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Posted 01-13-2011 at 04:15 PM by stefragre

I appreciate Slackware Linux for the 'type' of linux that it is. Heck I even
TRIED to install an older version, about 3 or 4 years ago. For me it's just too much work.I prefer a distro that's ready right out of the box. I can 'personalize' any distro to suit my needs. Adding whatever I need, if at all,
without all that 'heavy lifting'. I like to tinker with stuff, but not at that level. Now take PCLinuxOS for an example. Its a complete and ready to use
OS, changeable to suit any 'whim'. Just by using the repositories available to the user. I think OS's like Slackware, Arch and Gentoo are perfect 'niche'
type aimed at the more serious Linux fans. I admire them for what they're into
it's not for me. Most often nowadays Linux converts are coming over from Windows, Like me they want something that can be used, right away...
Different strokes for different folks.
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Comments

  1. Old Comment
    PCLinuxOS is a good distro, give Linux Mint a try for one loaded distro.
    Posted 01-13-2011 at 06:03 PM by Larry Webb Larry Webb is offline
  2. Old Comment
    Slackware does work out of the box. Without any configurations you can:
    run a web server (without php and mysql)
    run a decent desktop environment with KDE/XFCE or just a comprehensive window manager with the other options
    play music files
    play video files
    convert CDs
    Burn cds
    manage office documents
    e-mail
    web
    general desktop functions etc.


    With very little tweaking you can:
    get a gui login by chainging one value.
    run a web server with php
    run mysql (slackware requires you to set up the initial database)
    run samba (as much tweaking required by any other linux)
    run nfs
    run ftp
    other servers etc.

    All those servers require setup and customization to be of anyuse on any linux OS.

    So what exactly was hard about Slackware? The fact that you had to compile desktop software that doesn't come with slackware? that's why there is www.slackbuilds.org as well as the developer's private repositories like Alien Bob.
    Posted 01-13-2011 at 10:04 PM by lumak lumak is offline
    Updated 01-14-2011 at 08:18 PM by lumak
  3. Old Comment
    Well if your trying to convince me about how easy Slackware is to install and use you can't win that one. We're all opinionated one way or another. And I just don't agree with you.
    What a country..
    Posted 01-17-2011 at 11:15 AM by stefragre stefragre is offline
  4. Old Comment
    You didn't say 'install'

    you said 'ready out of the box'

    Slackware is just as ready as any other gnu/linux OS. All servers need to be set up to some degree to be functional for the intended purpose.

    However, to argue your new point. Slackware is only easy to install if you know what you are doing. Assuming a new linux user knows nothing, yes, anaconda is a bit easier to use than a curses based menu. Either way, a person of average intelligence and knowledge of linux could get a reasonable partitioning scheme and install under both installers.

    For the most part it's just selecting menu options and following the directions on the screen.

    ---

    It's fine if you say Slackware isn't for you. I just don't think that it's right for you to say Slackware requires excessive setting up for it to be functional. That is, that's how I interpreted your statement 'isn't ready out of the box'.

    ---

    Honestly, to me, not including headers with all installed library binaries makes a linux OS not 'ready out of the box' but that's because I may need to compile something that is not included in the repositories. So in that one instance, most gnu/linux OSs are not 'ready for me out of the box'. I suppose I would not have written such long responses to that statement. Instead I would have asked:

    What isn't ready for you 'out of the box'?

    Judging by your reply, you may have said "the installer is difficult to use" which, of coarse, neither answers my question nor does it fall in line with the original statement 'isn't ready out of the box'.

    Had you said "it boots into command line instead of graphical log in" or even "it forces me to create a new user on the command line" or "it forces me to manually create an initrd image to use the generic kernel"... then I would have to agree with you. It's not ready out of the box for you. While those are all easy things to remedy for the average linux user, the convenience of the installer doing it for them could make somebody decide that Slackware isn't right for them. Allow me to apologize in advance for those situations or similar.
    Posted 01-17-2011 at 11:20 PM by lumak lumak is offline
  5. Old Comment
    Hey Lumak, you know your a very discouraging presence here. I assume you know that. If you represent the kind of individuals I'll be meeting here in LinuxQuestions its no wonder why so many folks who migrate to Linux find the experience unsettling. I'm not going to address you or your opinions any further...
    Posted 01-18-2011 at 07:55 AM by stefragre stefragre is offline
  6. Old Comment
    I know I can be at times. I was going off on a tangent that I really shouldn't have. Sorry if it offended you. It was aimed more at enlightening regarding the need for details. Either way, perhaps my responses were inappropriate for a personal blog.

    I can't speak for others but as far as my experience goes; I almost never find people on forums helpful regarding problems that stump me. But then, I almost always solve my problem first and I find that typing out my problem in detail generally answers my question. If you go through my post history (aside from those listed in 'general') you will see I actually try and help a lot. Even when the questions are poorly written and vague. Whether or not the percentage of my post are mostly good or not I don't know.
    Posted 01-18-2011 at 10:26 AM by lumak lumak is offline
  7. Old Comment
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lumak
    Slackware does work out of the box. Without any configurations you can:
    run a web server (without php and mysql)
    run a decent desktop environment with KDE/XFCE or just a comprehensive window manager with the other options
    play music files
    play video files
    convert CDs
    Burn cds
    manage office documents
    e-mail
    web
    general desktop functions etc.
    Hi Lumak!!!

    I love some aspects of slackware, for example, Patrick Volkerding's Lilo. Wonderful.

    BUT,

    NOPE, you are wrong. dead wrong, in my experience.

    Maybe you don't understand what is meant by "out of the box".
    What it means is this: the user inserts the cdrom, follows the prompts, and at the end, has a WORKING system.

    On my eight computers, only the most advanced, PIV's reveal a suitable resolution. Slackware, on PIII's comes out as 800 x 600,
    AND
    This is important lumak, pay attention,
    OFFERS the user no method to change the screen resolution.

    Try PCLinuxOS, any flavor, KDE, or XFCE, or the one I use, LXDE, and you will find a lovely utility, "configure", right on the desktop, no effort to find it, and you can adjust the screen resolution to be JUST AS PERFORMANT as Windows 98.

    YUP. PCLinuxOS is just as good as Win 98--> 1280 x 1024.

    Slackware is not yet as good as Win 95.

    point 2.

    With PCLinuxOS, VLC is NOT included in the LXDE distro. NOPE, one must download it, using "synaptic", a real pain, in my opinion.

    BUT, upon engaging in that odious chore, and clicking on the mp3, or ogg or aac+ icon of one's choice, for example, at
    http://www.listenlive.eu/classical.html

    VLC WORKS, with PCLinuxOS, but not with Slackware.

    Try it yourself. I met Patrick, 20 years ago, he is a great guy, and Slackware was my FIRST Linux distro. I love it. But, it is unusable, OUT OF THE BOX.

    Regards,
    CAI ENG
    Posted 01-19-2011 at 03:00 PM by caieng caieng is offline
    Updated 01-19-2011 at 03:01 PM by caieng
  8. Old Comment

    well now

    It appears their are others around here who understand my point in my posting concerning other operating systems, in particular Slackware. My point of course was that I AM NOT AN EXPERIENCED TECH EDUCATED PERSON.It fine to post ones own
    opinion in these pages. However I don't recall asking anyone for their opinions. After all, this my blog. If I wanted help installing/using Slackware
    I would posted my questions in the APPROPRIATE forum. I wasn't trying to disturb
    anyone either. I am glad to see others comments pointing out the obvious.
    For myself I'll only say this, at 65 years of age, a retired contractor such as
    myself would not have the skillset necessary as others who would perhaps view
    my blog and decide I needed help. Your opinions count of course, but egos can be an issue, so I will drop all this on this particular post. Thanks to some of the com mentors who understood this. As I could just say to myself, why try to blog here when anything I say can cause this stuff. Again, opinions count, and you all blog your own blogs....
    Posted 01-23-2011 at 06:40 AM by stefragre stefragre is offline
  9. Old Comment
    Out of respect to you I replied to the other person through other means. However, blog posts open to comments imply you are OK with all types of comments. Use either `approve comments' or `do not allow replies' if that is more appropriate for your purposes. Again, sorry for upsetting you.
    Posted 01-23-2011 at 12:15 PM by lumak lumak is offline
  10. Old Comment

    Last word

    Oh Lumak, you've got to have the last word, don't you..
    Posted 02-01-2011 at 10:40 AM by stefragre stefragre is offline
 

  



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