Well, you might be right. But it should work right?? I download the package, tell slack to install it, and it is no where to be found and if I can find it and try to run it... it does not work. I am just getting frustrated with it. Gentoo worked... but compiling from source just took to long. In this forum it was said to to go to linuxpackages.net and look for what you need. But most of the stuff is not there. I have no problem downloading the stuff and doing a manual install, but it is true... there is just not the software library for slackware as there is for other distros. If age is a factor then Slackware should be on top... but it is not.

What could make it to where I install something and it does not work? Is that not what we are all trying to do? Install the app that we need to get what we want to do done? I am venting here... just tried of distro hopping and finding that each one has major problems that cannot be overlooked or fixed.

Go back to windows??? Never, Windows is worse. Go to Mac, to expensive. Quit wining... perhaps. I was really hoping that the forums would be able to help me figure out why the stuff I install will not work.

Is there a link to somewhere that has similar problems???

I'd have to agree with Minderbinder.... Sorry... I could locate, download, install, locate installed packages, and create launchers for every package you've mentioned thus far in roughly one hour or slightly more depending on deps... I'm really not seeing a problem here other than you want to keep your work load as simple and light as possible. My original suggestion of Redhat/Fedora, Suse or Mandrake still applies. Compiling is fun for me as well as creating a customized program tailored to your specific machine. It will run better than a binary because it's compiled for one computer, yours, not 1000 computers. I did find all your programs in under 5 minutes...

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/g...ar.gz?download
http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/...ShockwaveFlash
http://wp.netscape.com/plugins/get_real.html?cp=pi1
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/g...ar.gz?download
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/g...ar.gz?download
ftp://ftp.ussg.iu.edu/pub/openoffice/stable/1.1.1a

The original question of this forum is way off the mark. Utilizing a few simple commands at a shell, I can install ANY package under the sun for Linux in Slackware....

tar -xjf
tar -xzf
unzip
gunzip
bunzip2
rmp2targz
unrar
deb2targz
mozilla http://www.google.com
updatedb
locate <elusive program>
cd
ln -s


With those commands alone, you have access to MILLIONS of packages and can also solve EVERY problem that you have stated so far. I don't even bother using swaret, slapt-get or the pakage tool cause there is no need for them even tho they make life somewhat easier.

It really all boils down to your frame of mind with Linux and your readiness to proceed with the learning process. I even got bored with Slackware and Gentoo so now I use LFS.... When I get bored of LFS, I'll COMPLETELY make my own OS instead of reading a book on how to do it.... I don't know man.... Good luck with whatever you decide to do.... Slackware is a great distro. Probably the most stable one out there. Just be patient and learn how to hack. Creative solutions for troublesome problems is more rewarding than downloading an .exe and clicking "yes", "yes", "no", "yes", "I Agree", "yes" and then "finish".... The biggest 3 distros do the same thing for you.... Why bother? Ya' Know? O.k.. I'm done. Good luck!!!

Jon

<edit> ps - That was totally not intended to be a thread killer tho some people might wish it to be so.. This will be fun.... Tell me what program is not installing or working and I'll install it too.... I still have a fresh copy of slack on a dusty partition.... Don't get frustrated. Thats ussually a sign that someone needs to completely hop on board, like I'm willing to do, or that you just need to put it down and come back to it later..... Your choice... </edit>

Mmmm... jong357 you make a good point. I have been supporting Winders for the last four years and do not wish to go back to the Stuuuuuupid .exe.... ok, I need to slow down and take a deep breath... *innnnnn.... ouuuuut* ok. How are you searching jong357? Google? I could not find those....

I am not giving up on Slack. I like it... ok... printing off those commands.
I have printed off the RUTE book. I bet that will help out a lot if I read through it ??? right?

Ok... ok.... breathing.... staying with Slack... hating M$, (getting red... not breathing) ok breath again.

After the last 2 years of using other distros (RH and MANDY) it is sometimes frustrating to see something not working and don't know why. Then spend days searching only to find someone say... duh, try and reinstall it. Ok come on... give me some credit.

Hints on finding software for Slack?? Hints on documentation for Slackware, besides the Essentials book?

Do you think Dropline could be causing problems???
I have read where others are having similar problems.

How to find packages?

http://www.google.com
http://www.freshmeat.net
http://www.sourceforge.net

With those 4 resources, you can find any FOSS software on the planet.

mmmm... ok. well I don't know how to close a thread but with that I think this thread is just about at a close. Most enlightening and informative. At the beginning of the forum I was using Gentoo, by the end of it I am slackware 9.1 running dropline Gnome 2.4.2... and also have an informative way of locating packages. Also I have learned to breath... and slow down.

If anyone can help me figure out why frozen-bubble won't work or why Ximian Office won't work either would be great. For now I search.... and look for answers.

I just noticed something...
one...two...three, yep only three resources. LOL had to pick...

I think the linuxpackages frozen-bubble has a conflict with dropline and doesnt work. Try installing it from source.

What is wrong with open office? Do you have any error messages? You would probably get a lot more help if you gave some specifics instead of just saying that it doesn't work.

Wow, it took three minutes to find real player, open office, gcompris, gphoto2, gtkam and flash using google. I didn't even need to use resource number two or three.

are those slackware packages that you found or just the original packages?
That is what I have been looking for, slack packages.

Openoffice Ximian edition fails with this error message.
Openoffice for some reason will try to rerun the install script after I reboot. I have not searched any for this... not a big deal. It is working fine.


Minderbinder if you have found the source or their tar package, well that is a no brainier. I have found everything... just about, that I need. I am now going through the dependency hell and trying to find dependencies for the packages. This is what I did not want. Swaret and slap-get are limited.... just can't seem to find what I need. And it needs to be install with installpkg, hence the reason looking for slackware packages for the above software that have found.

They are source. If you want to make packages to facilitate easy upgrading and uninstallation try

./configure
make
checkinstall

or look in the chapter 16 in the slackware book under making packages.

You are right, there aren't as many precompiled packages for slack as there are for some other distros like fedora or mandrake. Like jong357 said, you won't be able to just double click an icon and slect yes a couple of times to install every peice of software. Slack isn't a big corporation trying to make a lot of money, its run by one guy (Patrick Volkerding). I think Dropline and linuxpackages are both run by one person too. They are not designed to be the end-all for slackware software, just to make some of the basics a little easier.

Please, instead of complaining about dependency hell search the forums or use google. If you can't fix the problem then start a thread about it and post specific symptoms/error messages/etc. I have found community support to be great. I've yet to run into a problem that I couldn't resolve with a little research. (The worst was trying to get gtk-perl to install so I could install dvd::rip, but I finally got that to work.)

So, did you try to install ximian open office from source or with a package? Did you get it installed and this is what happened? Did you do a local install or a network install? Why are there two /'s between usr and lib in the error message you posted?

Well here's something interesting I found.

It's gentoo's portage system for slackware.
You execute an install script and it sets up a portage system on your slackware box. NO JOKE!
It even understands the slackware /var/log/packages system and you can install pkg's using it.

It's called 'emerde'. http://emerde.freaknet.org

I haven't tried it yet. You would be surprised at the cool stuff you find at 4:30 in the morning. heh

so you just do 'emerde gkrellm' and it will compile gkrellm or whatever you want. It's like the one thing I half liked about gentoo(half because dependency fixing is more often then not, bad). So you get slackware and basicly the whole reason gentoo is gentoo. It's like a win-win situation.

I remember hearing about this. I think I'll give it a try.

BTW I think your link is broken. Try http://emerde.freaknet.org/
Heh heh, you beat me to it.

Ximian OOo is a slack package, OOo was from the OOo site. Works fine.. just the script thing.. no biggie. I am sure someone out there has had this happen.

I have no idea why there is two /'s. MMmmmm good question. You are right about the dependency thing. Will do.

You shouldn't have to put up with the messing with an install script every time you reboot. Do you have both OO and ximian OO installed? That might cause some conflicts with your user settings.