IIRK, Salix is meant to be fully backward compatible with its parent, Slackware. Therefore, Slackware users could benefit from Salix' package repositories. I've tried Salix in the past and it was quite neat.

In past, I installed Slackware and I tried using Salix repository on Slackware with slapt-get, gslapt and sourcery.
I face problem which exist in all dependency base package management system.

When I tried install packages with slapt-get, it tries to install unneccessry packages to resolve dependency.
If I want to install one package then few packages get added in required package list.
And if I want to install more packages then few more packages get added into the list.
And package management system will not allow you to install package without installing these packages.

I use slackpkg to install packages from slackware mirror.
And I use sbopkg to install packges from slackbuilds.org.
Both package management tools are very good.

sbopkg made installing and maintaining packages from slackbuild -- very very easy.
Dependency management with sbopkg is also very simple.

So I don't have any problem with slackpkg and sbopkg.

Slackware installation process is very simple and fast.

Best way to start on to Slackware is use Slackware.


Salix is based on Slackware.
Salix is backward compatible with Slackware.
But Salix is NOT completely Slackware.

Not really. I don't know of too many people whose first distro was Slackware and that stayed with it. Most people start with more popular GUI-based distros and then move to Slackware. In the past I used to recommend Zenwalk as an intermediate, but Salix is much better now.

I agree.

But, you are getting me wrong.

If someone is completely new to the Linux.
Then it is little bit difficult to start with Slackware.
I start with Debian.

"Best way to start on to Slackware is use Slackware."
It means, somebody wants to learn Slackware then use ONLY Slackware.

Well in that case it's true.

@ gapan

Not completely backwards compatible. A very minor bug. I just downloaded Oolite plus dependencies, and it runs fine but not from the menu or from the command line (unless completely specified).

I guess it just needs a link from /usr/lib64/GNUstep/Applications/oolite.app/oolite to something in the standard $PATH.

Just so that this fits in with the thread. SalixOS offers a great set of packages that work with Slackware and the dependency information is useful as well.

samac

Just a point of clarification, though not for argumentation: Can you point us where Salix NECESSARILY CEASES from being a Slackware? Why?

For through out the years of my driving either or both I can hardly distinguish SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE between the two. The hacks I made with Slackware work 100% with Salix vice versa: in short --take away Slackware and Salix ceases to exist; or boot up Salix and you are driving but Slackware (save probably if you are talking only about wallpapers and lipsticks) :)

In salix 13.37 I did not experience this on simple application software under Gslapt, but frequently under Sourcery. If you want to you may use 'sbopkg' a native fetching to SlackBuilds repository.

I decided to give Salix a try in vbox. It is a very nice distro for a new Linux user. I do prefer and use Slackware, but this is a viable alternative for people who don't want a hands-on experience.
Salix running in vbox on my Slackware-current box.

It is obvious now that you have not installed Salix OS from a liveCD. You should know the difference from this point if you are comparing with Slackware version 'all' --installation-wise Salix LiveCD is EVIDENTLY faster by less than half the time you need through installing basic Slack: (all-things-equal == same kernel == same Xfce4 DE)

Also, you should give a moment of pondering over my adjectives: 'light' and 'fast' for these attributes of Slackware are tailored ready by install under Salix. I mean: you have to tune up first your Slackware FULL installation, to run as fast as (same version and same "kernel.smp") under Salix preconfigurations. I have compared this already under the same machine. Quicker response is attained "ready" at first boot under Salix 13.37, but the same kernel of Slackware I still have to tune it up. This is one important achievement of Salix over basic Slackware. Of course, being aware, that the reason for this is the Salix philosophy.

The 'buntus are derived from Debian, Salix is derived from Slackware. Neither are their parent distoros. That was my point and if you chose to extrapolate it at tangents feel free. It doesn't change anything.

Hmm... no that's not a matter of incompatibility. It's an idiosyncracy of gnustep applications. You can't run them only by calling their name, as with any other app (unless you specifically hack it to). You run gnustep apps by running:
so in oolite's case, you should run:
and that should work. However it should also work from the menu, because that is exactly what the menu item launches. It's working fine here in both Salix and a full Slack installation + oolite installed with slapt-get from salix repos.

You're probably missing a gnustep-base dependency and openapp doesn't work.

Why do you think they were unnecessary? They are not. Otherwise they wouldn't be dependencies

That's the general idea of what should happen if that one package has dependencies on other packages that you don't have installed. Otherwise that one package wouldn't work after you have installed it.

Whatever...

What? This doesn't make any sense at all.

Nope. I have gnustep-base installed but I don't have openapp on my system. I have downloaded and installed gnustep-make-2.6.2-x86_64-2gv.txz and the problem is sorted. I guess that you should add that package to the deps list.

samac