You might have replaced the default version (cairo-1.12.16-x86_64-1_slack14.1) using upgradepkg, for some reason?
_slack14.1 = default version, off the installation DVD or CD, "official" update? Only present on some packages in /var/log/packages. Strange.

EDIT
I had to answer the 'phone half way through this reply. By the time I'd got back to it, two others had replied.
YET ANOTHER EDIT
Ahaa! Those packages ending in _slack14.1 are ones that have had security updates.

The previous posts are correct and I had already figured it out, but thanks anyway. After making my last post, and before reading the replies, while reading another thread on this forum I realised that Slackware has upgraded to 14.1. My installation disc is 14.0, but since I had not touched the installation for a long time due to life circumstances, it had not been upgraded. No problem me thinks, upgrade. I had to change my mirror, then was able to update. However, I ran into a problem with the upgrade. For some reason, the upgrade froze while installing a kernel patch. Since I could not figure out how to abort and start over, in frustration I killed it. My system is surely borked and will need to be re-installed. I am currently downloading a new ISO with the Debian system. I am not even going to attempt to boot Slack, until tomorrow. Although I am sure it will be a vain attempt.

Until you are at ease with Slackware, my advice would be to make a new installation instead of upgrading to a new version: the upgrade procedure, however well documented, is not so easy to follow for Slackware newcomers. Just save all files you want to keep before the new installation.

I'm sure anyone who can manage Debian, can manage Slackware.

Actually, I find Slackware very easy to configure, but it took me a long time to come to grips with installing SlackBuilds, even with help. Gives you an idea of how strangely my brain works.

An upgrade from 14.0 to 14.1 being an actual upgrade (packages and system as opposed to security updates) did take me by surprise. The reason for the failure is most likely my not preparing for it, because I expected a much smaller upgrade. On the bright side, assuming I must re-install, I shall soon be an expert at installing Slackware.

Until you're comfortable with the system, just ensure your /home is a separate partition and then you can simply reinstall - obviously setting the mount point for /home but keeping it unformatted - when things get messed up.

Well, each his own path.

I don't set up a separate partition for /home but save its content on an external USB HDD.

Then I install the new Slackware version (still without a separate /home partition) and just cherry-pick what I need from the old /home and migrate that to the new one.

Advantages:

• Better use of disk space.
• After a while my /home becomes a mess. That forces me to clean the house from the basement to the roof.
• I don't have to bother with all these old hidden text files and directories I can hardly remember what they are, unless I have a real need to migrate them.

PS I run 4 Slackware systems on one laptop. Having only 4 ext4 partitions is easier to manage for me.

I prefer to keep /home and just rm the dot files I don't want (e.g. everything except shell config, command history, xinitrc, window manager configs, etc). I don't reinstall that often to worry.

OK, I'll admit that I helped quite a bit to derail the thread but I think we've drifted off the topic.

It is only little off-topic and a worthwhile discussion, so no problem. Many people advocate a separate /home partition, but I am not one of them. I do not need to configure many applications. Most of the work is setting preferences for things like LibreOfficeWriter and file managers, which a separate /home partition would not eliminate. With other applications like Openbox, tint2 and Conky, I simply copy-and-paste the configuration files from the backup copies. So I find a separate data partition more useful. It also has the extra benefit of being usable by more than one OS. It is really convenient to have Debian and Slackware using the same partition containing all my files.

Now that the secrets of LILO have been revealed to me, after I buy some more discs I can burn the 14.1 ISO and quickly have a working system installed. Then I can install the few Slackbuilds I need. I just wish Aqualung was in Slackbuilds. It is my favourite audio player. The advantage Debian has is that my favourite applications are easy to get from the repositories, but Slackware's advantage is that most of them are included in the system, so only a few need to be added after installation.

This blunder was irritating, but was a wonderful learning experience.

You can easily build your own package.

1. Download the source tarball.
2. tar xf aqualung-1.0-rc1.tar.gz
3. cd aqualung-1.0-rc1
4. mkdir /tmp/package-aqualung
5. ./configure --prefix=/usr
6. make
7. DESTDIR=/tmp/package-aqualung make install
8. log in as root ("su -")
9. cd /tmp/package-aqualung
10. makepkg -l y -c y ../aqualung-1.0rc1-x86_64-1_randicus.txz
11. installpkg /tmp/aqualung-1.0rc1-x86_64-1_randicus.txz

It appears that Aqualung will compile on a stock Slackware system but you will not have all features available, so before compiling you will want to have installed all of the codecs you will be using, as well as LADSPA filters if you want them.

(There is also the src2pkg utility which probably simplifies things, but I've never taken the time to learn how to use it.)

1 members found this post helpful.

Well...

1. Get and install src2pkg. Run the setup like it tells you to do.
2. Get the source using the link provided by saulgoode.
3. src2pkg -N aqualung-1.0-rc1.tar.gz
4. Edit new.slack-desc to provide a good description and rename it to slack-desc
5. src2pkg -X
6. Install the package

If nobody has created a slackbuild for something, it is really, really hard to beat src2pkg.

2 members found this post helpful.

Thanks for tips guys, but let's not get too far ahead in the planning. One baby step at a time.

I did not check to see if the system was still usable. Since this is a testing system to see if I can use it, I just re-installed with 14.1. Other than not being able to install tint2, because the location of the source tarball was unreachable, all the other SlackBuilds I want were installed easily, quickly and successfully. An honourable mention must be given to cynwulf for providing some instructions through the labyrinth of SlackBuilds. There is no way I could have wrapped my brain around it alone.

Only two more tests. Install a third-party package and set up the printer. If I can do those, I can add Slackware to my list of distributions.