Slackware to Ubuntu - will I be disappointed?

I installed Xubuntu on my laptop, then added the KDE Neon repo and installed KDE from there so I get all the updates from KDE as packaged by them when they make them without having to wait for another package maintainer to look over the code, compile it, then post it days or weeks latter.

Originally Posted by devnull10 Hi, Thanks for the advice. I did consider Arch, but I was concerned around vendor support - and I might in the same situation as Slackware where I'm having to mess around with manual dependencies where package builds don't exist. I'm comfortable with doing that, just kind of don't want the hassle these days! Again, Debian looks great at first glance, but I did read that it isn't best for desktops due to the long release cycle? Though I suppose I could go for MX Linux...? I used Fedora (core 2) back when I was at Uni and it was pretty decent, but I guess it's moved on a bit since then. That said, I've used Oracle Enterprise Linux a lot through work which is RH-based, so might be a good choice. I hadn't considered Mint - I'll give it a look.

As a happy MX user I'm very prejudiced, but I do really think MX can be for you:
100% Debian (10 = Buster at this time). MX repositories add a lot of value, like easy install, easy turning into live and installable ISO (snapshot of running system).
Lots of easy (GUI) configuration options.
XFCE by default (GNOME and others from the repos)
And if the slow life cycle is an issue for you, I tested changing to the Debian SID repository. Works since the beginning of MX 19 (= current), like a charm. I now have a rolling release and no real problems so far.

can you really say you had a full experience with slackware and explored everything ?

resolving package dependencies

bash-5.0# slpkg -F cinelerra

Packages with name matching [ cinelerra ]

+==============================================================================
| Repository Package Size
+==============================================================================
sbo cinelerra-2.3 0 K

bash-5.0# slpkg -t sbo cinelerra
Resolving dependencies... Done

I used Slackware for about 6 years and ultimately, it did pretty much everything I wanted. However that was down to me fine honing it. For the kind of stuff I do these days, I just need it to work well, quickly. And be very user friendly to someone else who doesn't have the time to invest learning a whole load of new stuff.

Similarly, despite the changelog and comments in the slackware sub-forum, the fact that there hasn't been any release in 4 years does worry me slightly. Not so much in the immediate future but more long term.

Well if alternatives are to be looked at I can say I had a quick look at freeBSD and booted from a usb. Not even a desktop ;one could be got from the Internet apparently Gnome but of course thats after you figure out how to connect to the internet.

So maybe that helps whittle it down ?

Originally Posted by devnull10 Went to go with MX Linux but after booting up the live USB I just got a blank screen.

That's strange. I've used several different MX releases on three different laptops and never had an issue.

Originally Posted by devnull10 I used Slackware for about 6 years and ultimately, it did pretty much everything I wanted. However that was down to me fine honing it. For the kind of stuff I do these days, I just need it to work well, quickly. And be very user friendly to someone else who doesn't have the time to invest learning a whole load of new stuff. Similarly, despite the changelog and comments in the slackware sub-forum, the fact that there hasn't been any release in 4 years does worry me slightly. Not so much in the immediate future but more long term.

I ran Slackware for quite a while, then moved to Salix, which is based on Slackware, but includes nice things like dependency tracking and has a good user build system based on the Arch User Repository. I then moved to Arch, haven't looked back in the last 6 or 7 years. If you want a good clean minimal install, Arch is easy to recommend. Following the Arch WIKI install guide isn't hard and gives you the ability to tailor the install to exactly what you want.

EndeverOS is very close to Arch, but with an easy install. EndevourOS also has a very friendly and helpful community (Arch's is is friendly and helpful, but tends to be less welcoming to people who don't follow the Arch way...). In either instance, a sizeable binary repository is backed by the AUR. I've had very few instances where I've had to fiddle or attempt to build my own package builds.

I have Ubuntu MATE on one machine and am quite happy with it, but I'm also quite fond of Mageia and Debian.

I'd tend to agree with Hazel. Ubuntu is based on Debian Sid, so why not just run Debian Sid? (You need to install Debian, then move to Sid, much like installing Slackware, then moving to --Current.)

Just my two cents.

I have not used a distro besides Slackware in 10 years (I dabbled with Arch prior to that) for anything except as a temporary toy test box.I never install KDE4 in slackware. I have KDE5 installed one slackware test box as a curiosity. XFCE4 and Fluxbox are what I normally use.
Using slackware, once you have it the setup way you want it , it just goes and goes forever without any real issues. The slackware way of doing things changes at a glacially slow pace, so once you learn it, getting that initial setup you want is easy peasey and stays that way. If something does break it will be in current, and is simple and straight forward to fix (i.e. shared library upgrade in current makes your third party package out of date, then run the slackbuild script and recompile the package against the new library).
YMMV, but my experience is that when something does break in Ubuntu, you will probably not be able to fix it on your own. You will probably be dependent on googling a cookbook fix from some expert in their community who reveals a seemingly magic systemd command that bypasses systemd's habit of resisting every fix you throw at it based on your knowledge from system V, or perhaps some obscure add on repo where the task of installing the software you want on Ubuntu has been conquered for you.
If you don't find this help you will be out of luck, unless you have educated yourself into becoming an fully competent Ubuntu development engineer on your own time. Ubuntu will just work with no effort, until it doesn't.