Hi all, used to be a avid user with Slackware 09 through 11 and haven't really used linux in general since that time. I've found myself with some free time lately and was looking at going back to the more fun and usable stuff.. I generally use my Inpiron mini now a days since I'm not usually home and lightweight is key for me for the time being so I'm wondering if Slackware works well with it. I know that some of the mini line had Ubuntu included instead of Windows but I'm not really looking at getting into it with Ubuntu as I rather enjoy slackware and would like to get back to using it again .

I'm currently running 13.0 on my Dell Mini 9. I had to build the wireless driver from here to get the wireless to work. And the special button that's supposed to turn the wireless card on and off doesn't work (but I never used it anyway). The special volume buttons work great with KDE and the screen brightness buttons work as well.

I got it with Ubuntu (I think it was 08.04) on it but Slackware just seems to run faster/more responsive and hasn't frozen up like Ubuntu did a few times. So if you like Slackware better there's really no reason to put Ubuntu on it IMHO.

A big "me too" as far as running Slackware 13 on a Mini 9. Works really well.

Awesome guess I'll start backing some things up like my music and documents in case I botch the book to hell and back lol. Now I've got the mini 10 not the 9, and if it helps its the one with the tv tuner. I know there was the 10v which I never even saw and at the time that I learned there were big differences between the two was when I was considering hackintosh just cause I figured it would feel more like what I'm used to then windows does. Hopefully it won't be a big deal having the 10 with the tv tuner Uhm I'm wondering since you guys already have wireless on your netbooks with slack how much of a pain is it to setup? I remember countless nights of trying to get wireless to work to no avail (that and bluetooth had more luck with wifi though) Cause if I can get all the hardware to work with no issues and even bluetooth through a usb dongle or my external usb dvd burner on it then I'm sold back into slackware in 10 hours (well gotta personalize the look and make it feel right at home lol that and I'll get sidetracked playing with it) Guess I'm just holding back still due to wireless and bluetooth at this point.

If yours is still using a Broadcom chipset (check the output of lscpi), the sta driver works nicely with Slackware 13. I've seen some threads that suggest it doesn't work with the newer kernel in -current so you might want to stick with 13 until you get the thing running well.

I followed this guide to get the wireless working. Also the broadcom STA driver will work with the newest kernel (that's what I'm running on my netbook), but you have to add a symlink in your kernel sources first. The kernel guys moved the autoconf file to a different place. And the STA driver is still looking in the old place. I don't have bluetooth or a tv tuner so don't know how well they'll work with Slackware.

Slackware 13.0 has wicd in the /extra directory. This application allows you, the Slackware newbie or otherwise console-shy person, to configure your network (wired and wireless) in an easy graphical way. Definitely worth looking at.

Bluetooth has very recently (to be precise: last weekend) seen an overhaul in slackware-current - which is our development area on the road to what will eventually be Slackware 13.1. The BlueZ libraries were upgraded from version 3 to 4, and this made it possible to add blueman - a graphical bluetooth manager.

If you are adventurous you install Slackware-current now... if you are cautious (the wise thing to do perhaps) then you wait just a little while longer for Slackware 13.1 to be released.

Eric

... and thank BOB for that. As many window managers use the windows-key + F2 to run a program, it'd be easy to switch the wireless off by mistake in the least appropriate moments.


ps. successfully running Slackware 13 on Dell Inspiron mini 1011. The only thing I had to do is to install wifi drivers from the location mentioned above.