Linux distributions >
See also Linux distributions based on Slackware

(on Wikipedia)
https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=Slackware
http://www.slackware.com/

The oldest extant distribution, Slackware focuses on a sort of straightforwardness. It's not "light" or "easy", it is what it is. It's not cripplingly-difficult like Gentoo or Arch Linux. Using it is a little taxing on the mind, but doesn't actually require a whole lot of deep understanding. It's install was straightforward.

Using it, I feel "closer" to my computer.

• Slackware Linux Essentials - (2005 book), by Cantrell, Johnson, Hicks, Lumens is its manual.

• Build your own packages with CheckInstall.
• Slackware native package management
• Slackware package managers
• Forum
• http://docs.slackware.com/

• TODO - https://docs.slackware.com/howtos:security:enabling_encrypted_swap

--

• "the BSD userspace is looking better and better"

--

• 2016-11-29 - I switched from Slackware 14.1 32bit to Devuan 1.0.0-beta 32bit

  • Because Slackware 14.2 64bit and 32bit had freezing issues
  • Because Slackware 14.2 32bit kernel updating was an intimidating prospect, and, as I recall, whole-disk encryption was annoying.
  • Because Devuan was based on the strong software base of Debian, disk encryption would be easier, and like Slackware it doesn't have systemd.
• 2016-11-07 - Slackware 14.2 64bit and 32bit had freezing issues and were abandoned.
• Slackware 14.1 32bit
• 2016-03-26 - Lubuntu was my immediately-previous distribution.
• late 1990s - Slackware was my first distribution.
• (then I used various Linux distributions)
• Afterwards I think I used PCLinuxOS.
• My Slackware story -- Slackware was my first distribution in the late 1990s.

• Note: Slackware reviews has earlier reviews

2016-03-26 - Quick overview ∞

• Weak because of

  • No liveUSB
    (Get a Slackware-based distribution for that: partial list.)
    See also liveslack[doesn't exist]
  • The complexity of updating the kernel.
    (Learning is hard.)
  • No repository of extra packages, and dependency resolution
    (Use third-party resources.)
  • A bootloader that requires boot-repair to fix for Lubuntu and perhaps other distributions.
    (Some might consider this a strength.)

• Strong because of

  • Straightforwardness.
    (This isn't exactly simplicity or lightness.)
  • Benevolent dictatorship.
    (This is always the best form of government, when you agree with the dictator.)
  • No motherfucking systemd. Ever.
    (1, 2, 3)