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I want to install some extra packages in Slackware (some of them are in Slackbuild.org, some of them not), since they are not officially supported by Slackware and there is no repository, how is the update procedure? I mean if I use slackpkg those packages won't update, will they? I've got to download updates for them separately?
You can use sbopkg to update and install packages from slackbuild.org. It's a good idea to keep an eye on the changelogs of both Slackware and Slackbuilds.org
Last edited by Hannes Worst; 08-25-2011 at 10:59 AM.
I write my own slackbuild-scripts for all the software that doesn't come from slackbuids or Slackwares own repository, and install them with pkgtool (or installpkg). That way it becomes a part of the total packagesystem in pkgtool. In this way I get a total view on all the packages installed, and their version numbers. And than I have to keep track of the versions. That is an activity I have to do for myself from time to time. It's not automated.
That's the way I do it, but as much Slackware-users there are, as much approaches there exists to these matters. Slackware keeps you active. I bet there are others who could tell you about their approaches. There also used to be something like Slackpack packagemanager, (for managing packages from sources I believe) but I don't know if it still exists. I never used it.
Last edited by Hannes Worst; 08-25-2011 at 05:05 PM.
Location: Northeastern Michigan, where Carhartt is a Designer Label
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With rare exceptions it's a good idea to use SlackBuilds.org if at all possible for installing extra software that you find useful. Where a SlackBuilds.org package is not available, however, it's a real good idea to use src2pkg (from http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/...nload/src2pkg/) to build installable and upgradeable packages from source code you get somewhere or other (the sorts of things that are package.tar.gz). In both cases, it's a simple matter to use installpkg for initial installation followed by upgradepkg when an update becomes available (and, of course, sbopkg).
The only "rare exception" I can think of is, oh, VirtualBox; it's easiest (and the least trouble) to simply install with the provided vitrualboxk...run. You also update with the same method (the "runner" uninstalls a previous version and installs the new version for you).
Start with the slackbuilds website. Using sbopkg is an easy way to keep those packages up to date. You can either add in a *SBo line to /etc/slackpkg/blacklist or list each package you install to keep slackpkg from removing them with 'slackpkg clean-system'
For software that SBo doesn't have, I typically try to create a slackbuild script by copying a script from a similar software package and modifying it to work with the correct source name, version, configure options, etc. This way you can install and then later remove the software using installpkg or removepkg. If you compile and run 'make install', you will have to keep the build tree around to run 'make uninstall' or hunt down files to remove them later. Don't forget to blacklist any self made packages from slackpkg as well.
For software that SBo doesn't have, I typically try to create a slackbuild script by copying a script from a similar software package and modifying it to work with the correct source name, version, configure options, etc.
In this situation I always use slackbuilds.org templates to create my own packages. Then I modify them as octoberblu3 describes.
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