How is Slackware made?
 

I have just finished building a LFS system to learn more about Linux in general.

1. Is Slackware built exactly the same way as LFS by first assembling a toolchain and then compiling different system components? and then this procedure is redone when a new version of Slackware is released?

2. How is the version of glibc choosen, is it just the newest version at build time?

3. Is the Slackware toolchain available somewhere to download?

4. How are the Slackware maintainers notified when a security fix is available one of the many thousand components in a Slackware system, i guess that this could be very time consuming if all project pages for every component had to be checked every day?

Slackware begets Slackware.

They start from the previous version of Slackware and rebuild packages as needed. Every version Slackware has packages that were not rebuilt from the previous version of Slackware.

Slackware wipes out a few punks, rises through the ranks, and in a secret ceremony at the church of the sub-genius, Slackware becomes made.

cheers,

This has been asked before - but perhaps not in the same terms. Having gone through the LFS build process you are probably applying the lessons learnt to Slackware. I have many times gone through the LFS process and another known as DIY Linux which is very similar and in fact from the same original development crew (or at least one of them).

Once you are familiar with the process you can look at ways of automating it as with ALFS and the DIY automated method which is equally interesting although the link escapes me. As has been said, Slackware has a progressive rebuild methodology with some applications rebuilt and some not so, in other words, there is not a complete rebuild of Slackware for each release. Apparently, given previous replies from the Slackware team, there is not an all encomposing build script which would entirely rebuild the distribution from scratch. Given your experience with LFS I can relate to your questions about the ins and outs of building a complete distribution like Slackware. Obviously you should now have a good idea just how much work is involved!

So in general I recommend looking into DIY Linux if that's your kind of thing.

well, you could take a look at the slackware-current changelog, you'll see the packages are gradually upgraded until its time to call it a new stable slackware.
so no, there's no complete rebuild for each new release, just improving and building on top of the existing

In the beginning, there was Slackware, and Pat saw that it was good ....

Thank you very much for the information on DIY Linux, this will be the next thing i try to build. Even though i have only scratched the surface of system building, i already have a much greater understanding on how much effort is needed, than before trying to build these systems. I will definitely support the Slackware project by buying the next DVD/CDs, books etc. with this knowledge.

Slackware was forged in Mount Doom in the heart of Mordor. :)

lol

I don't recommend throwing your Slackware CD on the fire to look for any hidden Elvish writing though!

The one distribution to rule them all?

Hey, that's where I met a girl so fair! :D

But Gollum and the evil one crept up, And slipped away with her ... her, her

Strange I was just listening to that.

ACTUALLY, Pat has an amulet of pure molybdenum which, when placed atop a CPU fan, converts his Slack into bash code. When Pat's supply of Slack runs low (like just before a major release), the amulet taps directly into "Bob"'s Slack, with predictably fantastic results.

This threads starting to .... ramble on :)