# Linux From Scratch by the LFS Project

72 Hacker News commenters recommended Linux From Scratch by the LFS Project and 19 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 20 years (13 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Builds a deep understanding of how Linux components fit together by compiling everything by hand. Critics say it is more cookbook than explanation.

## Why people recommend it

- Shows how Linux components fit together (8 comments): "Linux from Scratch is great for building a deeper understanding of how the different parts in linux systems work together" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711301)) "LFS helped me a lot. It taught me how to compile packages manually, and how GNU/Linux components fit together." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49713454)) "it was quite educational! It's a good way to learn the fundamentals of what comprises an actual Linux system" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49708132))
- Formative for people learning Linux (5 comments): "Learning how to build dozens of different projects and see how they all fit together really set me up for my career" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710678)) "Having done it as a teenager as well when it showed up in 1999 myself, that's probably the sweet point" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710522)) "This was a pivotal project for me as a young lad learning Linux and software engineering" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46710745))
- Teaches compiling packages manually (3 comments): "LFS helped me a lot. It taught me how to compile packages manually, and how GNU/Linux components fit together." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49713454)) "It taught me how to compile packages manually, and how GNU/Linux components fit together." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49709039)) "LFS taught me more about sed, gcc CFLAGS and bootstrapping than the underlying OS sadly" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711501))
- Valued for learning, not the built system (2 comments): "LFS is an exercise in learning for the sake of it, and therefore, not a waste of time." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711407)) "The value of LFS is not in having the system you build, it's in understanding it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711575))

## What people warn about

- Outdated docs and build failures (2 comments): "docs were a bit outdated so it was either trial and error or typod that required you to stay on your toes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46723541)) "I often fail to compile it; most recently with GCC complaining and failing at options.cc." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49709469))
- Hard to find where to start (2 comments): "the landing page UX doesn't make it immediately obvious where to even start reading" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49708141)) "Not the worst navigation I've seen but the parent comment does have a point." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49712800))
- Skips kernel and systemd internals (4 comments): "LFS didn't really expose you to that or really teach you much about Systemd internals" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46863726)) "it still feels weak that it's so guided by a future GUI requirement for systemd" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46859625)) "Fundamental things like how processes are scheduled are not explained by LFS." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49709803))
- Cookbook with little explanation (2 comments): "very little explanation of what anything meant or why it was done one way instead of another" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711381)) "LFS is known but it is really more a cookbook than explanatory principles." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49708476))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Game Engine White Papers: Commander Keen](https://hackerapproved.com/p/commander-keen.md): 13 recommend
- [Offline password cracking book by Bojta](https://hackerapproved.com/p/offline-password-cracking-book.md): 10 recommend
- [FreeBSD Handbook by FreeBSD Documentation Project](https://hackerapproved.com/p/freebsd-handbook.md): 9 recommend
- [WebRTC for the Curious by Sean DuBois](https://hackerapproved.com/p/webrtc-for-the-curious.md): 5 recommend
- [Hands-On Large Language Models by Jay Alammar and Maarten Grootendorst](https://hackerapproved.com/p/hands-on-large-language-models.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0595137652?tag=YOURTAG-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/YOURID/9780595137657) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Linux From Scratch by the LFS Project", https://hackerapproved.com/p/linux-from-scratch/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).