LinuxQuestions.org - Going to give slack a try

- Slackware - Installation (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-installation-40/)

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Going to give slack a try

Over the years I've been systematically going through distros, trying to find the one for me. So far Gentoo is way ahead of the others, however I'm sick of having package manager issues every time I compile something myself. I figured the best way to circumvent this is to go to a package manager that doesn't handle dependencies. It will probably be a learning experience as well.

I tried it once before and had issues getting the right install.
Basically, I'm looking for a base install with net-tools and gcc, and some basic libraries. Can anyone recommend which packages I should choose? Last time I tried to install A,D,F,K,L,N.
but I ended up without a compiler or net-tools.

I'm a relative Slackware newbie, but it seems you should have had those with A, D, and N.

slackware is cool, cant help with the install though, as for ease of use and being a head ot the pack mint is my favorite though, i have managed to switch my mom brother and gramma off windoze with it. just my 2c :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbillion (Post 4915446)

I don't think he mentioned anything about ease-of-use, which probably isn't a high priority if he's coming from Gentoo. His primary criteria seems to be "a package manager that doesn't handle dependencies," which certainly fits the bill with Slackware. Linux Mint/Ubuntu/Debian all handle dependencies automatically (apt-get/aptitude).

I do like Linux Mint Debian Edition. The Ubuntu derived versions... not so much.

For the beginning I would strongly recommend to make a full installation of Slackware, until you are comfortable with the system. May be somewhat weird when coming from distros where you start with basic installs and build up, but it actually makes sense.
All available third-party software, be it from AlienBob or from SlackBuilds.org, assumes that you have a full installation of Slackware and therefore only the needed dependencies that are not part of Slackware are mentioned usually. It can be quite cumbersome to get that software running/compiling on a system that lacks packages.

If you had problems with package management in your previous distros I recommend to read about the package management tools in the Slackbook, especially makepkg will come in quite handy when you install software from source without using a SlackBuild script or tools like src2pkg.

Full install is good if don't know what to not install. I did that mistake and kde did not start. I did full install then removed many of packages, looks like ksecrets disappeared after second reboot...

I also recommend a full install and unless you have a very compelling reason, I don't see the need of trimming down the installation afterwards. Disk space is cheap nowadays and unused packages/programs do not hinder your performance in any way (well unless they make your disk 99% full)

I usually do an install of Xfce, and no other DEs or WMs: no KDE, fluxbox, blackbox, fvwm, etc., but everything else I keep (emacs, compilers, net tools, etc.). I've pretty much quit using all heavyweight DEs on my aging hardware, in favor of Xfce, LXDE, or just Openbox.

I agree with the above that for your first install, just do a full install. You can narrow it down later anyway.

If I don't won't X, I usually install the same plus Ap

Quote:

Last time I tried to install A,D,F,K,L,N

What you was missing was probably in Ap.

If you install everything you won't have any problems (unless you really are short on disk space). Unlike some distros Slackware does not just activate every daemon for every package you install.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Slackware - Installation and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

I agree with the previous posts. For a first install I would go with a full install as it will work out of the box with all dependencies met. As you're a Gentoo user you will be able to find your way around very well indeed. After you're up and running you can trim back your install and remove unwanted packages as needed. For third party software you can check out the links in my signature. Robby and Eric host trusted software. Also check out the slackbuild scripts hosted by the good people at slackbuilds.org. Have fun! :)

So I did it. I installed most of it. I didn't install the games or any of the WM's or Desktop environments since I wanted to run openbox. However I did install the X server just to speed things up.
So far I like it a lot. The slack builds are quite easy to work with, even easier to modify than e-builds (gentoo).

Cool. Did you find all the other tools you were looking for? I'm loving slackbuilds, too. Makes more sense to me than anything else, really.

Me too. I haven't completely figured out how they work yet but they are much simpler than e-builds making them easier to tweak.

Oh btw, is there a standardized place I should be keeping my builds? Right now I just have them in a directory I set up called "/root/packages".

Quote:

Originally Posted by mreff555 (Post 4916578)

Oh btw, is there a standardized place I should be keeping my builds? Right now I just have them in a directory I set up called "/root/packages".

Good question. I'll wait for more experienced slackers to answer that. I have mine in a folder in user/home at the moment.

Hi,

Welcome to Slackware!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mreff555 (Post 4916578)

Personal choice, maybe on a secondary storage for future use elsewhere so you can build on other installs.
From http://docs.slackware.com/

Quote:

The Slackware Way Slackware maintains a KISS philosophy. It uses text files for configuration instead of GUI configuration programs like many other distributions.
The main highlights and features of Slackware and the philosophy behind the distribution can be summarized as below.

Distribution Philosophy

Slackware is:

A distribution that can be installed entirely offline with the CD/DVD set.
A distribution which is released when stable and not according to a fixed schedule. Every release of Slackware Linux is thoroughly tested by the Slackware team and the community. Slackware places high value on stability rather than the “newness” or “freshness” of software.
A distribution where “simplicity” is preferred over “convenience.” The lack of GUI helpers (common in many other commercial distributions) for system administration tasks is a case in point.
A distribution where system configuration and administration is done through simple ncurses helper scripts or by directly editing well-commented configuration files through a text editor.
A distribution that prefers to package “vanilla” software or software that hasn't been modified from upstream development. Little or no patching is done to upstream software and as a result, the software found in Slackware works as closely to what was intended by the original creators as practically possible.
A distribution that does not add layers of abstraction or complexity on top of existing solutions. For instance, Slackware package management is handled by simple scripts acting on compressed tarball package files (*.tgz, *.txz, *.tbz) and there is no dependency handling for package management.
A distribution which abides by the common-sense dictum “if it's not broken, don't fix it.”
A distribution where the major decisions are taken by the BDFL (Benevolent Dictator for Life, the current chief maintainer Patrick Volkerding) and where the development process is more closed than purely community based distributions. As a result, Slackware is highly focused on its core strengths and values and does not cater to every preference of its community or others. For this reason, there is less pressure on the Slackware development team to be popular and cater to the larger mass market.

Slackware Doc Project is a very useful tool for everyone.