I first started using slackware for multiple reasons, but one of them was the stability that comes with the user managing all the packages himself, what makes this better than Ubuntu's package management? I always assumed that it meant that Ubuntu's method with apt-get, where when you download a package, it downloads EVERYTHING needed to run that package without much input from the user. Or is it more that the user personally oversees the installation of every package?
Do applications like Slapt-get contradict this? What about getting .tgz's off of sites like Slackey? Isn't the best method to use Slackbuild scripts? Does that mean that it is better to use a Slackbuild than a package off of the official slackware webpage?

Some of my notes on Slackware.

- Slackware only provides official packages that have been tested to be reasonably stable. With *buntu, you may also get testing packages without knowing they're testing packages.

- Although some package managers (like *buntu uses) attempt to keep dependencies properly, there's no guarantee that the dependent package will actually be useable vs. it may stomp on a dependency that some other program may have. YMMV. Most people that are attracted to Slackware are also attracted to maintaining ALL aspects of their system, including dependencies.

- As recommended by the slackbuild people, if the same package is in the official slackware repository - use it. Slackbuilds are for people that want to play and/or for packages that are not provided by the official mirrors.

- Slackware philosophy is --stability-- rather than pretty or easy to use. My experience has been that Slackware is extremely easy to use - once it's properly installed and setup. I have several computers running slackware v8.0 still with no problems (and no need to upgrade just to upgrade). I also have several computers running 12.0 and 12.1. It Just Works for me.

I´m not a linux expert but i use slackware current since 10.2 with no stability problems at all. I´ve been updating since then and never had to do a clean install (i cant say the same about Ubuntu i use on another machine
For all the other packages i cannot find in "current" i use a miscelaneous of slackbuilds, slacky packages/linuxpackages from slapt-get and never had problems with them. If i cant find slackware packages at all i use src2pkg to create one.
Lately i tend to use Slackbuilds more and more because i have the feeling they run faster than the packages i get from slacky/linuxpackages ---- but maybe is just me

if you ask me i would say apt-get its nice too install and test apps in a breeze but you may turn your system in a mess just in secs if you´re not carefull. Since i have both Ubuntu and Slack running in diferent machines sometimes what i do is test a particular program in ubuntu and, if its worth i go and install it on Slack for "serious play" heheh

You can read:

'A look at Slackware's package utilities'

at this url:

http://www.linux.com/articles/60326


You will learn about the options you have, the differences, etc.

I have been using slapt-get recently to experiment with gnome slackbuild, and I've found it to be as "disagreeable" as I remember apt to have been when I played with debian around six years ago.

I do not like the fact that it installs irrelevant dependancies, just because they are part of the <NAMEHERE> package.

To combat this you can run which will download the software and all it's hangers on, and then you can install the package seperately.

For example I installed inkscape but the print preview wouldn't work, it required evince. So I used the command and about 25 packages were downloaded. However I just installed evince and inkscape was fixed. I didn't need the rest.

Even with this careful approach I have had to "clean" my system twice in a week.

It is always so much better to know what you are putting on your system, so for the most part I use slackbuilds, or checkinstall.

samac

So is there any way I can keep track of packages I've installed that have upgrades available? Or would this be considered undesirable in terms of stability?

Unfortunately, you have to keep a track of them manually. That's the downside of the Slackware approach to things. Some people (I include myself) consider this a small price to pay for all the strengths the Slackware approach brings. Those who think its too much trouble would be happier using another distro such as debian and its apt-gettyness.

If you're technically minded, you can make the slackware approach a little easier by writing a few shell scripts to maintain your own local mirrors of the application packages/sources that you're interested in and alert you to changes using something like rsync, wget, or even svn/cvs/git against the applications homepage/ftpsite/source repos.

Slackware requires a different approach. My opinion is that the likes of slapt-get don't really suit its personality.