First of all I want to install a package that's on my CD, that I didn't originally install while installing slackware. I've tried doing pkgtool and choosing "Install packages from some other directory". I then type in /mnt/cdrom, but it doesn't work, what am I doing wrong?

Second question has to do with swaret. I want to install Open Office for instance, but swaret can't find a package available. I realize I need to add another repository, what would be a good one that you use and trust? Also, do the default repositories mentioned in swaret.conf just have the basic slack packages that are mentioned on slackware.com? I did try uncommenting out all the repositories in swaret.conf, but I don't know one I should add.

Thanks in advance.

i'm not sure what you're doing wrong with pkgtool... but you can install the package by using "installpkg"...


cd /mnt/cdrom/example/directory

installpkg example_package.tgz


http://www.slackware.com/config/packages.php


openoffice.org comes with a nice installer, so you could download it from http://www.openoffice.org and it would install easily on pretty much any distro... just a thought...

Well, I'm not sure about swaret, but I may be able to help with the pkgtool problem. Before you ran pkgtool, did you mount your cdrom? Slack won't do it automatically for you.
However, I've found that the easiest thing to do is mount the cdrom, 'cd' into the directory, then just use installpkg <packagename> rather than bothering with the whole complicated little pkgtool "gui".

Also, if you need OpenOffice rather immediately, the installer put out by OpenOffice.org is pretty good ?

cool,
Laura

Thanks for the help guys. I actually already installed Open Office before I made this thread, I was just using it as an example as I tried to install it using swaret before installing it manually.

I try searching for other non-default packages using swaret, such as wine or dropline gnome, but none are listed. I haven't added any repositories to my swaret.conf, only uncommented the ones already in there. Should I add any, and if so what ones do you recommend?

Also, you swaret users use swaret to install big non default packages such as wine, or do you use it just to stay current with the default packages and patches?

sharpie...

i use swaret to stay current. i edited my swaret.conf to current so that i could upgrade to kde 3.2.1. its a great tool. i don't use it to install many packages not included in slackware. i try to install everything from source as that usually gives me best results.

you can also try going to www.linuxpackages.net there you will find a number of applications for slackware. set up a directory for the packages that you download such as /home/yourusername/packages then open up a terminal and log in as root. cd to where you downloaded the applications /home/yourusername/packages for instance and type pkgtool

this will install all of the packages in that directory. its as easy as that.

Slack has 3 Commands for the command line:

installpkg
upgradepkg
removepkg

Boy talk about a bloated pkg management system LOL :-)

As far as installing Dropline GNOME with SWareT, it just doesn't work yet. You have to dowload the Dropline Installer and have that do the work for you. And I've only seen OpenOffice.org slackpacks on the Dropline Forums, unfortunately not in a SWareT repository form.