Is Slackware worth it?

I have the installation discs ready, but i want to know is it worth the change from Ubuntu and Debian?

You'll never know unless you give it a shot....

At least give it an honest shot. It is not for everyone but I remember thinking about your question myself at one point.

I tried Slackware. I started learning. I loved how stuff "just worked" in many regards. I liked the "in your face" linux approach compared to the "hand-holding" that many distros try and do to users.

Me? I was wondering whether Slackware would be worth it. That was years ago, by the way. And, my distro of choice now? Still Slackware. Never looked back once I got a taste of it.

Good luck with it. I hope you enjoy it as much as many others do.

KISS - keep it simple and stupid
That's good choice!

I would say it is, but then again I am also biased. I can remember my first jump into linux, it was an earlier version of Slackware, either version 6 or 7, then briefly I tried the Mandrake distro, didn't like it, seemed bloated, then I went back with Slackware 10, and I regret ever going away from Slackware. Been using it for quite a while now. Try it for yourself. It may not be as 'user friendly' as ubuntu, or in my case, Mandrake, but that didn't stop me, because it made me actually want to learn. The truth is, I have learned more about Linux and about computing in general since with Slackware, than even my 12 years of computer experience (mostly windows3.11+) If you are in the mood to learn, and not afraid of doing some reading, go for it, or at least try one of the live Slackware based cds SLAX.

The old adage:
"If you learn RedHat, you know RedHat. If you learn Slackware, you know Linux".

You want the Windows type experience? Then forget it.

You want the GNU/linux experience?

Then run Slackware, cinch your seatbelts tight, because you're going for a ride!

Worth. If you want to know that you know nothing. Just try it!

I made the switch from Ubuntu to Slackware about two weeks ago and I'm hooked now. I liked Ubuntu but I decided I wanted to run a distro that I could learn about Linux on. Slack does that. There is good documentation and good forums to search for answers and solutions to problems on.

Never tried anything else.

Why?

Never needed anything else.

Not sure what "it" is, so hard to say if Slack is worth "it".

Worth learning? yes. Worth trying? yes. Worth your time? yes. Worth a million dollars? only if you use part of that million to buy a slackware CD.

In the end "worth" is very subjective, and as far as how much its worth to you...only you know the answer.

This question seems funny to me. I envision walking into a Mercedes dealer:

"Is Mercedes worth it? I have the paperwork ready, but i want to know is it worth the change from BMW and Lexus?"

You're asking in the official Slackware forum. I would expect very few "NO"s.

Originally Posted by mdarby The old adage: "If you learn RedHat, you know RedHat. If you learn Slackware, you know Linux".

May I add, if you know Linux, you know Unix.

I started with Linux version 1. I got it in a bookstore with a book and a cd in the back. I bought it because I thought having some version of Unix on a PC would be a great way to sharpen my Unix skills. I have configured network components based on a streamlined version of Unix. I have configured Sun and Digital Unix servers for firewalls. I have run applications that only run under Unix, i.e. Sun-OS, Solaris, Digital Unix, HP-UX, BSD, Red Hat Linux, etc. The problem I had was that I did these things occasionally. It is a very uncomfortable feeling to sit in front of a Unix console with a blank mind and a customer looking over your shoulder. I needed practice.

My limited experience with Red Hat has given me the belief that you can use such a distribution to sharpen your Unix skills, or you ignore it. Slackware only automates enough to get you loaded up. After that, you need to use that Linux console. That is the only way to go for me.

I compare it to the Apple vs Windows people. The Apple advocates used to sneer at the Windows challenges regarding resource assignment (IRQ, etc.). I often laughed at this because have you ever seen an Apple guy plug something into a Mac when it did not work? The get this perplexed, confused, frustrated look that indicates they were not expecting this and have no idea what to do now.

Use Slackware and learn. This is a base of knowledge that you can apply across a broad array of systems and services.

Originally Posted by Poetics Never tried anything else. Why? Never needed anything else.

Same here - I tried Slackware and found it to be perfect for my needs. Simple, elegant, efficient. No B.S. No handholding. No mysteries.

Agreed. Several years back I went through Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSe, and Fedora. I landed on Slackware and never thought twice about it. The only reason I would deviate from it is for a laptop (but I would at least give it a chance).