Today I tested Salix in VirtualBox. There are several reviews that praise how Salix makes Slackware easy to install and simplifies package management. But people write all kind of things. So I wanted to see it for myself.

Since I wanted to compare Salix with Slackware, I chose automatic installation. Yes, it is indeed much simpler than Slackware. Choose enter and sit back. Perhaps the installer is a little too easy. Maybe I am becoming too much of a GNU-Linux user, but I actually find the ease of Salix installation a little disconcerting. It did not even ask for permission to configure internet settings, which cannot be done manually in my location. (static IP and DNS)

Two questions I was asked that I really like and think is better than Slackware's installation (please do not hate me), are 1); Asking for a locale language to be selected. This is something I believe every OS should do, because I hate being given American and then having to change the language to English after installation. And of course, this also set the date in European format. (At least I do not remember Slackware's installer giving that option.) And 2) Asking if I wanted Ibus enabled. Again it removes the need for me to do it later.

Other than that, I see no real difference from Slackware. But then, my experience with Slackware is very limited. (The majority of the time spent installing is trying to partition the hard-drive.) The bottom line: From what I see, perhaps Salix is Slackware made easy.

Which brings me to the point of the thread. As the title says, this is meant to be an informal pole of Slackware users' opinions about Salix. I am neither interested in starting a stupid flame war nor soliciting opinions from people who do not use Slackware. I am interested to know what die-hard Slackers think of Salix. I have checked a few threads with such opinions and they are divided. From the small sample I have read, my impression is the majority are not impressed. But I have been wrong before. So please indulge my curiosity and give me your opinions.

Since this is an informal pole, feel free to choose an option.
1. Love it. I think it is a great idea that will spread the greatness of Slackware to the masses.
2. Like it. I think it is an interesting idea, but not necessary. Slackware is already easy enough.
3. Dislike it. Making Slackware easy goes against the spirit of Slackware.
4. Hate it. Sacrilege! Slackware with automatic partitioning and easier package management is not Slackware.

LOL.

We were having a good laugh at one of those psychological tests one day in (of all things) an anthropology class. I think we were discussing the various notions of what different societies considered to be things like, 'abnormal', or 'crazy', etc.

Anyway, this exam had a question that I'll never forget.

The choices were something like, 1, strongly disagree or not applicable, and 5 strongly agree.

Now, as it was pointed out to us by the professor, most people would check number five, intending for their answer to mean that they would feel guilty if they ever thought of such a thing.

But answering the question implies that you have thoughts of doing a Lizzy Borden on the kinfolk anyway, so you're crazy.

Answering 1 means your a sociopath, since you don't feel guilty when you think about given 'em forty whacks. Or, it means, not applicable - subject to interpretation by the shrinks grading your brain.

And if you answer 1, not applicable to all of the ridiculous questions that attempt to put words in your mouth, then they grade you as being, "Deceptive".

Isn't it wonderful?

Salix offers additional software repos, and attempts to resolve as many dep issues as it can through the use of their value added resources and the integration of dependency resolving tools already available.

It's good stuff because it's slack under the hood, but I would liken it to Slackware -current, that is prone to allowing you to break it if you depend too much on the dependency resolution.

What's really nice, is picking a package and watching everything get taken care of, but in attempting to do so it hedges on the virge of what other distros have found to be nightmarish - which makes its pursuit even more noble because it is much more successful than those other distros in that regard (considering the bleeding edge you can maintain).

If all we're considering is are value added features, then the choices you have, although perhaps not that obvious at first, are staggering:

You get the Salix repos, the Slackware repos and mirrors, SBo, sbopkg, etc...

I'm just not sure that you don't need to take very careful notes if you mix and match the different repos and packaging tools (four or five at this point are supported I think).

I've often felt that there should be more support for hooks allowing quicker searches for dependency resolution in Slackware, but I haven't wanted for a complete, "I'm an idiot just install the fricken app and whatever else it needs and leave me oblivious", solution.

I hope that helps

Kindest regards,

.

I have only tested Slackware to the point of seeing what applications it has, how quickly it runs, how easy internet configuration is, et cetera. I have no experience adding packages. I have read up about it and it puts me off a little. The documentation makes it appear that the user must research all the dependent packages before installation. I doubt that is the case, but that is what it sounds like.

I agree with your "leave me oblivious" statement. What I like about Debian's package management is that it tells me what the dependencies are, but lets me decide if I want to install. Package management is easy, but I always know what is going on.

I'm hovering between 1 and 2: is 1½ allowed? Salix is OK for those who want a one-piece-of-software-for-one-task distro. Personally, I prefer a full install of Slackware. It might be easier to install than Slackware, but I've never found Slackware difficult to install. It's certainly nearer to the "real thing" than any of the other Slackware offshoots.
BTW, it's poll, not pole.
When I see pole, I think of pole-dancers...going for a cold shower now, BRB.

1 members found this post helpful.

I think it is the best slackware fork. I would vote for #1. It is an excellent introduction to Slackware, and I think it will help bring people who otherwise wouldn't even think of trying slackware, to at least try it.

Also, you can go to Thread Tools -> Add poll, to add a real poll with voting and results.

P.S. I use Slackware on my machines, but have installed Salix for people who are not familiar with Slackware or Linux, simply because Slackware is too much for them.

I think Slackware can also improve a bit by looking to Salix for a few ideas, like the OP mentions. In fact I decided to run wicd because I tried it first in Salix, not Slackware. Same with viewnior (included in Salix), and other software.

Oops, typo.
But I wish you had not mentioned pole-dancing. My mind will be too active to sleep.
I decided on an informal poll, because I just want some candid answers to give me an idea how Slackers view the world.
So far I am a little surprised.

What's Poland got to do with Slackware?

I am sure some people in Poland use Slackware. Don't they?

I wrote the original post while suffering from a bad cold. The fuzzy brain resulted in a spelling error. I pride myself on having impeccable English. If people keep reminding me of my typo, it might give me a complex.

Using cfdisk I usually spend about 5 minutes partitioning my harddrive, so I see no benefit there.
How does "slackware made easy" kill "Keep it simple, stupid!"?

I'm not easily convinced, Slackware is already very easy, once you have a grasp of things, true; but then again: these things are not rocket science to grasp.

I think it is hard for someone who has never used Linux or only used Ubuntu to switch to Slackware directly. I don't know of too many cases of this. Usually, you need to get some background in other distros, and then consider trying Slackware, before actually trying it, and even then it may be difficult. That is not to say that Slackware is hard to use, because it isn't. It's easy to use, once you get used to it, in fact it is much easier than other distros. I think Salix is the best intermediate. People can surely go from Window$ or Ubuntu to Salix and then later to Slackware. I prefer Slackware, because it's closer to what I want.

I prefer Slackware as my OS of choice. I would have liked to see a fifth choice in the poll being Not interested. Having said that some people may like to try Salix. Each to his own.

Why? The British haven't spoken English in years. Decades, actually.


I think it is an excellent way to, as you say, "spread the greatness of Slackware to the masses."
I browse the Salix repository now and then looking for useful packages and that is where I usually get the latest "stable" version of Opera.

Salix is nice, but it isn't Slackware. Not much more to say really

5. I don't care, I am happy with Slackware.

the suggestive nature of the question aside, the above statement only holds true in certain cultures (like the US). In other cultures, even if you strongly agree with a statement, you would still only tick 4.