This topic is in no way saying what the future of Slackware should be, but analyzing the aspects of its evolution into something greater than itself.

Recently after seeing all the effort going into getting -Current and SBo up to date and working on equal par, something triggered in my mind. Call it foresight, intuition, or maybe even a daydream of wishful thinking, but I saw a glimpse of Slackware in a state of evolution becoming not just some small distribution by a few people, but a community uniting to share insight, ideas, gripes, complaints, and maybe even some worries. I saw a light shining within The Slackware Way, not just from Patrick, but from the Slackware Community.

Maybe I've been playing with sbotools too much, but within that toolkit, I saw a path for one possible future in which a vast collection of packages could be formulated and distributed, just as I saw a path in slackpkg+, and other tools. Many great paths lay ahead.

I'm certain that when the inevitable time comes, whoever is the successor to Patrick, if and when he ever names someone, will continue the steady path still being forged by Slackware, in the Slackware Way, within the aspects of still being the most UNIX-like system out there.

Of course this is just a glimpse of possibilities, but regardless, Slackware, despite who or whatever would try to subvert the Slackware Way of doing things, will stand the test of time, and whatever path Slackware proceeds down will be interesting to see.

Patrick has given us everything we'll ever need, maybe he gave us the right stuff so that in the future, Slackware will still be Slackware, just as inviting of a distribution as it is today.

I just figured I'd share my thought on that.

@ReaperX7 - Wouldn't this type of post be better placed on LQ as a BLOG?

EDIT: Once again I may have misinterpreted a post. I initially read this as starting an open-ended multiple page flame fest. On a second read it seems okay here.

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I've been staring in the headlights of the Slackware community too, recently.

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Well, I'll say this. The community is currently making package management tools more quickly than I can keep track of them.

The view I have is other than the few forks Slackware has at the moment, enough tools are coming along splendidly enough we could see an explosion of Slackware based forks across the GNU/Linux branch of the great tree of UNIX. The possibilities now are getting to grow to endless measures.

Regardless of outcome from this, yes, I do see a plethora of Slackware based, derived, and inspired distributions coming soon enough.

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I can see this happening, for sure. I know of at least one new one already in the works.

Speaking only for myself, the more I try more distros/BSDs, the more I appreciate and return to Slackware.

Meaning that there is a plethora of shortcomings that these derivatives will try to address
As SalixOS that attracts the "lazy" slackers by leaching the Slackware core and providing dependency aware package manager and a sane selection of desktop software.


Cheers

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Man, if im any example i would hate to see what a lazy slacker is like. Its the laziest distro i think i ever had and i have been running current since 13.37. Other than an occaisional kernel compile for the heck of it and the usual set up config, its the least exciting distro i think i have ever used, and i mean that in the best possible way

I also dont really get how people have dependency resolution problems, you just install everything and then if you need something not included, maybe the actual kitchen sink or something, you just get it from slackbuilds.

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Yup. Praise Bob on that, mate.

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May be it will be better if people joined efforts into several big projects, all revolving around Slackware. In stead of creating derivatives.

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How would I know if Slackware had a future? Or not? volkerdi never proclaims anything, and that is what I find excellent. I'm going to order a couple of extra DVD copies if 14.2 comes without some big redesign, despite the fact I am not smart enough to understand it properly. I really appreciate good documentation, else I'd not keep trying to figure out how stuff works. The more I learn, the less I want anything to do with freedesktop.org, so that is my problem.

A few days ago I tried OpenBSD on my netbook, the easiest install I've done since Slackware. I guess when the day comes I give up on Linux distros (yes it is coming) I'll get by just fine subscribing and using something basic, more nineties-like.

I don't see any distributions derived or based on Slackware in the future deviating from The Slackware Way to become "cookie cutter" distributions, but instead Slackware becoming the new cookie that will shape the cookie cutter distributions.

You'd think those that whine here about the lack of such tools would simply use SalixOS and stop bothering the rest of us with said whining.

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I think there are no shortcomings about a stock Slackware installation: users get a complete system that is stable, trustworthy and just works. Beyond that: SlackBuilds.org provides a decent collection scripts to install additional software.

SalixOS indeed seems a very nice derivative, that provides a dependency-aware package manager and a sane selection of desktop software for those who want it within a click away.

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With supporters of this caliber, Slackware doesn't need enemies.

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