Hi!

After dabling with Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn and Debian Etch for about a couple of months, I am back to my favourite distro - Slackware and I am enjoying it. Debian and Ubunutu have their own plus points, but none of them give them the pleasure that Slackware provides. The control, stability and zipping fast speed that is characteristic of Slackware is conspicuous by its absence in any other distro I have tried.

I have only two issues that are still to be sorted out on my Acer Aspire 5100 laptop - the built in webcam and configuring ati drivers for my ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 card.

Still I am satisfied with what Slackware 11.0 provides.

Once you go Slack you never go back.

AFAIK, ATI cards SHOULD work better in Slack 12 with new Xorg. .. I recall reading something like that in Slack11 DVD.

Welcome back, I hope you'll get your problems sorted out.

Yes, I am planning to upgrade to Slackware 12 shortly.

Might be the case for a person who only uses one Linux distribution, but surely isn't true for us rest who do use other distributions/operating systems as well

I don't find Ubuntu slow (compared to Fedora for example); it's just how you configure it and on what hardware you run it. Who said you should be running it on your oldest pc?

ATI drivers can be tricky but since I've had to install the drivers (from ATI site, not a distribution-specific package) earlier -- and hope that they're nowadays easier for the user -- it shouldn't be impossible. Just backup your current xorg.conf before doing anything else. And remember that kernel upgrades will break things. When you have a backup of a working xorg.conf, even if the driver installation doesn't seem to work all right you can always switch the new and old/backup conf files (or just alter the current one) and have a working configuration again; the 'ati' generic driver is there and should run fine even if you try to install fglrx (if it's still called that).

Webcam..sorry, can't help with that - I don't think they're worth it. Cellphones have nowadays better still+video cameras than laptop webcams are, so I don't get who still wants a laptop webcam?

Hi,

People who need access to there data along with a online active meeting. Another would be Grandma & Grandpa who want to see their kids, grandkids and that's the only computer they have.

Many examples!

Yes, it's much cheaper to speak internationally using a webcam and say ekiga (which is free and open source). You just need a decent (non-56k) connection. And you can see who you're talking to as well as talk to them.

I have a webcam (Logitech) and it works quite well. And my cellphone does not have a camera, because I don't need one on my cellphone and it's cheaper without it.

I disagree on both parts of that statement. For one, while Slackware is my main OS of choice it is NOT the only one I use (or have used). My first Linux distro was Red Hat 9.0. I started using Slackware at 10.0 and liked it much better than Red Hat/Fedora Core. I know a lot of people that wanted something a little easier to manage so I played around a lot with Debian based distros such as Ubuntu (and variants), Xandros, and SymphonyOS. Some people in my family now use Ubuntu, so I keep it on my computer so it is easier for me to help them if they have questions. It is also a nice OS to quickly test software on (particularly mainstream software that caters towards mainstream Linux OSs).

At first I wasn't completely happy with Slackware's package management system. I tried out other Slack-based distros such as Zenwalk Linux (I like the extra Xfce features) to see if they suited my needs better. I also spent some time in Gentoo. However, I soon came to really like the simple Slackware package management system when I began using and writing buildscripts to make all my packages.

In addition, I have used Solaris OS and CentOS in a lot of projects I have worked on. When I want to get some work done with a liveCD I typically used DSL (puppyLinux looks nice, too), but I also use Knoppix for some purposes. Other liveCDs I use include those such as gparted and the Ultimate Boot CD.

Linux distros aren't even the only OS I use. I already mentioned Solaris, but I have also used Mac (both old version and the newer Darwin core versions). On the Windows side I have used everything. I almost always have a copy of XP on my main machines because it is so widely used. Every IT job that I have had with multiple OSs in use have always required a lot more work on the Windows side than Linux side, so I use it a lot. In addition, I use Windows for some programming projects, web development, gaming, and Engineering software.

So, as you can see, Slackware is NOT the only OS I use (or have used). After using so many OSs it is clear that many are designed with different purposes in mind. Simply use the one that suits your needs. What I meant by saying "Once you go Slack, you don't go back" is that if you really use Slackware and get into it (ie. you don't just try it out for a single sit-down session and give up on it), that most people (in general) will find they miss it when they use something else. Thus, they come back to it. I was not saying that you will absolutely discontinue all use of other OSs; that would be absurd for many people.

I love the fact that Slackware is fast, stable, simple, and it never EVER breaks itself. I like the fact that knowing how to administer my systems in Slackware through the command line can be used on other systems without having to learn a specific GUI. And while many distros (even those based on Slack) are catered towards certain users and have their own specialties, the real Slack is more flexible out of the box (and without doing everything from scratch). Slackware can be used for anything you want and it works well. Sure you can make Ubuntu run securely and stable and just as fast as some Slack setups, but I can do that with Windows, too. That doesn't mean they were designed to be that way out of the box!

So, if anybody that has used Slackware extensively no longer uses it and DOESN'T miss it, I would conjecture that they probably never really got into it in the first place. Thus, they didn't meet the first requirement of my statement (going Slack). Otherwise, I believe they will miss it and will come back to Slackware- and not "go back" to Computing without it- at least not for long.

I mean has anyone else noticed how some Linux distros are starting to feel a lot less like Linux? I think I had a weird dream once where Microsoft managed to get complete rights to a bunch of mainstream distros and they were all bastardized with Windows. Everyone in the world used Linux, but it was no longer Linux. If that happens Slackware will definitely be one of the distros I can still use without Microsoft's permission!

Shadowsnipes.. Does Ubuntu require learning to configure and install software applications? Which ver of
Ubuntu would you recommmend for a PC100 w/ PIII600e, HTP366 mobo? How difficult is it to setup Ubuntu /Lamb? For ease of use, stability, and security how do Ubuntu, Arch, Vector?
I have been learning to use slackware since ver8 and I have always been able to install it but and get the basics running but little else, although I can read files using vi, I have a hard time managing software. I still run win98 dualboot w/slackware12 now and would like to migrate MyDocs and Firefox book marks from win98 to an easy linux dual boot setup on this box which I want to be a file/web server for my new XP box and G4 Power Book. What do you suggest?

Speaking from my experience, I have observed that Ubuntu became very slow when I used it one day after a month's disuse. It was performing properly when I switched over to Debian Etch for about a month trying to figure out what is new with Debian, then after I was unable to install Compiz Fusion on Debian (entirely due to my inadequacy), I switched back to Ubuntu 7.04. I found that it had become very slow and unresponsive. Not an issue, as I promptly switched back to Slackware. I did not bother trying to find out why Ubuntu had started behaving in such a fashion. May be I should have, but when I realised that I already have a distro in the form of slackware, which is working perfectly on my laptop, I did not feel like trying to figure out what is causing ubuntu to act up.

So now I am back to Slackware and enjoying it, though it lacks the frills which are available with Ubuntu by default or that require very little effort in Ubuntu. Hey, and I am not missing the eye candy.

One of these days, I'll upgrade to Slackware 12.0 and see if my laptop's ATI card works on it.

Now, webcam is the only reason that I have to boot into Windows and I hate it. Though I know that some day in the near future, my webcam will be supported by Slackware.

And B0uncer, yes Slackware runs with the same efficiency on my old PII PC, as it does on my shiny new laptop! That's what I call a distro.

If by "learning to install software applications" you mean running "make install" then no, Ubuntu usually does not require you to install software via command line as it has a easy point and click install dialog. However, keep in mind that, regardless of your chosen distro, you may eventually want to use a piece of software that nobody has made a package for. If that happens you would have to wait until someone creates that package or you would have to create it yourself. Since Ubuntu is what I call one of the mainstream Linux distros most software does have respective packages for it, so this probably won't be a problem for the disto's main user body.

There is a disadvantage to having the package manager do everything for you like it does in Ubuntu- you risk the chance of your system breaking itself. You might install or uninstall something you never intended. If you go this route I suggest that you pay attention to what will happen before you install/uninstall software. If you use Ubuntu and stick to mostly to supported software you should be fine.

I do want to point out that creating packages for Slackware is actually VERY easy and installing them is even easier. If you would like to learn what a Slackware package looks like in the inside I recommend putting one in an empty folder and running (as root)
Creating packages with Slackbuilds is super-easy. If you have the same version of the software as the slackbuild then you can usually just run the script and it creates the package for you.

Installing a prebuilt package is as simple as (as root)
removepkg and upgradepkg are also useful and should be self-explanatory.

With Slackware you do have to pay attention to the dependencies, but this is really easy. Most slackbuilds, for instance, will tell you if you will need something that is not included in stock Slackware. Packages at linuxpackages.net usually do the same as well.

If you want to use Ubuntu for an old machine like that I would recommend a lighter version like Xubuntu. There is an even lighter version that uses fluxbox but I don't think it is necessary and I think you would prefer the gui tools in Xfce. Ubuntu/Kubuntu would probably not run at full speed. All are easy to setup, perhaps even easier than Windows.

I think you meant setting up LAMP (not Lamb)...I actually have never set up LAMP in Ubuntu so I don't know if it has any GUI tools to help you. I would probably just do it the same way I do it in Slackware or any other distro (edit some text files).

Comparing Ubuntu, Arch, and Vector Linux...
I would say Ubuntu would be the easiest to use, the least stable, and the least secure. Arch and Vector are similar to Slackware, but they have package managers that do more work for you (such as dependency checking). Some people add those features to stock Slackware, but if you really need them then a slack-based distro like them would probably be more suited to you. If you have trouble managing Slackware I would not recommend Arch Linux. Zenwalk or Vector (std edition) would probably be fine for your older hardware.

Overall, my suggestion to you is that you try to learn a little more about Slackware before giving up. You will have to learn how to edit text configuration files sometime no matter what distro you use. If you haven't already done so I recommend reading the slackbook at http://slackbook.org/. It will not only help you learn slackware, but it will also help you learn more about Linux.

For editing text files try pico or nano instead of vi. vi is more powerful, but for quick simple edits I find myself using pico more than anything.

You don't need to migrate your files from Windows to Linux- you can share them. You just need to mount them in linux. For NTFS (if you are using it) you will probably want to look into ntfs-3g. Once the file systems are mounted you can make symbolic links to point to "My Documents", etc so that they are easy to get to. It is worth noting that some versions of Ubuntu do automatic migration (copying some files over) when you install the OS. If you are going to keep Windows on the box for a while I still recommend sharing them instead. You can also share firefox profiles (not just bookmarks). Search the forum if you need help on any of the this.

So, if you want something that usually works and you don't care how, Ubuntu-like distros would probably be fine for you. If you would rather know more about Linux and have something that is very stable, I suggest sticking to Slackware-like distros.

I did the same a few months ago, giving Ubuntu and Kubuntu a whirl, but found myself missing Slack more and more. Welcome back!

Thanks shadowsnipes, I like slackware and you answered my questions, mainly it is probably not going to be much easier to migrate to a more automated linux distro because things always have a way of going wrong in computers. I have already invested alot of time into Slackware and not really interested in learning from scratch another distro. Plus slackware12 is fast and notorious for stability, security and customizing.

Will print out your response and try your recommendation of an empty install package, because right now that is my biggest obstacle. I really need to know what happens when I use the install command and make install.
I have 4 tar.gz printer packages sitting in a folder in /home/usr; I unpacked one but I am not sure install instructions are akin to slackware install requirements and I don't know how to undo whatever I did; so I am afraid to open the rest because I am not sure what process of installing to use. Guess its just my own fear of breakng what is working. lol I do own the old Slackware book, Old Slackware Unleashed Book, and have printed out the Revised Slackware Project.

Don't worry. I've lost fonts, rm part of /usr/local, broken my partition order and partitions ended after end-of-disk and I still managed to fix it. Just try and remember what you do. Moving files to some dir won't destroy your system. Just make a backup before you overwrite something.