Please recommend Slack-based & Slack-compatible distros.
 

I am not savvy enough to run Slack itself. I would like a distro that is based on Slack and that I can install Slack packages in when the distro does not have something that I want. I prefer KDE/Gnome or XFCE. I don't like the light desktop managers like Fluxbox, IceWM, etc... because when one installs a new application there is a whole lot of work to just get a menu entry and desktop or toobar icon for it - not worth the minimal speed improvements IMHO.

Your thoughts on:
Vector
Zenwalk (compatible?)
Absolute
GoblinX
Wolvix (I could not get its GRUB to load and work)
KateOS
Frugalware (compatible?)
... ones that you like and I don't know about.

I've used Zenwalk before, it's quite nice actually, and it is compatible (mostly). By default it uses XFCE.

BTW, it takes about 10 seconds to open, edit, save, close the menu listing in fluxbox, and you edit 1 line of text ... I don't see how it could get any simpler, but whatever.

I've only tried Vector and Zenwalk - they were OK. Distro preference is a matter of personal taste, try each one for a day or two to find what suits you.

What do you mean by this? What are you afraid of?

Brian

There is Slax. I use it on my USB stick.

In not using Slack, my main obstacle is time. Without getting into it, I just don't have much or any, really, time to learn the intracacies of a distro like Slack. It is my understanding that to install apps in Slack one has to run down the dependcies himself. I am used to synaptic distros like Ubuntu and PCLOS.

Why try to find a user/newbie friendly Slack based distro then? Well, I am distro curoius and I like the fact that Slack is so stable according to everthing that I have read.

Vector I tried and liked. Zenwalk, I did not care as much for.

Hi,

You could always learn as you go. If fear of the installation is the stop gap then I'm sure someone would be willing to assist you.

I'm not sure what apps you are referencing. There are a lot of apps on Slackware 12 that would meet most needs. If you do a full install at first then you should have more then enough. You could use the install and then learn to trim what you don't need. After a while then learn to compile, install or whatever when that need arises.

If your 'distro curious' and not just 'distro hopping' then you will need to spend some time with one. With Slackware you will need to learn or investigate in order to do what is necessary to get where you want. Read!

You can reference 'Slackware-Links' formerly 'Slackware LQ Suggestions Links!' for other good online reference.

If you choose a derivative then you will have that fork of the original to learn. Sure if it is based on Slackware and remains basic to the original then the transition will be somewhat easier. But why learn English to visit England if you speak American English. Sure they would basically understand our meaning but the syntax would not be the same, let alone the semantics.

edit: My English reference was not a slam/degrading but to give an example of knowing one set and attempting to use with an alternate set.

Do not be afraid to learn new things. I do not have any real time either, but I run slack on my laptop and will soon run a FTP server with slack at home. Between my work, girlfriend, and other things that need to get done throughout the week, I barely have any real time to sit in front of my laptop or configure my FTP server. But even when I spend 10 minutes in front of Slack, I am learning. Everything you do in Slack, you will learn from. You just gotta do it. Remember... no guts, no glory.

JUST JUMP IN WITH BOTH FEET!

You'll learn as you go and when you get stuck, this forum is always here.

The big bonus to using Slackware is the learning process.

I just started using Slack a few weeks ago and after dealing with a few little bumps, now it's my favorite.

Once you Slack, you won't go back.

My 2 cents:

The OP's question is typical. "I'm interested in trying slack because it is supposed to be so stable, but I want the automatic dependency checking." I've always thought that one of the reasons slack is so stable is because it does not do automated dependency checking.

Brian

Hi,

Just jump in......the water is fine over here:-) Slackware is the place you want to be. Don't worry about making a mistake...that is part of the learning curve in Slackware. If things go awry we will be happy to help you.
Slackware is Linux:-)

You could try Zenwalk since it is based on Slackware and uses the same configuration files in /etc/rc.d/ as Slackware. Zenwalk will get you up and running quickly and you can learn from there. I tried Zenwalk before Slackware, and I think learning how to use Zenwalk first made things easier for me when I installed Slackware. Zenwalk and Slackware are both excellent imo. Which one you prefer or decide to use is up to you.

I don't see what exactly is so hard about slack. The installation is straight forward,its not particularly hard. I think that people are just scared of slack for no reason, the only thing hard about it is that there is no dependency checking, but there is not alot of dependency problems

I am running Slackware 12 + OpenBox, to add a new menu item is really not that hard or time consuming... and also I don't need too much of useless applications appears on my menu, so OpenBox really did a good job in giving me a clean look.

Yeah... you got a black screen + a mouse pointer only! And everything is hidden behind the shortcut keys. Simple and fast.

Vector Linux 3.2 SOHO on a ThinkPad 760XL was the
easiest installation I ever did. That was a good way
to get some experience with Linux. Eventually as I got
faster hardware I outgrew VL and moved to Slackware,
10.2 then 11.0 and now 12.0 ... I would never go back.

I use Slackupdate from
and never have dependency issues.
hth,

The GNUinator