Linux From Scratch is a way for anyone to create their own Linux distribution while learning about the operating system itself, how it works, how things come together in whole to have a clean customized Linux install.

Though you start off with a initial installation of Linux with any distro of choice, you use that as your building block to start off the creation and installation of LFS.

Though LFS can be intimidating for any newcomers, it can be quite a learning experience for those who have completed their own LFS. I recommend anyone who can read instructions to any advanced Linux user to try LFS.

If you know how to prepare to compile a package (switch to the source directory), and can follow instructions, then you can build LFS. But the base LFS system doesn't have web browsing, X, or other frills. You need the Beyond Linux From Scratch book for that.

The Linux from Scratch project gives instructions for building a minimal system from source and the passes you on to BLFS(beyond linux from scratch) where you can install everything else to make a fully fledged system.

compiling the system may take a large amount of time especially on slow machines, i dont use KDE and thus have never compiled it but ive heard reports of it taking 10hrs or more.

the book does not stress enough the need for package management, if you build a general purpose system and need to upgrade something then without package management things very quickly get into a big mess, i would suggest the slackware pkgtools and checkinstall but anything your comfortable with is good. also the bootscripts dont/didnt handle dhcp very well but this has been known in the lfs news groups for some time.

i wouldnt reccomend this for newbies as typing in repetitive commands without understanding what there doing will just lead to boredom and mistakes.

i found the news groups to be quite friendly and helpful in solving the few problems i had.