verb|ls|, and \verb|mv| live here.
\section{boot}
Boot loader files. (It's complicated—kernels, and so forth. It is also four letters instead of three.)
@ -287,11 +287,31 @@ Device files, such as \verb|/dev/disk0/|, \verb|dev/sda1|, etc. Also the home of
\section{etc}
System-wide static configuration files. It is not allowed to contain binaries.
\medskip
\noindent\textbf{/etc/opt} — Configuration files for add-on packages stored in \verb|opt|.
\medskip
\noindent\textbf{/etc/sgml} — Configuration files, such as catalogs, for software that processes SGML.
\medskip
\noindent\textbf{/etc/X11} — Configuration files for the X Window System, version 11.
\medskip
\noindent\textbf{/etc/xml} — Configuration files, such as catalogs, for software that processes XML.
\section{home}
Users' home directories. If you have multiple users, you will see a directory in here for each user, named after their login name.
Users' home directories. If you have multiple users, you will see a directory in here for each user, named after their login name. Their personal settings are stored as invisible files in their home directory.
\section{lib}
This directory contains libraries that are essential for the binaries in \verb|/bin| and \verb|/sbin|.
This directory contains libraries that are essential for the binaries in \verb|/bin| and \verb|/sbin|. It also contains kernel module, whose filenames are identifiable as \verb|ld*| or \verb|lib*.so.*|.
\medskip
\noindent\textbf{lib32} and \textbf{lib64} — We are still in a transition between 32-bit and 64-bit systems.\footnote{How is this even possible? SMDH.} These two libraries clarify which register size to use. A 64-bit system may have compatibility for 32-bit binaries.
\section{media}
Mount points for removable media. Using a jump drive or SD card? This is where they are.
A virtual filesystem providing process and kernel information as files.
A virtual filesystem providing process and kernel information as files. In general, the system automatically generates and populates these files.
\section{root}
The home directory for the root user.
\section{run}
Run-time variable data. That is, information about the running system since the last boo, such as currently logged-in users and running daemons.
Run-time variable data. That is, information about the running system since the last boot, such as currently logged-in users and running daemons.
\section{sbin}
Essential system binaries, such as \verb|fsck| and \verb|init|.
Essential system binaries that configure the operating system, such as \verb|fsck| and \verb|init|. Unlike \verb|bin| it only contains system binaries which require root privileges to run.
\section{srv}
Site-specific data served by this system, such as data and scripts for web servers, and repositories for version control systems.
@ -339,13 +359,13 @@ I'm still a relative newbie to LaTeX, so there's always something to learn. Here
\begin{enumerate}
\item You might think you want the \textbf{book} document class, but you probably will find the \textbf{report} class just as handy.
\item You want links\footnote{Yeah, I know these are irrelevant in a paper document.}? Use the \textbf{hyperref} package.
\item You want links?\footnote{Yeah, I know these are irrelevant in a paper document.} Use the \textbf{hyperref} package.
\item The \textbf{kpfonts} package has beautiful fonts.
\item Footnotes are easy! (Seriously, footnotes in \LaTeX\,have got to be the easiest footnotes I've ever managed.)
\item Use the \textbf{fancyhdr} package to get more granular control over your headers and footers.
\item You can use the \textbf{geometry} package to make a document have a paper size of half letter (i.e., 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches).
\item You can make your top margin larger by using \verb|\addtolength| \\\verb|{\topmargin}{0.5in}| but there is not a similar parameter for the bottom margin. Instead, you need to make the text box shorter by using \verb|\addtolength{\textheight}{-1in}|.
\item Want to show inline code without executing it? Use \verb|verb| following by two pipes. Place your code between the pipes. (I had to use two of those in \#7, because that code just went right off the edge of the page when I only used one.)
\item Want to show inline code without executing it? Use \verb|verb| followed by two pipes. Place your code between the pipes. (I had to use two of those in \#7, because that code just went right off the edge of the page when I only used one.)
\item Need a little space between elements? Just insert \verb|\,| (that is, a backslash followed by a comma).
\item Footnotes reset back to the number one with each chapter. To prevent that, add \verb|\counterwithout{foootnote}{chapter}| to the preamble.
\end{enumerate}
@ -356,6 +376,22 @@ If you are interested, there is a link in the Impressum to the git repo for this
\section{Coda: Why \LaTeX?}
Ahem...
There are lots of reasons why I wanted to use \LaTeX to create this zine. I've been learning the language on my own lately, and I really just wanted to set myself a new challenge. It's always good to have challenges. If you poke around the website where you can find this zine, you'll find some other projects that are also typeset in LaTeX.
As for why I wanted to learn LaTeX in the first place—well, that's complicated. Any kid that is interested in computers and science is probably also into math, and I've certainly never been an exception. I've written up a lot of math stuff, first in Microsoft Word\footnote{Insert the ``horses neighing nervously'' sound from \textit{Young Frankenstein} here.} and later in LibreOffice, and while it's not the most terrible experience, it's not exactly enjoyable, because the programs themselves are not centered around math formulas.
I knew in the back of my mind that there was this great typesetting thing specifically for math and scientific papers, but it took me a while to find it. (This was back in the days before the internet.) But I could recognize just about any paper typeset with it.
Is LaTeX the ideal thing to create zines with? Not necessarily. It does give a very polished look, and although I love the handmade look (i.e., ``clip and copy'') of a lot of zines, I don't have the talent required to pull that look off. The important thing for me is to be able to create something that is easy on the eyes. (And I've see a lot of handmade zines that \textit{aren't} easy on the eyes.
I've created zines in the past, and I've previously used Adobe InDesign (back in my Macintosh days) and LibreOffice Writer (more recently). They are WYSIWYG\footnote{What You See Is What You Get} programs and it's fairly easy to get what you want (more or less).
However, they aren't very amenable to version control, because they don't generate text files, but proprietary files. (I'm not sure about InDesign files, but .odt files are just a collection of \verb|.xml| files and a few others. Change the \verb|.odt| to \verb|.zip| to see them.) While you can track this files in with version control software such as \verb|git|, you can see the differences between those files.
With LaTeX however, your \verb|.tex| file really is just a text file, and so if you use something like \verb|git| to track changes, you can run a \verb|git diff| and see changes from one commit to the other pretty easily. This is nice when you are writing, because if something is working, you can just delete it, and if you decide you can use it after all, you can just go back to the repo and get it.
With LaTeX, it can be difficult to get something to appear exactly where you want it to. Placing objects is actually easiest in InDesign. The main advantage of LaTeX is that it makes it \textit{extremely} easy to make things consistent. I suppose this is something that I will get better at as I gain more experience with it and learn about some more packages.
I'm not there yet (and I definitely won't be for a while—I've got bills to pay) but perhaps the nicest thing about LaTeX is that while there are a lot of packages available, if you can't find one to do what you want to do, you can always create your own. Like I said, it will be a while before I get to that point (first I need to find something I want to do in LaTeX that isn't convered by an existing package) but I will someday. Like I said, it's always good to have a challenge to look forward to.
