trying different linux systems, help installing slackware
 

Hi all

I started on linpus then ubuntu now trying slackware

I will shortly have the 3 iso discs do i load them one after the other or is there some other method I have just purchased an external cd drive and altered the bios any help would be appreciated

You should be able to just put disc 1 in, then do what it tells you from there.

After you downloaded the iso files, you need to burn them
to a cd. You need to have some software installed for that.

I don't know what system you're using right now.
But if you're using linux you can try k3b to do that

Once you got your cds, you need to boot on them to install
to your hard drive.

There's another solution if you want to try out different linux
distributions without installing anything in your hard drive:
the live linux distributions.

Here's a couple of them

slax (based on slackware)
http://www.slax.org/

grml (based on debian)
http://grml.org/

Both can also run from a usb stick. So you don't even have
to burn a cd.

Welcome to Slackware. The absolute first suggestion for you is to read the Slack Book. Do not install Slackware until you've taken the time to do that. Most, if not all, questions concerning installation and other things will be answered there.

Second, have fun, but don't stress out about it. You will need to have a good working knowledge of manual disk partitioning before that first Slackware disk is installed. Also, you will need to know about bootloaders (Slackware uses LILO by default) and you will need to familiarize yourself with the command line.

Unlike Ubuntu, Slackware does not immediately go to the GUI. You'll need to remember about "startx" after logging in. I do not recommend using the root account for daily activities.

Keep in mind that Slackware itself does not run as a Live CD - but there are derivatives based on Slackware that do. I found my particular fit by running Live CD's and installing different distros on separate partitions.

Any problems not answered by my above suggestions - post back.

Cheers!

Also be sure to check out the Slackware forum here on LQ, and especially the "Slackware - Installation" subforum therein. There is a very large Slack community here (and online) and I've yet to find a problem I couldn't eventually get answered in some fashion.

hi all

many thanks for your replies
I have been looking at free BSD but I honestly don't know where to go.

i am now on ubuntu My netbook only has a cd rom drive but I can do any burning on my desktop

I am not up to the command line yet but I hope i might learn eventually

Its all good fun though

Many linux's can be installed without burning to cd
which would would you like to install??

many frugals can go right on harddrive "by hand"
without disturbing any systems there
you just edit menu.lst, etc and go

you should go multidistro dude:)

if'n you want we can hook something up

I started with Slackware and I'm glad I did. I still have two Slackware boxes, including my webserver, and the only reason I'm using Ubuntu on this computer that I'm typing on is that it came factory-installed.

Installing Slack really isn't difficult, unless you've never manually partitioned a drive before (and I had lots of experience with DOS fdisk).

But there's lots of help out there. Slackware users tend to be very loyal to their distro. They also expect you to do a little bit of homework before you ask a question, but I think that's not uncommon. "How do I do X?" is not the same as "How do I do X? I've tried this and that and got these error messages."

In addition to LQ, which has been a big help to me, the alt.os.linux.slackware newsgroup also has some very helpful persons in it. As with all newsgroups, it's useful to hang out there for a while and figure out who's who.

Google is a big help. It's surprising how easily you can narrow a search simply be adding "slackware" to the search term.

Welcome to LQ and Slackware.

What's up?
you should use TAGFILES
this way you can repeat the exact same installl or tweak it to your delight
without having to manually select each package when
doing a selective install

http://www.bilbos-stekkie.com/tagger/tagfiles.html

read the whole slack book(s) too

Slack is probably the best Linux to learn the "insides" of Linux
but not as hard as gentoo, etc