Merge commit 'origin/rworkman'

1 files changed, 66 insertions, 65 deletions

diff --git a/chapter_17.xml b/chapter_17.xml
index ea51ad7..ea3035c 100644
--- a/chapter_17.xml
+++ b/chapter_17.xml
@@ -9,40 +9,41 @@
 <title>The -stable Branch</title>
 
 <para>
-Whenever a new version of Slackware is released, it continues to be
-updated should a security vulnerability be found or a nasty bug begin
-to rear its head. For that reason, it's important to keep up with all
-the patches for your version of Slackware. We call this the -stable
-branch. There is also a -current branch where frequent and intrusive
-changes are made, but unless you're willing to work with a broken
-computer and fix things on your own, we recommend you stick with
--stable.
+Whenever a new version of Slackware is released, the Slackware team will,
+as needed, release updated packages to fix serious security vulnerabilities
+and particularly nasty bugs.  Therefore, it's important to keep up with all
+of the patches for your version of Slackware, which is referred to as the
+"-stable" branch.  There is also a "-current" branch, which is where we do
+our development work toward the next stable release (and as such, there are
+often intrusive changes there), but unless you're willing to work with a 
+possibly broken system and are able to fix things on your own, we strongly
+recommend that you stick with the "-stable" branch.
 </para>
 
 <para>
-Since -stable updates aren't distributed on the disks, you'll need to
-obtain them from the Internet. Many people and organizations offer
-mirrors where you can download the entire Slackware tree, or just the
-<filename>patches/</filename> directory in any number of ways. While
-some mirrors offer web access, the most common ways of obtaining
-updates are via ftp and rsync servers. The Slackware project maintains
-a small list of known mirrors organized by country. If you're in doubt
-as to what mirror to use, simply consult <ulink
-url="http://www.slackware.com/getslack/">http://www.slackware.com/getslack/</ulink>
-for suggestions. If you know a major university near you, there's a
-good chance they offer a mirror of numerous open source projects, and
-Slackware may be among them. The only real requirement for a mirror is
-that it be complete, but it's best to use a mirror near where you live
-to achieve the fastest transfer times and use the least amount of
+Since -stable updates aren't distributed on the disks, you'll need to obtain 
+them from the Internet.  Many people and organizations offer mirrors from 
+which you can download the entire Slackware tree (or only the
+<filename>patches/</filename> directory) in any number of ways.  While some 
+mirrors offer web access, the most common ways of obtaining updates are via 
+ftp and/or rsync servers.  The Slackware project maintains a small list 
+(organized by country) of known mirrors.  If you're unsure which mirror you
+should use, simply consult 
+<ulink url="http://www.slackware.com/getslack/">http://www.slackware.com/getslack/</ulink>
+for suggestions.  If you have a major university near you, there's a good 
+chance that they offer a mirror of numerous open source projects, and
+Slackware may be among them.  The only real requirement for a mirror is that 
+it be complete, but usually it's best to use a mirror near where you live in 
+order to achieve the fastest transfer times and use the least amount of 
 Internet resources.
 </para>
 
 <para>
-So how do you know when there are updates? The best way is to consult
-the <filename>ChangeLog.txt</filename> on any up-to-date mirror. You
-can always find the latest changelogs for the -current and most recent
--stable branch on the Slackware Project's web page, but if you're
-running an older version, you'll need to check a mirror.
+So how do you know when there are updates?  The best way is to consult the 
+<filename>ChangeLog.txt</filename> on any up-to-date mirror.  You can always 
+find the latest changelogs for the "-current" and most recent "-stable" 
+branch on the Slackware Project's web page, but if you're running an older 
+version of Slackware, you'll need to check a mirror.
 </para>
 
 <screen><prompt>darkstar:~# </prompt><userinput>wget -O - \
@@ -62,16 +63,15 @@ patches/packages/httpd-2.2.14-i486-1_slack12.1.tgz:  Upgraded.
 <title>Security Update Mailing List</title>
 
 <para>
-While the Slackware team does release strictly bug-fix patches from
-time-to-time, you're probably most interested in security fixes for
-vulnerabilities that are discovered in software. The Slackware Project
-maintains a mailing list that will notify you if any patches are
-released that treat such serious issues.  In order to subscribe to the
-mailing list, simply send an e-mail to
-<email>majordomo@slackware.com</email> with the words 'subscribe
-slackware-security' in the body of the message. The majordomo will be
-happy to add your name to the list, and when new packages are released,
-will mail you an advisory.
+While the Slackware team does release updated bugfix-only packages (i.e. 
+not security fixes) occasionally, you're probably most interested in 
+security fixes for vulnerabilities discovered after the -stable release.
+The Slackware Project maintains a mailing list that will notify you of any 
+updated packages for such serious issues.  In order to subscribe to the
+mailing list, send an e-mail to <email>majordomo@slackware.com</email> 
+with the words 'subscribe slackware-security' in the body of the message. 
+The majordomo will be happy to add your name to the list, and when new 
+packages are released, it will mail an advisory to you.
 </para>
 
 </section>
@@ -80,40 +80,41 @@ will mail you an advisory.
 <title>Upgrading Slackware Versions</title>
 
 <para>
-Now that we've gone this far, you should feel reasonably competent in
-your ability to handle your Slackware system. But what do we do with it
-when there's a new release? Updating from one release of Slackware to
-another is a lot more complicated than simply updating a few packages.
-Each release changes a lot of things. Many of these changes are small,
-but some of them can completely break your system if you haven't
-prepared for them. While some Linux distributions provide highly
-automated tools that attempt to handle every tiny detail for you,
-Slackware takes a much more hands on approach to things.
+Now that we've gone this far, you should feel reasonably competent in your 
+ability to manage your Slackware system.  But what do we do with it when 
+there's a new release?  Updating from one release of Slackware to another 
+is a lot more complicated than simply updating a few packages.  Each release 
+changes a lot of things, and while many of these changes are small, some of
+them can completely break your system if you haven't prepared for them and/or
+don't understand what is changing and why.  While some Linux distributions 
+provide highly automated tools that attempt to handle every tiny detail for 
+you, Slackware takes a much more hands-on approach to things.
 </para>
 
 <para>
-The very first thing you should do before attempting an upgrade, is
-decide if that's really necessary. If the old system is stable and
-doing everything you want it to do, there may be no need to do an
-operating system upgrade at all. The second thing you should do is read
-the <filename>CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT</filename> file on your upgrade
-disks or a mirror. This file changes between every release, and lists
-helpful hints and tips to aid you in dealing with the changes.
-Finally, read the <filename>UPGRADE.TXT</filename> file as well before
-proceeding. After doing these things, you may find it easier to backup
-your configuration files and data, then perform a regular install of
-the new Slackware release rather than attempt a possibly tricky
-upgrade. If however, you still wish to continue, make backups of your
-data and configuration files. At a minimum, it's good practice to
-backup the <filename>/etc</filename> and <filename>/home</filename>
-directories. This will give you a chance to perform a re-install should
-anything go wrong with the upgrade.
+The very first thing you should do before attempting an upgrade is the one
+that many people neglect: decide if it's really necessary to upgrade.  If 
+the old system is stable and doing everything you want it to do, there may 
+be no need to do an operating system upgrade at all.  Assuming you decide
+to do the upgrade, then the second thing you should do is read the 
+<filename>CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT</filename> file on your upgrade discs or 
+a mirror.  This file is updated during the development period before every
+release, and it lists lots of helpful hints and tips to aid you in dealing 
+with the changes.  Finally, read the <filename>UPGRADE.TXT</filename> file 
+before proceeding.  After doing these things, you may decide that it's less
+trouble and potential for problems to backup your configuration files and 
+data and do a fresh installation of the new Slackware release rather than 
+attempt a possibly tricky upgrade.  However, if you still wish to continue, 
+make backups of your data and configuration files first.  At a minimum, 
+it's good practice to backup the <filename>/etc</filename> and <filename>/home</filename>
+directories.  This will give you a chance to perform a reinstall if something 
+goes wrong with the upgrade.
 </para>
 
 <para>
-Since every new version of Slackware has a few differences, giving
-complete instructions here is not only futile, but misleading. Always
-consult the documentation included on your Slackware disks or your
+Since every new version of Slackware has a few differences, giving complete 
+instructions here is not only futile but potentially misleading.  You should
+always consult the documentation included on your Slackware disks or your
 favorite mirror.
 </para>