i (a slackware 10.2 user) decided to install dropline-gnome. dropline-gnome is *supposed* to be a gnome installer, but according to my integrity checker, it has modified /sbin/su. i don't know the old version of su to check for an upgrade, but right now i need to know if it's time to reformat and reinstall, or forgive and forget.

I think you need to build a bridge.

Dropline updates many packages as a result of supporting PAM. Without having checked, it would make sense to me that 'su' is updated as part of that.

The su binary is part of the Shadow package, which we update in order to make it pam-enabled. There are no surprises that Shadow is in the package list, and it is clearly visable from the installer. PAM support is needed for some essential usability enhancements that cannot be achieved on a stock Slackware installation. Though I am a Dropline developer, I would like to suggest that if you do not want improved usability and a more powerful security model that PAM provides, you may want to try Freerock GNOME or Gware instead of Dropline GNOME.