Linux distributions + Slackware and Salix >

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=slackel
slackel.gr

• 2016-11-04 - Although this has isohybrid and would be trivial to get on a USB stick, with such a tiny community I don't think I want to get into this.

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• 2015-05-15 - Seems really nice. I can get it working, but can't do a "frugal" install (to disk). The disk is not made bootable / has no boot loader.

  • Try harder? - Reproduce a proper 64bit liveUSB prep via Linux. Format or prepare in such a way to support persistency. Troubleshoot frugal installation, including trying the installer's alternate bootloader and troubleshooting bootloaders. Also climb mountains, swim seas, write poetry and sword fight. Or stop caring. Probably that.

• 2015-05-16 - On re-trying, I am unable to get the 64bit install working, which means I cannot get eCryptfs working, which means I cannot use this.

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• ~2015-05-13 - (version not recorded)
• 2015-05-16 - (version not recorded) 64bit
• 2015-05-15 - (version not recorded) 64bit
• 2015-05-14 - (version not recorded) - 64bit
• 2015-05-13 - (version not recorded) 64bit
• 2015-05-13 - (version not recorded) 32bit

• 2015-05-11 - 6.0.3 "Live Openbox" 64bit

~2015-05-13 - (version not recorded) ∞

(I don't know why I put this in this order)

Uses Slackware and Salix repositories.

• Holy fuck, the forum community is tiny!
• Fixing the Slackel 6.0.3 installer
• I can't get a permalink to a particular blog post.
• I generally agree with its base applications.

• Can use SlackBuilds.org

Zomg, great installation ideas:

• A Full mode installation, installs everything included in the installation medium.
• A Basic mode installation will only include the basic packages that make up the desktop environment, mainly Openbox, fbpanel and SpaceFM, the collection of Salix System Tools and the Midori browser, making it ideal for anyone who wants to built a desktop environment with a custom application selection.

• Finally the Core mode installation which will only install a command line based system, without any graphical environment at all.

..

run Slackel Live Installer (SLI) to install..

• The root password for the live CD is "live"

• Standard user login is "one" with password: "one"

2015-05-16 - (version not recorded) 64bit ∞

• I followed my original 64bit liveUSB preparation steps. The partition on my stick was vfat this time though.
• I changed my mind..
• Nuked the contents as best I could, and used gparted to remove the GPT bullshit from it. Made it msdos. Didn't make partitioning, just kept it as a raw sdb with no sdb1 or formatting.

• Not bootable. Removed and re-inserted to make sure my computer would see it. Still won't work.

I give up.

2015-05-15 - (version not recorded) 64bit ∞

• Trying UNetbootin this time.
• Late in the liveUSB preparation, I was prompted to overwrite a file. Strange, since the drive was freshly formatted.
• Booting works, trying persistent
• eCryptfs works!
• Rebooting into persistent. It is not working. I bet this is because I installed via Unetbootin and not the proper install script. I notice that they mention that dd can be used for to prep a USB stick, but that it would not support persistency.
• Needs tweaking to remove the many 'sh' entries I can see via htop.
• The website uses something like JavaScript and cookies to remember the user's language preference? BAD.
• The installer is somewhat confusing, the right-hand side is to install to disk.
• The installing progress/details text has "boxes"
• Fucking blindingly-fast install.. oh the advantages of copying the usb stick to ram and booting from that, then installing that live setup to disk.

• The drive was not made bootable. FAIL.

I don't know if my issue was because I decided to try UNetbootin instead of the normal Linux install method. Sigh, I don't want to try any harder than I have.

2015-05-14 - (version not recorded) - 64bit ∞

• Booting into Lubuntu 14.04 32bit liveUSB

• Nuked my USB stick

  • Menu > Accessories > Disks
  • Select the USB drive
  • Click the gear at the top-right > Format
  • Strangely, this did not work as it has in the past. This time, I had to click the "+" icon under the drive bar in the right-hand pane.
• Tried Universal USB Installer to prep the LiveUSB.

• It was not bootable.

2015-05-13 - (version not recorded) 64bit ∞

The changes I list under Fixing the Slackel 6.0.3 installer are in effect.

• I used the usb installation process below.

I am unable to get a working 64bit version. I thought my previous 64bit attempt was because of the missing mbr issue, but now I have no clue.

I've tried as hard as I care to on this distribution. Fail.

Shortly after, I notice that the USB stick is not detected at all in Windows. On exploration in Linux, it has unnecessarily been given a GPT partition table. I installed gparted to nuke it. Blargh.

Re-checking, this distribution is intentionally writing GPT. Therefore that cannot be what's making this liveUSB preparation fail. I don't know what's different between this 64bit installation attempt and the previous one.

I redid the installation process three times without success. I cannot make a liveUSB. The md5sum on the ISO is correct. The gods don't want me using this distribution. I'm giving up.

2015-05-13 - (version not recorded) 32bit ∞

This time I noticed a missing syslinux mbr issue. See Fixing the Slackel 6.0.3 installer.

• I used the usb installation process below.

--

• Nice initial boot screen.

• I see no "copy to ram" feature.

  • I was using a good USB stick, so this wasn't too horrible.
• Booted into persistent.
• Crap textmode resolution, some semi-high resolution version. Later on it switches to the proper nice mode.

• X has a shitty mouse cursor. Fixable.

  • Menu > Settings > Customize Look and Feel > Mouse Cursor
  • My changes were not seen between reboots.

• Bash

  • decent default prompt
  • coloured ls -- but for some reason it's only on the TTY and not in X/a virtual console.
  • rm is still the dangerous rm --force default.
  • No C-left/right to skip words. Sigh.
• C-d to log out at the TTY does not clear the screen first.
• I fiddled with software, see below.

• Rebooted. It says sdb4 was not properly unmounted!

  • However, Firefox usage (open tabs, etc) was saved.

software ∞

Firstly, this is an LXDE distribution, so it already has Openbox and LXPanel.

• It includes SpaceFM instead of PCManFM! WOOOOOOH!

• Includes Btrfs, htop, Screen

gslapt for packages.

• eCryptfs

installing Firefox ∞

(Firefox)

I wanted to download the latest version I could see, which was 37.0.2-i486-1 from the official Slackware repository. It's technically 38.0 but even Lubuntu has 37.0.2.

When trying, I got

Failed to download mozilla-firefox: HTTP response code said error

I downloaded 31.5.3esr-i686-1dj instead. The download went ok, but it hung on the start of the installation phase. I waited quite a long while and it completed successfully.

This Firefox was the Extended Support Release (ESR) version. That concept was new to me.

So this old version of Firefox is quite dismaying. I could forgive Slackel or Salix but even Slackware does not have a rabid maintainer for this. =(

2015-05-11 - 6.0.3 "Live Openbox" 64bit ∞

I found some issues with the installer. See Fixing the Slackel 6.0.3 installer.

http://www.slackel.gr/isos/slackel-live/README_INSTALL_ON_USB.TXT

\sudo  \mkdir  /tmp/iso/
_ISO=$PWD/slackellive64-openbox-6.0.3.iso
\sudo  \mount  -o loop  $_ISO  /tmp/iso
cd  /tmp/iso/boot/

\sudo  \bash ./install_on_usb.sh --usb $_ISO /dev/sdb
# I made a 500MB persistent file.

\cd  -
# The install script does not unmount its loop devices.
\sudo  \umount  /tmp/iso/
\sudo  \rmdir   /tmp/iso/
# I think that these are left with the 32bit ISO.
# I confirmed they are not left with the 64bit ISO.
\sudo  \umount  /tmp/tmp.*
\sudo  \rmdir   /tmp/tmp.*

The usb stick was 2GB, and I made a 500MB persistent ext3 file.

.. so it's formatted ext3? That's not a good idea for a flash drive. It should be ext2 to explicitly exclude the ext3/4 journal, which wears out a flash drive.

.. rebooted into it

Freezes before showing the bootloader. FAIL.

(For this attempt, I did not notice if there was a missing syslinux mbr issue. That could be what made this fail. Re-trying.)

Last updated 2019-12-06 at 08:01:17