HELP: how to use Slackware with VirtualBox

andwan0 · 11-26-2014, 04:36 AM

I am still quite a newbie to linux and been using user-friendly distros like Debian/Fedora/Ubuntu.

Just started to experiment with Slackware.

I downloaded the pre-made VirtualBox image (which is a minimum-bare install). This just gives me text-mode.

How can I install a nice GUI? I tried using slapt-get -u
but I get Failed to download: couldn't resolve host name, etc.

Didier Spaier · 11-26-2014, 04:49 AM

To check what's actually included in the image you downloaded, please provide a link, so we can check what you are missing.

However, it would be better to install Slackware yourself in a VirtualBox VM from a DVD image, this way you'll have get a complete Slackware "out of the box".

andwan0 · 11-26-2014, 05:35 AM

http://virtualboxes.org/images/slackware/

Yeah, I could try installing Slackware out of the box.. but the setting up partitions.. then configuring keyboard/display/network... wow... that's overkill...

Didier Spaier · 11-26-2014, 05:44 AM

Installing Slackware is not a daunting task, see this.

And Slackware 12.0 is a very old versions, now unsupported. Recent ones are easier to set up.

You'll always find people eager to help newbies in this forum. We all have been newbies, not that long ago

Richard Cranium · 11-26-2014, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwan0

http://virtualboxes.org/images/slackware/

Yeah, I could try installing Slackware out of the box.. but the setting up partitions.. then configuring keyboard/display/network... wow... that's overkill...

If you are balking at that, I'm not sure why you want to try it in the first place.

Gerard Lally · 11-26-2014, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwan0

http://virtualboxes.org/images/slackware/

Yeah, I could try installing Slackware out of the box.. but the setting up partitions.. then configuring keyboard/display/network... wow... that's overkill...

Probably best to stay with Ubuntu then.

linuxtinker · 11-26-2014, 11:10 AM

Slackware worked right out of the box for me. Setting up partitions was an easy task. Last time I used one of those "easy " distros it wiped out mydrive without any warning.

andwan0 · 11-26-2014, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxtinker

Slackware worked right out of the box for me. Setting up partitions was an easy task. Last time I used one of those "easy " distros it wiped out mydrive without any warning.

must've been openSUSE

kevison · 11-26-2014, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwan0

I am still quite a newbie to linux and been using user-friendly distros like Debian/Fedora/Ubuntu.

Just started to experiment with Slackware.

I downloaded the pre-made VirtualBox image (which is a minimum-bare install). This just gives me text-mode.

How can I install a nice GUI? I tried using slapt-get -u
but I get Failed to download: couldn't resolve host name, etc.

To be honest I think it would have been easier to just download an ISO and create your VM that way. I use VirtualBox to test builds before I use them on my machines. Easy as pie and lots more fun.

kevison · 11-26-2014, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwan0

... wow... that's overkill...

... but you would at least get more of a feel to the power of this distro. Sometimes the easy way is not the best way.

dr.s · 11-29-2014, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwan0

...Yeah, I could try installing Slackware out of the box.. but the setting up partitions.. then configuring keyboard/display/network... wow... that's overkill...

Actually installing Slackware in VirtualBox is very easy, almost trivial, took about 12-13 minutes on my desktop and worked out of the box.