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.
• 2005-04-13 – 10.0
• 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.

• 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)

Documentation and Help ∞

• http://slackwiki.org

• https://web.archive.org/web/20210217035742/https://www.slackbasics.org/

  • The revised book

• www.slackersbible.org

  • printed book

• www.slackbook.org

  • (downloadable mirror)
  • slackbook.lizella.net
    — This used to be an unofficial revision, but seems to just be a mirror now.
• SlackFAQ

• Slackware Tips & Tricks by Jack S. Lai

  • From May 2003, but it may contain useful tidbits.
• https://web.archive.org/web/20131228111131/http://www.linuxtux.org:80/~juhl/slackwarefaq/

• Slackware Linux Unleashed

Slackware Forums ∞

• Officially-recognized linuxquestions.org forum
• https://web.archive.org/web/20100227044116/http://www.slackwarehelp.org:80/
• LinuxPackages – Slackware Forum
• https://web.archive.org/web/20131113001759/http://forums.droplinegnome.org/viewforum.php?f=8

• https://web.archive.org/web/20100920201937/http://www.linuxforums.org:80/forum/slackware-linux-help/

• Slackware Phorum

  • An old archive of previous messages from the old slackware forum.

• http://www.linuxiso.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=25

Slackware Mailing Lists ∞

• announcements and security mailing lists
• Slackware Info Page – Mailing Lists
• https://web.archive.org/web/20050308214341/http://www.kurtwerks.com:80/mailman/listinfo/slackware
• tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/linux-slackware/

• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/linux-slackware/

More ∞

• https://web.archive.org/web/20080521102537/http://members.cox.net:80/laitcg/new/intro.shtml
• https://groups.google.com/g/alt.os.linux.slackware ^[ 1 ] was http://groups.google.com/group/alt.os.linux.slackware/topics

• IRC

  • irc://irc.oftc.net#slackware
  • freenode.net #slackware

Slackware Resources ∞

• https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=slackware

• http://www.userlocal.com

Slackware Links ∞

• http://www.userlocal.com/slackware-links.php

Slackware Software ∞

• CheckInstall

  • For installing from source and making reusable packages.

• slacktrack

  • Creating your own packages.

Software Reservoirs ∞

• slackbuilds.org
• www.linuxpackages.net

• https://slacky.eu/

  • (Italian)

• http://rlworkman.net/pkgs/

  • Even has some 12.0 packages.