I've been wanting to get my hands on Slackware Linux for a while now. I use (and to a degree, like) Windows and have tried Ubuntu. The latter was not for me for several reasons. But I've always wanted Slackware.
Before I get rid of Windows 7 I need to know if I can use two programs under Slackware 14 (it's now at RC2, I see), or else this idea is a no-go for me: the first program is Corel Aftershot Pro (ASP), distributed in RPM format. I am aware of rpm2tgz, but I've also heard that it doesn't always handle things correctly (something about ignoring installation scripts thereby adding unexpected "gotchas" to rpm-based programs). Aftershot Pro is a quality photo editing software which I will not live without on Linux.
The second bit of software is Nero Linux 4 ... unfortunately, it's also in RPM- only format.
I would appreciate any insight (especially from experience) to running these programs under Slackware. ASP is an absolute must for me. Nero is important too and would be nice to have.

As Corel After Shot Pro doesn't offer a demo of the Linux version, you're going to have to find out for yourself whether it's usable on Slackware. Just set Slackware up in a virtual machine and try it out.

In addition to rpm2tgz, Slackware also actually ships with RPM. You can, on Slackware, install any RPM with "rpm -ihv". You can also use src2pkg to, in one step, convert RPMs to Slackware packages and install them.

Converting .deb packages (such as those available for Nero Linux 4) to Slackware packages consists of unarchiving them with ar x and then repackaging the contents. You can look at, for example, how the google-chrome SlackBuild in /extra does it.

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Did some research and only came across one instance of Aftershot Pro on Slackware, and it works, but one testimonial isn't much as encouraging as it may be. I still have questions about the effectiveness of rpm2tgz. What (if anything) does it ignore in the original rpm file during the conversion?

Thanks, dugan ... I just saw your reply. Incidentally, you can get a demo verion of Aftershot Pro from:
http://apps.corel.com/lp/aftershot/download/index.html
As I said in my first reply, one person seems to have it working. But before I throw out Windows I'd like a bit more information. Although I'm really hoping to start using Slackware.

About Nero Linux 4... I used it on Slackware 13.37. Nero Burning Rom worked. Nero Express wouldn't even launch though. Nero Linux is pretty much abandon-ware. I've burned useless a few discs with Nero (regardless the distro I used), something I cannot say about K3b, which I find to be a much, much better and dependable application. The only thing K3b misses is proper Bluray support. Frankly, I prefer to use Nero through Wine than run their native version for those BR discs.

Yup. I just saw the state of Nero Linux 4 and it's definitely abandonware. I'll be happy with k3b based on what I know. But ASP is a deal-breaker for me. Moreover, I'm really excited about using it on Linux.
And I don't want to move to Linux because it's trendy (I have polyester bellbottoms for that): I once saw Slackware in action and was amazed at how simply and smoothly it ran (Slackware is my archetypal Unix), and I immediately saw the potential of Linux. But I need to be pragmatic and do my research before landing on alien shores.

AfterShotPro works perfectly.

My Slackware installation is 64-bit, so I downloaded the 64-bit .deb and used src2pkg to convert it to a package:

That created a new Slackware package, which I just installed:

And then I launched it:

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A big thanks! Truly awesome! Just one more thing- is Slackware 14 RC2 stable? (I need the newer kernel to take advantage of the Intel HD 3000 graphics on my Thinkpad).

It's not "stable" as I would use the word (the point of a release candidate is to give people a chance to report bugs), but the release of 14.0 is obviously not far off now. I'm personally willing to wait.

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I am finding 14RC2 is pretty good right now, a couple little things, but overall, it's damn close to ready. Just my view on the topic : )

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I'll wait a bit but my fallback plan is to get Slackware 13.37 and update the kernel to 3.2.27, as in Slackware 14, while leaving the rest of the system as-is. Hopefully this will get my HD 3000 graphiocs working and I'll have a stable X and userland.

I'm running 14 RC2 on an older Tower, not a production system. My laptop is running 13.37 with today's latest updates, and all is wonderful since I dropped Windows 7 : )

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I'm hoping ditching Windows will be as seamless for me too! Mobile1, what do you mean by today's updates? Are there regular updates available for Slackware or do you get those from current?
And what about the idea of leaving 13.37 untouched except for adding the 3.2 kernel?

13.37 has been getting a few updates, today was Emacs & T1lib packages...security patch me thinks.

I'm still running Kernel 2.6.37.6 on my laptop, I don't tend to update the Kernel until stable releases happen. You can try running the newer Kernel, there may be some dependencies 13.37 doesn't have to run it. I don't know for sure if that's the case, but if anything, you may run into that problem : )

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Worst case is that I'll be eagerly awaiting 14. Thanks, Mobile1.
And dugan, your help is very much appreciated. I guess this thread can be marked as solved.