Going whole hog Slackware, but only want to install system w/one DE/WM.

bassmadrigal · 02-08-2016, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orbea

True, I did not think of your example, but that is because this thread is about making a non-full install and that is a great reason why not to install non-trusted binary packages, especially for something like ffmpeg.

Maybe I should've used official packages like mplayer and libvdpau rather than 3rd party. If you install mplayer but not libvdpau, it will work without issue unless you try and set the output as vdpau, at which point you'd get an error.

Quote:

Originally Posted by orbea

While you will avoid most if not all dependency issues with just doing a full install, that defeats the entire purpose of not using a full install. To learn your system better and to be able to maintain it to your liking without having to rely on someone else to do it for you.

That is true... for those who want to actually learn the system and what is required for certain things. However, many of the posts wanting to install limited packages, only want it thinking less packages will make their system faster -- which if you're not running those things that you're removing, it won't make any difference in speed, and then just ends up being a headache that we try to solve when they run into dependency issues compiling something on SBo (and usually not mentioning they're running a partial install in their post).

For those who actually want to learn Slackware and how various packages play into the whole OS, slimming down packages is a very helpful tool that can teach you a lot from your "mistakes".

philanc · 02-08-2016, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 55020

Micromanaging your installation is just a temporary phase on the path to enlightenment. I used to have custom tagfiles, my own kernel and even my own init scripts, but now I just outsource all that to Pat. It just wasn't worth the hassle when Pat's stuff is simply better.

+1 on this.

But you reached enlightenment (

) precisely because you moved along the path. A short-circuit to a full-install-no-question-asked would never bring you there. It would just deliver a solid, working distro -which is what the majority of users ask for anyway.

The willingness to tweak, streamline, simplify may be dangerous but it probably is the key to a great learning experience.

What I would recommend to the OP is to setup several partitions: one for a complete Slackware install (and keep it pristine as much as possible), and one or more for experiments (either trimming down a complete install, or trying to install a very limited subset --serie A + ...whatever!)

So the OP can always boot at least to his stable, complete Slackware when an experiment goes wrong. ...Or if/when he feels tired of the painstaking learning experience

The only key constraint is to expect little or no support for whatever trouble happens in the "experiment" partitions!

55020 · 02-08-2016, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Didier Spaier

I noticed in a dissertation that Garguanta's appetite for food really meant an appetite for knowledge.

"... and of course to destroy it."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9hWrIGTmI

hitest · 02-08-2016, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philanc

The only key constraint is to expect little or no support for whatever trouble happens in the "experiment" partitions!

+1 on that.

enorbet · 02-09-2016, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

Overall, I was surprised it took this long for someone (55020/David) to explicitly state that the only "resources" that would be sacrificed by installing a FULL install would be disk space.

Nit-picking just for accuracy's sake. - I firmly stated exactly that in the 3rd post of this thread. Later, I mentioned this notion is largely a hangover from Windowws experience by virtue of it's massive mess - The Registry - and the requirement for almost all apps to dump some file into the Windows directory as well as the default pre-loading and rampant scheduling and memory management issues. Windows is massively integrated whereas *Nix is "compartmentalized" for lack of a better word.

The vast majority of Users started with and spent years in Windows before coming to Linux so while it is quite natural to carry those concepts over, it is worth considering that the most important learning experience is to stop thinking in Windows and accept Linux for exactly what it is. Learn that and you're ahead of the game, using ALL your resources (including your Time and Money) more efficiently.

globetrotterdk · 02-10-2016, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canadensis

Thanks 273.

You can configure menus in XFCE but I am not sure how to do this without using the graphical menu tool. Fluxbox has a simple text file with the menu structure - very Slackware-like - which you can copy as a backup before you start configuring your own.

I think this approach at least partly addresses the wishes of those Slackers who want a minimalist system, at least it gives a minimal interface.

Cheers, Bill

A robust launcher like synapse, mutate or albert would be a usefull alternative to editing menus, but oddly none of these seem o be available in repos or via slackbuilds.org I have found dmenu and rofi, but they just don't launch and find stuff as well as the previously named launchers, nor function as well with high res monitors. More is the pity