Exactly!

I think a lot of the user experience comes down to expectations.

I too started early, though not quite as early with bgeddy. My first experience with computers was writing BASIC programs on a TSR-80 and Timex-Sinclair 1000. :)

Eventually I got serious about computers and learned how to use DOS (starting with version 3.3 IIRC), write batch files, build menus and customize the system not just to my liking, but to make things easier for my family. Naturally, this carried over into Windows when that OS became widespread.

In the early to late 1990s I read a lot about Linux and continued to follow it in magazine articles and on-line. Linux sounded to me (initially) like a souped-up and far more capable version of DOS and Windows -- you can choose your shell! You can choose your Windows! And it's a multi-user system with great performance benefits over DOS and Windows!

I didn't install Linux, however, until last year. I tried Ubuntu first, and it frankly did not live up to my expectations. I did not feel that I had control of the system, and it felt as cumbersome as Windows. For some reason, I didn't like the package management. I think the problem was that I didn't know what was going on and where files were being placed. I also didn't like that I'd ask a question on the official forums and either not get an answer (probably because I asked about console stuff) or get an answer that just told me what to type without explaining why.

I did some research and found that Slackware is considered the most "Unix-like" major distribution. So I tried it. And I like it.

I like being in control. I like having the underpinnings of what's going on easily accessible. I like that I don't have to start an X Windows session to get stuff done. However, when I want X, I have both KDE and XFCE to call on (and I use both, but generally prefer XFCE).

I also like that when I ask questions here, people respond by offering trouble-shooting tips and brief explanations of what I should be looking for. That's much friendlier than simply telling me what to type.

So I like Slackware because it meets my expectations and the community is exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Regards,

-Drew

I run a Slackware 11.0 box, but I still experiment with different distributions every now and then. I have tried (K/X)Ubuntu, Vector Linux, Knoppix, Slax, DamnSmall, and I tried for Debian too. Of all those distributions though, the only one that I keep coming back to is the one that I have running now, Slackware (and for a LiveCD I really like Slax). The Ubuntus are really nice, but they do have a lot of bugs, and they do too much stuff automatically for me, so I don't really feel like I am actually building my system as opposed to others building it for me. On slack I get the occassional package, but most of my programs I compile from source anyways. The last time I tried to do that on a debian installation, I couldn't because they hadn't put in the dang C/C++ libraries! That was the most irritating and stupid thing I think I had ever seen! Now that isn't to say that Debian-based distros are bad though, because I still use one, but the one that I use the most is the one that, to me, is the most flexible, the most stable, and the most secure: Slackware.

I don't know about anyone else, but I believe what they say:
If you know <distro>, then you know <distro>. If you know Slackware, then you know Linux.

i would just like to say that, as you can see from my posts i am very new to the linux community and to slack. i started out trying ubuntu, kubuntu and suse. At the time everything was all really over whelming and it just seemed like another windows to me. i played that back and forth game for a while until a friend of mine told me about slackware. when i saw it was a lot more intimidated at first. i thought to myself, damn if i can use that i'd end up being a pro linux user!! So i gave it a shot. well i'd say that was about 4 months ago, and i've learned A LOT about how slackware works vs other distro's. what i like about slack is that it forces you to think and learn. what i mean by this is, i can't just apt-get what i want. i have to know how to compile for sources or how ./configure && make && make install. to me it seems like it was built for source, and other distro's were built to have sources built to RPM or DEB which translates having someone else do your dirty work. i like to do my own dirty work. and the best thing about slackware, i have really enjoyed the support that i get from this forum. people are actually nice here. i've only had but good experiences.

p.s.
TO any mod's out there, can we BAN these type of threads? put it in the posting rules or something? i really think they take away from actual questions being asked and i don't think thats fair, and plus people that ask this question are usually people that have used linux longer than me and should know how to use the search function. just an idea! :)

Maybe we should make this a sticky post. Or make a post with links to similar threads (like the one a page or so back) and make that one post sticky. That way people will always be able to find out what's so great about Slackware. :)

Regards,

-Drew

You can't write a lengthy response to the question and then say that!

The responses I've received have helped me a lot and given me a good idea of what Slack is all about. So much so that I think when I get some spare time I'm going to install it on a spare partition and get my hands dirty.

I had searched and found the other similar threads, but they weren't very useful to me, because they all seemed to go something like:
And so they weren't very useful. I just needed to ask why it was so great.

These two have some pretty good responses. (and the first posts are now nicely tagged with "why+slackware" along with this thread. :) )
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=349700
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=288054

And to quote myself from:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...reat+Slackware
Other people in this thread have echoed my opinion much more eloquently than I could.

Excellent!

Be sure to share your experiences and opinions on Slackware with us. I've recently installed OpenSUSE 10.2 and have posted my thoughts on the contrasts between the two distributions (Slackware and OpenSUSE, of course).

Regards,

-Drew

Sure i can ;)

I am very happy that this is how it worked out for you. but you should have just tried it :)

maybe thats how this thread will turn out to be for someone else. who knows. However my earlier post was not to flame you or anything. and i agree with the later post more than my own with making it a sicky and including all the other posts about this so it could just stick in one thread. BAN it, no... i'll take that part back in my thread. i didn't mean to offend you or seem to come off rude if i did.

All in all, i hope you give it a try eventually.


And im spent!

Heh-heh, that is a bad sign:-) You have become curious:-) I must warn you that if you continue down this path you will experience Slackware. Once you have installed Slackware all other distros will pale in comparison. There is no substitute for Slackware.
I'm a Slacker for life.:D

Slackware is a rock solid distro that hasn't been tampered with Windows views =D

Example: Gentoo lives on updating the system; if you don't update you get problems later on (emerge world anyone? it always broke my distro) - Slackware doesn't have this problem - Update what you need when you need.

Other distributions have been incorporating Auto Updates which, IMHO, is worthless as most people have no idea what it's updating or the reasoning. First a slacker would see what vulnerabilities existed then they would see if it affects them (they may not even have that package installed (PAM for example)) and if it does, they'd patch it by hand... same goes for upgrades as you shouldn't upgrade because you can, but because you need to. (IMHO)

as someone else already stated: "Slackers know linux while others use linux"

If you want the nitty gritty, all files have comments in them, to explain what it does =)

When it comes to Unix-like operating systems I use FreeBSD and Slackware, period. I can't stand the stupid automation tools that other Linux distros use. What I mean are any of the tools that automatically configure this or that, like hardware for instance. If any one of those breaks you don't know why it broke and it can be annoying to figure it out. Its much easier to just configure stuff using text files and scripts yourself. Also, other Linux distros use "non standard" (using the term loosely) configuration setups for scripts and stuff so if you switch Linux distributions you can be really confused how to set something up the proper way with that distro. I can't stand all of the extra kludge that usually comes with other Linux distros. I just want a super clean operating system that doesn't install or configure something unless I want it to. Slackware and FreeBSD do that for me.

It just works?

If you doubt it, maybe it's not for you. That's OK too.

great to learn on
 

I'm a newbie who took the plunge and went from Windows straight to Slackware (and on to BSD). Slack was hard to learn, but I would never do it another way. Also, I like Linux because, unlike Windows, it doesn't try to figure out what I want and do it for me.

I've looked at other distros, but I can't figure out why people would use them. Essentially, the main benefit in other distros that I can see is you have some automated/GUI config tools. I use Linux primarily because it allows me to exercise incredible control over my system. Moving away from that seems pointless. I would run MacOS if I wanted a *nix box that did everything for me.

These people make alot of good points. and what do you mean by incomplete cause it doesnt have gnome? most other distros dont have both kde and gnome. gnome (though i have always liked it) is about 20 million tarbols that have to be installed in a certain order.. and it is pretty rediculous.


my point. www.linuxpackages.net

i can get just about anything i want there.

it works. in about 15 minutes i can have a server up and running and only minutely slower than a gentoo stage 1 install, and faster than a stage 2 install, and it is done in about 15 minutes as opposed to 2 days of emerging, or apt-get, or whatever... which is another good point.

the package manager default is pretty straight forward. but you can use slapt-get, emerde, and others for dependancy checking.

I really appreciate that Slackware is secure, rock-solid, and it just bloody well works.
Set it up, patch it occasionally with updates, and it will run until your hardware fails.