I can't say I've ever *really* left, either. While Slackware isn't my primary Linux distro, it is still *my* Linux distro and one of my favorites. I still use it because it's just rock solid, just works, and doesn't get in the way. Thanks to what I've learned with Slackware, I've become more familiar with the BSD family in the last few years. The only other Linux I use is Fedora on my main laptop and Debian/ppc64 on a Power Macintosh G5. I sure wish Slackintosh was still around or some sort of PowerPC port of Slackware. It would most definitely take Debian's place on that Mac.

I suppose I'll have a go at this too.

1. Why did you leave in the 1st place?

Because I didn't know what I was doing. My first Slack installs were monolithic failures. I first tried to use Slackware in August last year but I couldn't understand persistent naming, which I absolutely need for my primary machine. So I shelved learning Slackware and went back to Debian.

2. Why did You come back?

I had a netbook which I brought back from the dead in January this year. Installing Slack on it was easier than a machine with three internal hard drives. Then come this summer I had a little more time to learn persistent naming for my main machine. Once I had cracked it, I moved over to Slackware on all my systems. This is partly why I wrote a blog post on persistent naming: I considered understanding it a notable achievement [for me, at least].

3. Is this your first come back, if not what is the count?

First. Learning Slackware and running it as a main system had been a geek dream for a long time.

The candle people are luddites who are still suspicious of the upgrade to kerosene lamps. They really should get with the times and update to incandescents. Still KISS and makes life easier. Nothing wrong with that.

But SystemLED? No way in hell!

1 members found this post helpful.

I have used Slackware for my desktop since 1996 (though I dual-booted with OS/2 until late 1997) and never really left it for that.

For servers, I switched to FreeBSD in the 1999-2002 timeframe, not specifically because of Slackware, but because the 2.0 and 2.2 Linux kernels weren't up to the task of running under heavy load 24/7. They would get "sick" after a while (hours or days), and the only way to make them behave again was to reboot.

FreeBSD 3.x, on the other hand, stayed up without showing any signs of degradation for months and months. This was demonstrated to me in 1999 when I started working for Flying Crocodile (all of their servers were FreeBSD), so I used that on servers when I left FC to run the technical side of things at The Sausalito Group (TSG).

After a few years, FreeBSD's narrow hardware support came to be more and more of a liability, but then Slackware 8.1 came out based on the new 2.4 kernel (and this was back when version numbers actually meant something), so I gave it a try. It did indeed handle a sustained load much better than 2.2, so new servers at TSG ran Slackware 8.1.

When the TSG VP and I co-founded Hardpoint Intelligence, we used Slackware 8.1 for all of our servers there, too, and it worked fabulously.

Slackware has been my go-to solution for servers and desktops/laptops ever since, and I've never had cause to regret it.

4 members found this post helpful.

what if the change is form /dev/candle0 to /dev/lightbulb0?

any svn/git code handy?
presuming only 5 users?

I would personally uninstall candle0 and keep the binary. Having said that I do have a lot of binaries left over from builds that I don't know what to do with. My /tmp is filling up.

Five vocal users, anyway. There are lot of Slackers who don't post here regularly, or post here at all.

1 members found this post helpful.

Well, call that the average.
I can, however, more or less guarantee one of those users will be Rumanian.

emphasis mine

see, we in the open source crowd really can't/shouldn't guarantee anything ,

but that sounds like some new (fresh?) license to be

And make that Romanian into of Slav descent and we have a deal?

I was referring to the reincarnation of Vlad Tepes with the username from Star Wars (D**** V****).

1 members found this post helpful.

I know (lol I guessed right)!

But there might be others "rocking the boat" too, from time to time

My self included

Slackware was my first GNU/Linux distro ever! Heck yea!

I used it for years back in the start of this millenium, it must have been version 8.0, 8.1 and 9.0 possibly. I never looked back regarding GNU/Linux and continued to use it in dual boot for years, but experimenting with other distroes, Debian, other ones, Mandriva and ended up with Mageia and switching to single boot around 2010ish. Since that Mageia has been my distro, but Slackware has always been with me in a way. My learning progression was faster with Slackware and it was where I learned alot of my basics. Mageia is a great distro and all, but it is just not Slackware. Mageia does not stick to the basics, it goes for convenience, although it is flexible and powerful and allows people do do things the basic way, unlike some other distroes I have tested, and I have tested many over the years.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I am going back to dual boot, and it is Slackware and Megeia this time. I bought a new laptop for this purpose and I am adapting everything from scratch and doing things the Slackware way again. My intention is that Slackware will be my main distro and I will have Mageia for convenience if needed. I will keep using my old laptop ofcourse, but eventually I am merging over to my new laptop with Slackware. I have to learn to do things the Slackware way again, and I am taking on myself the task of properly learning GNU/Linux at a more advanced level. Mageia has been a lazy road, but I have also continued to learn, but with Slackware I think I can learn alot more and alot faster.

So, currently I on my old laptop, and my new laptop is where I am building my perfect Slackware and learning how to deal with the whole system to empower me as an advanced user. Thus far I have willfully not started a GUI and have no internet connection, but have gotten alot of other tasks done, and I have lots of plans that I need to finish before starting X for the first time (or perhaps Weyland). Learning everything from scratch and more indepth. I just haven't gotten to the point where a GUI has even become necessary, and I certainly have not implemented the security features that I want and need to learn to bring the machine online. I have never dealt with SeLinux, but this is on my list of things to finally learn and handle, and one of the many tasks I need to accomplish before I deal with a GUI or the internet.

Anyways, bla bla bla. One of the main considerations that now made me go back to Slackware again is that it is free of SystemD. SystemD is convenient in Mageia and it works quite well, but it renders the user less power, and one of my purposes is to have full control of my system, so this cannot be done with a SystemD based Linux distro. Nostalgia was another factor that brought me back. I remember how much more easy it was to learn things the Slackware way than the "easy street" way. I am on a path to learn again, as much as possible, and for this I have chosen Slackware. I will have my perfect system on my new machine and everything according to my will.

Anyways, I hope everything is good for Pat. I am not in a great financial situation myself at the moment, but I sure feel like I want to and will contribute asap. Aside from that, I never stopped mentioning Slackware all these years, I often recommend it and brag about it still, although I have not used it for all these years. It's still with me, and now I am back. I've been in the camp of talking about free as in freedom, and control over your computer, to people who do not use GNU/Linux, but perhaps it is a bit hypocritical of me when I myself use a SystemD based GNU/Linux system and roll down "easy street".

Please never sell out and adopt SystemD Mr V!

I think definitely just a plain but delicious chocolate cake. Any disagreements?


Ooh, and a PS to my post above. I'm absolutely loving the default available packages in Slackware. It just have all the tools you need and some you didn't even know you need but do. I also stripped it down a bit during the installation.

zeebra, you can do it. Debian was my 'safe' primary distro but eventually I bit the bullet and moved to Slackware on my main system, no dual boot.

You will never stop learning.

None. KISS principle.

Well, I feel like Slackware will be my only distro on my new laptop, I'm just a bit afraid still and too used to "easy street".

Frank Before we step on toes 14.2 is becoming obsolete faster everyday 14.1 past for doing any devel. Current 14.2+ 15 has so much work that I need to install other systems to keep up.
Never left. come back every time i need raw tools.
I donate but facts are fact and many things are leaving Slackware behind.
Leave come back Naw just use all the tools.