@vdemuth,

I did the same thing for all the same reasons you outlined in your 1st post of this thread.
I started with Slackware in 1995 and bounced around over the years. A copy of RedHat, when it was Open Source before Fedora, was given to me as a gift. Almost immediately I disliked it.
Tried an early version of OpenSuse (whatever it was called at the time) and used several versions of Caldera's OpenLinux over a period of a few years, but I always came back to Slackware.
Around 2006 or so, for all the reasons you outlined, I switched to Kubuntu and used it for about 1 1/2 to 2 years, but returned to Slackware and don't have any plans to switch again.
So.... Best Wishes and Good Luck!



and..... we'll see you down the road.

If you find it insulting, fine by me but that's my opinion, so get over it or go petition to have the internet censored. There's been too much FUD against traditional GNU/Linux and biased bad reviews of distributions like Slackware as of late, all of it aimed at showing how bad classic designed distributions are, and that other distributions embracing package XYZ with handholding for ABC are all so much better. I personally don't care what you run, that's your freedom of choice, but when you openly criticize and bash certain principles of a distribution without considering that those wanted levels automation, such as dependency resolution, are an add-on 3rd party extra for distributions like Slackware, then it makes people want to question your motives. Take it however you like it, but that's my $0.02 on this.

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And you really think, if your claims are true how people are bashing traditional Linux distributions, it will make those distributions look better if people go out for witchhunts on everyone they think has somehow bashed those distributions? Don't you think that ýou are playing those people that really bash traditional Linux distros in the hand with that behavior? Isn't "You have allegedly bashed Slackware, so we will go after you!" exactly what you not should do, to not confirm the "Slackware users are all zealous neckbeards!" view?

Just ask yourself if this behavior is helping Slackware or not. IMHO it is not and it is exactly that behavior why I wrote I think we should be better than that.

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My 2 cents.
Slackware is like a military tank for the rest I can say that thoes are limos. You made a choice but I am guessing somewhere down the line when you have to ride on some difficult terrains you wish you had a tank and not some fancy limo.

So you would never own a BMW because a large subset of BMW owners are jerks?

The usefulness of tech is orthogonal to the unpleasantness of the tech's users. The humans using the tech isn't the tech.

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I would think that for a Linux distribution the community and its spirit is far more important than for a car manufacturer. Unless they are sponsored by large corporations that can offer support to users and hire testers and developers a Linux distribution is highly dependent on their community, especially those distributions that are not considered to be mainstream.

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Here's my take. I use Slackware, it is not my primary distro and never will be, and learn from it but I don't ask questions here for the very reasons Tobi pointed out. This is not the first thread where Slackers have gone into a frenzy over something minor. So the OP wants an easier, to him, system. I don't get what the issue is with some of you. He didn't pick at Slackware he made comments about his age and that he is to old to go through the processes that Slackware requires. These are valid points and because of this he has chosen to use a distro that does it all for him.

The zealotry in this community is way over the top and it hinders many people from using this, the official Slackware, community and possibly by extension Slackware itself.

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I think, everyone has the right to choose an operating system according on purpose and according to their respective requirements and personal preferences.

Some posters here argue, that with Slackware you learn more. But what do you learn? You learn more about *nix and operating systems in general. But some users don't want to learn that. They want to learn, how to cut videos, e. g., and therefore install kdenlive, or they just want to get a job done. If it takes ages to install the required application software, they get a feeling that the system is getting in their way, and if that happens over again, they will finally start to look for alternatives.

In this special case, vdemuth may have overlooked that there are quicker ways to install kdenlive than the way he did it. But still his point is valid, and it actually indicates another issue: The relevant information, where to find applications like kdenlive packaged for Slackware, is distributed over too many places, and not quite so easy to find as one would wish.

@vdemuth. Opposing to what many said, and some in a tone that is not what I am used to, especially not here at LQ, you made a good decision. OpenSUSE is a very good distro, that I run myself on occasion on, at least, one of my desktops.

Overall, Slackware has become my favourite, however. One reason for that have been (minor) issues with dependency resolution and software packages being less up-to-date than what I got for Slackware. E. g., Eric provide Slackware packages for the most recent stable release of OpenOffice.org (before the fork of LibreOffice) available long before RPM packages became available for OpenSUSE. Another example was MySQL, that was supposed to be replaced with MariaDB (like it has happened in Slackware and many other distros) during a system upgrade, but the upgrade failed, because MySQL was defined as dependency for some KDE components (Akonadi and/or Nepomuk, I think). Continuing with the upgrade would have destroyed or removed KDE.
BUT this were the only really serious issues I had with dependency resolution on OpenSUSE, and as some of the folks here may know, I had been a long-yeared SuSE user before I discovered Slackware for me. After so many years of using both Slackware and OpenSUSE I can say, that both are excellent, and both have (usually) friendly, helpful communities (as opposed to fanatic, aggressive or arrogant communities). And yes, I think that YaST is a great tool, but NO, I don't want to see anything like it on Slackware, as it would spoil it. Of course, I have tried other distros, as well, including some of the *buntus, but I didn't like any of the others as much.

So, you made a good choice, and from my own experience your setup with OpenSUSE for your desktop and Slackware for your servers makes A LOT of sense!

I think, you will like OpenSUSE, but you'll also envision more clearly, what's exactly so good about the good ole, unfashionable, pleasently conservative Slackware. And the best thing is, you have them both!

gargamel

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For whatever it is worth - slackware was my first love (1996). Since then I have been through most of them, though _always_ keeping slackware for my servers. For the desktop, there were many things I missed in slackware - especially the gnome-apps. I guess my desktops started with gnome (after the initial slackware), then kde, then gnome, then kde which I happily stayed with until 4.0. Then it was gnome all over - but since slackware and gnome were not on speaking terms - yup, slackware for headless/cli servers. Started with xfce about 5 years ago and was immediately taken with it - it has been 'home' ever since. being well supported by slackware - slackware has slowly propagated to my desktops and by now is all-encompassing - running nothing but slackware on all my rigs (whatever their duty is). Being an old fart (TM) (thanks Richard!), I flirted with archlinux for about 7 years before giving up on it - when vacation absence breaks it on coming back - sorry, but I'm too old for that s..t! Still gtk-apps I miss, but I have learned to live with it rather than going through the hassle vdemuth decided to leave behind - plain slackware and alien's packages (and SBo) will do me just fine - not perfect, but good enough for me.

As far as I am concerned - linux is about _choice_ (as it should be). We are free to take it or leave it as we see fit - I guess no two of us have the same requirements. So vdemuth, I expect you'll be back - but even if you are not - the best of luck to you!
No-one is a traitor for choosing whatever suits him/her the best - it's a path I personally will always take - it's my prerogative 'cuz I _have_ a choice.

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Frankly, that's a load of crap.

I haven't seen a Slackware-related question where the person asking for help got flamed for asking it. I've seen where people ask "Why isn't Slackware more like <insert other distro name here>?" and get flamed for it, but that's scarcely a request for help.

I try to help people solve their problems around here and my alias means "dickhead". (My other preferred alias would be banned outright.)

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Then point out the cases here where requests for help have been greeted with hate and scorn.

Slackware users that ask help in this forum almost always get it, as far as I've been able to observe around here.

Where did I say that Slackware users won't help here? It is the negative things that people see first, the negative things that those alleged Slackware bashers will show to other people, the negative things that people that get bashed by the Slackware community will complain about. It is like product reviews, people that are satisfied with a product mostly will be quiet and do their things, people that are unsatisfied will loudly voice their opinion.
If their is already a negative opinion against Slackware the last thing the community needs is to even increase that negativity.

That was my whole point, take it or leave it, I don't see the need to discuss that further.

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Actually the crap comes from the Slackware fanboys who can't see that people are free to choose what suits them. Other people have replied to the OP and have done it in a fashion that does not belittle him for his choice. Some here belittled him from the start of this thread.

"Why" questions are valid questions. The answers to "why" questions help people to understand things like cause and effect. If people who ask "why" questions get flamed for it you are not really being very helpful instead you are alienating a potential user. You are much better to explain "why" instead of flaming the individual who is asking a valid question.

I fail to see what your "alias" has to do with this.

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Here's how I've seen this always go down...

User asks: Why doesn't Slackware have auto-dependency resolution?

Community Responds: Why does Slackware need auto-dependency resolution?

User responds: To be more like distribution XYZ.

Community Responds back: Slackware isn't distribution XYZ. If you want Slackware to behave like distribution XYZ, add in the proper software to do so yourself, or go use distribution XYZ.

User Responds again: But I like Slackware.

Community Responds: Then since you know what Slackware is about, why are you asking such a pointless question?

Take that however you like it, love it, hate it, put it in a pickle jar and save it till Christmas. It is what it is, and sorry, but Richard is actually correct in his argument.

Hear, hear!

VERY WELL SAID!