Is slackware really all that difficult to install?

I'm going to be switching distros and I'm wondering how hard is it to install Slackware really? I have a basic level understanding of linux, nothing spectacular. I can compile and all of that and have been running linux for about 3 months. It's either a full RedHat 9 install or Slackware. I hear horror stories about how difficult Slackware is to install though and am wary of whether it is within my capabilities to figure out.

Anyone have advice or willing to tell me it doesn't take a phd to figure out?

trinity

It was easy for me. The whole thing is menu driven, so it's not too difficult to figure out. If you aleady have linux partitions set up, you're in good shape. If you use the 'newbie' install, you get prompted for every package and it tells you about it--very informative. I did that the first time, although it takes a long time. If you just want to let it run, select your basic categories of packages and let it install everything. You may, like me, then want to remove a few packages, which is easy to do as well.
If you've already figured out the particulars of your hardware for linux, it's even easier. I would recommend saving your XF86Config file before installing Slack, because I installed and the xf86config afterward produced a very crappy config file that did not work. You have a working config, I assume, so save it on a floppy or something.
The only trouble spots are if you leave out a necessary package, which shouldn't happen if you install everything or use the newbie method, and configuring X, your window manager, and any specific hardware, which is what this forum is for ;^)

Not too bad! There's an excellent text-based installer that can run in 3 different modes.. expert, newbie or full bloat. I have always used the newbie mode to read the short description of each package so I can decide yay/nay. packages are grouped well into directories that you can skip over if, for example you don't want any gnome stuff or K-stuff.

Installs are easy, but don't expect everything to work without some digging and configging.. ahh the forced-learning distro.. the best I didn't know the 1st thing about linux and installed Slackware ok.. I had only messed with Mandrake a little and was almost dismayed that it was so easy (and the bloat.. oh yeah). You should have a good experience tinkering with slackware.. with the knowledge you already have, I doubt you'd get frustrated with much.. good luck and let's see how it goes.

but don't expect everything to work without some digging and configging

like what not working? getting into a window manager? getting on the internet? as long as I can get on the net (and get to these forums ) I should be okay. are you talking programs?

my current distro required about 2 hours of customizing/adjusting so that's not an issue.

Glad to hear there's a newbie install......the way I was hearing it was that there was a text based install but it was competely non-intuitive.

trinity

Originally posted by Trinity22 like what not working? getting into a window manager? getting on the internet? as long as I can get on the net (and get to these forums ) I should be okay. are you talking programs? my current distro required about 2 hours of customizing/adjusting so that's not an issue. Glad to hear there's a newbie install......the way I was hearing it was that there was a text based install but it was competely non-intuitive. trinity

Possibly he meant some of the newer hardware out there today as well as some of the media type functions. Just a thought...

The things that didn't work right off the bat were the mouse scroller (good advice, saving your current XF86config, BTW) and network card. So it took me a while to get online.. but no need to be afraid of that if you know what driver your card uses. Bear in mind that I knew *NOTHING* about linux and was fairly motivated to get online so I learned what modules were, how to load them, the fact that my card uses the 8139too module, and how to list running modules with lsmod, right quick . If you know your card's driver, load it and install roaring penguin PPPoE I doubt you'll have any problems getting online.

Not at all! I think slack has a very intuitive install (not a beautiful windoze screen though)
I installed 9.1 to see how it is and I liked it very much... video got 1024x768 24bits color-depth by itself... sound on automatically too... everything really smooth... and if your video don't get to work first time try to use slackware's most wonderful video config tool:
XFree86setup. type this command, select color-depth and some more few (yeah, really few) options and ta-da! that's it! A basic XF86Config file working for you to get into the X System, and there tweaking is easier.... so... any doubts come to us! I don't think you'll have many issues with slackware. after installing slack don't forget to take a look at:
Linux Packages it's a great software page full of neat software as gaim, kopete, gnome, kde, apache, php and whatever you need in slackware packages! very good! take a look at slapt-get too... very good installing-updating tool... hope you enjoy your slack system as much as I enjoy mine!

Little comment about the above post: Slack 9.1 already's shipped with rpppoe connection tool!! When doing he newbie installation install the rpppoe package (assuming you're using adsl

Originally posted by GOBY The things that didn't work right off the bat were the mouse scroller (good advice, saving your current XF86config, BTW) and network card. So it took me a while to get online.. but no need to be afraid of that if you know what driver your card uses. Bear in mind that I knew *NOTHING* about linux and was fairly motivated to get online so I learned what modules were, how to load them, the fact that my card uses the 8139too module, and how to list running modules with lsmod, right quick . If you know your card's driver, load it and install roaring penguin PPPoE I doubt you'll have any problems getting online.

Well then I'm screwed :P. I know virtually nothing. My cable internet provider installed my ethernet card.

anyway to find this out?

trinity

Easy to install. Just need to know how to manually configure things after install.

Trinity, I'd start by going to a command line as root and type lsmod. One of the items listed, if you're halfway lucky, will be a common ethernet card driver.. any of which can be loaded in slackware.
Look for an rc.modules file in your current system to know which are uncommented and being loaded when you boot up.. That file also has short descriptions of the modules, which are grouped by device.

Once your card's up, configging your connection of coarse depends on how your ISP does it..
probably a PPPoE setup, in which case Roaring Penguin takes you through setup. I am not sure if cable modems are commonly done this way.. somebody correct me if it is grossly different from a DSL setup.

every slack install I've ever done had my ethernet and internet connection up and running with very little config from my end. if you are using a router, then tell slack to use dhcp. that's all I've ever had to tell it. if you don't have a router--why don't you have a router? it's about $30 for a barebones linksys if you buy from the right place, and will make internet config so easy and will give you a basic firewall. </my two cents>

Stevenhasty is right on the money. Getting a router is great - my slack install was assigned an ip by my router automagically via DHCP - and my net connection was working immediately.

see below

I am new to0 with a cable connection,
her is a tip use rh to or even better mandrake to get your hd set up, then the rest is a piece of cake,------- just use comon logic slack will do most of the thinking for you, it will in most cases highlight the best choice for your next move ,
I elected to do the "full" install it was fast and required nothing on my part, your nic card problem is not a problem at all just use automatic configuration for this when asked, (i have cable mdm with eternet card and that is what I did , all is wellwhen you are done ctl alt del to reebot a wala1 there you go, if you can't get x to load read my post about this I have got some realy great answers,

Originally posted by bennythepitbull I am new to0 with a cable connection, her is a tip use rh to or even better mandrake to get your hd set up, then the rest is a piece of cake,------- just use comon logic slack will do most of the thinking for you, it will in most cases highlight the best choice for your next move , I elected to do the "full" install--------- it was fast and required nothing on my part, your nic card problem is not a problem at all just use automatic configuration for this ,when asked, (i have cable mdm with eternet card and that is what I did , all is well when you are done ctl alt del to reebot a wala! there you go, if you can't get x to load read my post about this I have got some realy great answers,