Slackware 14.1 available for pre-order and subscription
 

Hi all,

the friendly folks at the Slackware store have made the coming 14.1 release available for pre-order and subscription. In fact I wanted to subscribe starting with the next release, I just asked and they added it in no time. Thanks!

All the best,
Philip

We must be nearly there.
Are we?
Are we there yet?
:)

I still say 14.1 should be a 20th Anniversary Special Edition... With Bob Dobbs printed on the discs, or a 'bonus' dvd that has the Arise Subgenius movie :D.

Is there an advantage to pre-ordering? I'm thinking maybe I'll wait for the slackpack and get a physical copy of the book, being somewhat new to slackware and not having so many internet connected devices that a physical reference couldn't be helpful someday.

Having a subsctiption is a very good thing as it helps to generate a nice revenue stream for Pat. I have a subscription and I am looking forward to the arrival of 14.1. :)

I guess that pre-orders will help the Slackware team to have sufficient media printed after the release is out, and those pre-orders will be shipped along with (or right after) the subscriptions. Subscribers are the first to receive a new release.

It would be nice if the physical discs were available before the download version as an incentive and reward.

samac

YES!! This!!

Current is Slackware Release
 

While your idea may have merit, it won't work with the currently used development/release process for Slackware.

As you know, Slackware -current (which is always available for download) is magically relabeled and becomes the next Slackware release (14.1).

Pat graciously provides torrents for each stable release of Slackware when released and as you say -current is always available for download. I will be running Slackware 14.1 long before I receive my Slackware 14.1 DVD from Pat. I choose to support the software that I love. I urge all Slackers to take a look at the items for sale at the Slackware store and think about buying something.

I'm so enamored with Slackware 14.0 I'm not sure I even want to upgrade. What's new and exciting with 14.1?

Slackware-current is stable, fast, and secure. I am liking it a lot. :)

More exciting news can be seen on the ChangeLog

As long as the T-Shirts and Polos stay Black I'm happy.

Yes, that would be nice!

I once suggested to the store people to offer "virtual" subscriptions, because postage and customs fees are so high for shipping to some countries. I have a fast enough internet connection, supported by some US government agencies ;), so there's no use in sending physical discs. Because neither me nor Pat or the store people get any benefit from me paying those incredibly expensive fees.

But I'd definitely wouldn't want to miss the jubilee special pack of discs, including the director's cut of the movie mentioned above and all the funny out-takes. ;)

gargamel

@gargamel: Just do a donation every time a new release comes out.

I want a Slackware/Bob T-shirt :)

We can petition Pat, then again he does frequent the forums.... The only snag is the copyright. Yes I do see the Bob Dobbs head on the penguin in the propaganda section on slackware.com, but printing Bob Dobbs on the discs is something else, because at that point it is being sold, so Pat does need to talk with Rev. Ivan Stang, even if just including a copy of the Arise Subgenius movie only that still has to have the ok from the Church... Who knows, I'm sure Pat would like this idea too, but the stumbling block is getting the OK for something like this.

*sigh*, one can only hope and dream... Still, it wouldn't hurt to petition Pat.... :)

Maybe I am just old school but I still like to have an nice shiny disk, put in my pre-order!

Actually, there is. CDs and DVDs from the store are "pressed" and not "burnt". I'm using the Slackware installation discs pretty much every day, and the original discs from the store are much more reliable.

I didn't know that, interesting. Actually I had no problems with the DVDs I burnt from the ISOs...
So there's added value in the physical discs, especially when used frequently. For my 3 to 5 machines, the self-burnt ISOs are good enough, however, it appears. So, for me, it's questionable, if the high costs for postage and customs are really justified. YMMV.

gargamel

I actually thought/think about this. Maybe for 14.2/15.0.

gargamel

Stang is an old friend, and he'd probably give the idea an OK. But IMHO it is not a good idea. I think some people mistakenly think that there's some close ties between Slackware and the SubGenius, but that's not the case, nor would it be good for marketing in general. They adopted me far more than I adopted them, and it's been years since I've attended an X-Day gathering or seen any of those folks in person. I do personally find a lot of their stuff amusing, but a lot more people find it offensive and this project does not endorse anything that they say or do. Slackware is not intended to be Linux for the SubGenius. It is intended to be Linux for anyone that appreciates the traditional UNIX-like ways of doing things, isn't afraid of the command line, wants the supplied packages to be as unmodified as possible, and likes to be able to expand the system through source code without tossing a wrench into the package manager.

Don't overthink too much, just do it! :) (Of course, if your finances allow you to.)

Since my debit card can't be accepted (tried a couple of times), but works fine with PayPal, I do donate whenever I can. Having physical install disks is not important to me, all Slackware installations I've done the last few years were over network. I just keep ISO images to share them over LAN from one of my computers for this task.

Speaking about alternative ways to donate, how about Gittip? It's a website which allows to set up small weekly donations and support people and projects you love. Would be a nice addition to the revenue from CD/DVD and merchandise sales. Of course, Patrick would first have to opt in for this to work. But if he did, I'd happily donate over Gittip.

I think this is the most compact, spot-on and beautiful definition of Slackware I've ever read. I actually laughed out loud eurêka-style while reading it.

This is Slackware. Do anything you want.

Do I have to purchase a new subscription for each release?
I may need to declare Pat as a dependent...

Great definition, thanks for that!
Philip

So let me put this straight: I was thinking about donations as a *replacement* for my subscription. But I made my decision: I'll stick with the subscription, and extend it with an order of a little merchandise occasionally. :)

gargamel

It may not be "Linux for the SubGenius", but Slackware is pure Genius in method, design, and operation.

The disk art should be in the spirit of Slackware... something magnificent, something pure, and something utterly brilliant in simplicity... my suggestion...

"Slackware... Linux so simple... you don't even need to think about it."

It kinda pays some homage to another by-gone Linux from the days of old, Yggdrasil Linux.

Wow, haven't thought about that in a long while. Still have the Green Bible when I was running it with Dos.
Spent countless hours learning since every prepress workstation I was using either used AIX or RMX. Tried Slackware after a really good friend set me up on his ftp. Rekindled my interest back in 2000ish. Now I find dep managers just so much harder. I hate trying to find out what just happened. Version 10.2 was pretty much my fav until 14. It's hands down the easiest OS I've ever used.

Pre-ordered a copy of 14.1 yesterday to try & say thanks.

Loved the design of the 14.0 T-Shirt. :) https://store.slackware.com/cgi-bin/...z6RDJ&mv_pc=35 Would like something like for 14.1 as well. :)

Mayan apocalypses don't come around every year! ;)

It can be a bit hard to spot the Slackware store at the Slackware.com site. Should it be one of the links in the left frame?

IMO yes. I've noticed this before too.

I buy the CDs to have the souvenir and do the first install with those.
Having said that, I have frequently used the DVD ISO from USB - maybe it would be interesting to sell Slackware-labeled USB sticks in the store? That would give install medium and merchandise in one.

...