LinuxQuestions.org - So you want to be a Slacker! What do I do next?

- Slackware (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/)

- - So you want to be a Slacker! What do I do next? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/so-you-want-to-be-a-slacker-what-do-i-do-next-644746/)

Thanks for the info @Swaggajackin I might try that as well I also happen to like that font. Cheers!

Hi,

Erik has been busy of late; liveslak 1.6.0 feature release, plus a new set of ISOs for Slackware Live Edition

Quote:

Liveslak is my favorite project, it’s fully under my control, I built it from scratch, I get good improvement ideas from its users and Patrick helps when liveslak needs something new from Slackware.
There are times that it gets less attention though, and in the first half of 2022 there was not much activity – some minor updates whenever I needed to release a fresh batch of Live ISO images. Most of that inactivity was caused by burnout.

But then someone mentioned Ventoy to me, because liveslak ISOs would not boot from a Ventoy disk and they hoped I would be able to fix that. At first I was like “I don’t care for it, why should I put effort in supporting it” but on second thought and reading through its web pages, my opinion changed in favor of Ventoy. In fact, it is a quite the unique piece of software and I am using it myself now.

Hope this helps.
Have fun & enjoy!
:hattip:

Thanks for the updates, Gary!

The best thing about this distro is that it leads you to investigate and learn a lot on your own and also with the help of the community.

Hi,
Welcome to LQ & Slackware!

Quote:

Originally Posted by doHardDoOk (Post 6377483)

The best thing about this distro is that it leads you to investigate and learn a lot on your own and also with the help of the community.

I totally agree that the Slackware community is very helpful to new Slackware user's. Especially those that show effort on their part to solve an issue. Please feel free to look at the links in my signature to help with any Slackware issues or reference to help you.

Hope this helps.
Have fun & enjoy Slackware!
:hattip:

Quote:

Originally Posted by doHardDoOk (Post 6377483)

The best thing about this distro is that it leads you to investigate and learn a lot on your own and also with the help of the community.

Absolutely! There's an old adage about Slackware that's been going around for decades:

If you want try Linux, install Ubuntu (or other flavors). If you want to LEARN Linux, install Slackware.

That was most definitely true for me. When I first came to Linux, I installed every distro I could find to see how they worked and how they were different. Within a few weeks, though, I settled on Slackware as my Primary OS on all my systems. I never looked back... 16+ years now.

And yes, the Slackware community is very helpful... and forgiving of "newbies" questions and boo-boos. As I always do when posting a reply to someone new to the Slackware world, don't forget about the (somewhat inactive) Slackware Documentation Project. There is still quite a bit of good information on that site.

Enjoy your Slackware adventure, @doHardDoOk!

AliebBob's chromium critial update

Hi,

From https://alien.slackbook.org/blog/

Quote:

Only a few days after Google released Chrome 105 (by means of the 105.0.5195.52 sourcecode) they have pushed an update to 105.0.5195.102.
This update fixes a single bug, but it is a critical one (CVE-2022-3075) for which a zero-day exploit is actively abused by malicious third parties. It’s highly recommended to upgrade your Chromium (regular as well as un-googled) browser to the latest version.

I have already uploaded packages for chromium (64bit and 32bit) and chromium-ungoogled (64bit) version 105.0.5195.102. They’ll work on Slackware 14.2 and newer. The 32bit chromium-ungoogled package will follow in a few hours, no thanks to compiler segfault during the nightly build of this package.
Eric

Hope this helps.
Have fun & enjoy Slackware!
:hattip:

Hmm... thanks, @onebuck! I don't use Chromium regularly, but as a back-up browser on my Slackware. I shall have to pop in at Eric's site and download/upgrade my current un-Googled Chromium. :)

And thanks to Eric for the update! :)

AliebBob's chromium updates

Hi,

From https://alien.slackbook.org/blog/

Quote:

I uploaded three consecutive updates for Chromium 106 (regular as well as un-googled) during the last month, did anyone notice?
As usual, any update to Chromium is a must-do, to eradicate any vulnerabilities that allow online hackers to own your computer. Again, subscribing to my repository’s RSS feed will alert you to updates immediately.

I did notice the updates since Chromium is a tool that is used daily therefore security is important to me.
Thanks Eric!

EDIT: you can get packages from; https://slackware.nl/people/alien/slackbuilds/chromium/
:hattip:

I noticed too Eric, please keep it up kind sir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by onebuck (Post 6387326)

Hi,

From https://alien.slackbook.org/blog/
I did notice the updates since Chromium is a tool that is used daily therefore security is important to me.
Thanks Eric!

EDIT: you can get packages from; https://slackware.nl/people/alien/slackbuilds/chromium/
:hattip:

Me too !

And AlienBob posted aother update yesterday too:

Code:

Fri Oct 21 17:04:48 UTC 2022

chromium: updated 32bit packages to 106.0.5249.119 (Slackware 14.2 and onwards).

chromium-ungoogled: updated 32bit packages to 106.0.5249.119

  (Slackware 14.2 and onwards).

A million thanks to Eric for all that he does.

-- kjh( posted via chromium-ungoogled-106.0.5249.119-x86_64-1alien )

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjhambrick (Post 6387927)

A million thanks to Eric for all that he does.

YES!!!

From a returning newbie

Having returned from a long sojourn in the deserts and rainforests of Arch, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu desperately searching for "the perfect" operating system (and sadly triggered by the long years of 14.2 resulting in Slackware being incompatible with my computers e.g. NVMe as well as work-mandated software a la Microsoft subscriptions), I have returned and finally "get it".

I think it really does come to the principle of 'slack'. Yes, it is so easy to have a package management tool with dependency resolution and binary installation. Likewise to have a sysinit that is compatible with the latest software that automagically detects system and state changes on the fly etc.

However, where I now have learned to embrace Slackware, is that the above 'magic' tools fail miserably on edge cases or specific compatibility requirements (e.g. Microsoft changes how one of its 'cloud' systems works, breaking the linux tools built to allow them to function). When I need to get elbow-deep into duct-taping and super-gluing my computer to cope with these uncontrollable (by me) changes, Slackware is clearly the winner.

I am very 'sub-genius' - I clearly don't understand much as evidenced by my crude descriptions above. However, with Slackware, I am reminded of a beautiful vintage car with a carburetor intake, distributor-controlled ignition, non-synchronised manual gearbox; in essence, basic mechanical linkages that I can clearly comprehend and fault find when there is a problem. Yes it's slightly harder to drive (but not really once you get the hang of double-clutching and smoothly accelerating), and sometimes on cold mornings she takes a little longer to warm up. And I can't always get the parts off-the-shelf any more, so I've had to learn how to tool parts from scratch. But it's simple to understand and easy to look after.

On the other hand, there's (Ubuntu/Pop!OS/Fedora/Suse/Arch) - the latest German-engineered family car. Easy push button start gets it running no matter the weather. Everything is integrated into the 'smart' dashboard that automatically updates its firmware over the air to bring me the latest navigational maps and ECU performance improvements. Within 5 minutes of signing the line at the dealer I'm flying down the road. And if I encounter traffic hazards, it will protect me with lane departure correction, hazard alerts, emergency braking, EBD, ABS, ETC (traction control), blind spot alerts, reverse parking sensors, etc. All its parts are covered under warranty and everyone I know has parts made just for it!

But, what if it breaks down? Or I need to add a CB radio or flashing lights to it for work? I open the hood, and am overwhelmed by plastic fairings hiding the 'magic black box' components. All of the familiar parts - spark plugs, fuel lines, radiator fan, even the parking brake - are now connected to servos and solenoids controlled by the industrial computer that now runs this system. I have no idea how to connect into it, and when I connect something else to the battery terminals, its so sensitive it interferes with the computers' logic levels that it stops the car from starting at all! I have a car that works amazingly when it works - but when it doesn't, I'm at a complete loss!

I hope I haven't bored anyone with my stupid analogy, but I guess if somebody is struggling or thinking of Slackware, it truly is the easy option - easy from an easy-to-understand-HOW-it-works sense.

Well, @j-n-v...

You certainly didn't bore me. I thoroughly enjoyed your post above and think that a Mod here at LQ.org ought to PIN THE DAMNED THING!

I've been running Slackware as my primary OS for 16 years; installing it on numerous systems that I've had during that time period. I distro-farmed (tried numerous distributions) in the beginning of my Linux Adventure, but relatively quickly settled on Slackware. Why? Well, basically for all the reasons you posted above. Oh, and I loved the old/new automobile analogy. I drive a 1982 Chevrolet pickup. It's my baby! I've been driving that truck for 36 years. The ONLY thing "electronic" in that vehicle is the cell phone in my pocket. There's nothing on that truck that I cannot fix myself. It very much reminds me of running Slackware... old, dependable, stable, easy to work on, etc.

As many know, I'm not a big fan (I'm somewhat of a Luddite) of these modern "improvements" to GNU/Linux; SystemD, PulseAudio, and so on. I can live fine without them. And as you noted, they very much remind me of those plastic-encased "magic" black boxes under the hoods or dashboards of modern vehicles.

Anyway, it was a joy reading your post here on this pleasant Saturday morning. I really must get a few things done around here today, so I'll bid you adieu. I hope you continue to enjoy and appreciate Slackware. By the way, you've come to the right place... LQ.org. Jeremy is a GOD! He's provided this wonderful place for us for many years already... many more to come, hopefully!

Regards,

~Eric L.

P.S. If you're not already familiar with The Slackware Documentation Project, you should give it a perusal. It's possible you'll bump into me there. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by j-n-v (Post 6390416)

Slackware seems to be the exact right distro for those who "get it" to have where to return to :hattip:

Quote:

[snip]
But, what if it breaks down? Or I need to add a CB radio or flashing lights to it for work? I open the hood, and am overwhelmed by plastic fairings hiding the 'magic black box' components. All of the familiar parts - spark plugs, fuel lines, radiator fan, even the parking brake - are now connected to servos and solenoids controlled by the industrial computer that now runs this system. I have no idea how to connect into it, and when I connect something else to the battery terminals, its so sensitive it interferes with the computers' logic levels that it stops the car from starting at all! I have a car that works amazingly when it works - but when it doesn't, I'm at a complete loss!

It goes worse than that; in the new cars (and other products as a matter of fact) the parts are technologically "married" (ie digitally signed) to each other thus effectively locked out of "unauthorized" repair - this trend has gone so far that it spawned activist movements ("Right to repair") to oppose it.

Back to this thread topic:
We the Slackers tend to apply our philosophy to other activities beside computing too - it is contagious :D