installing/uninstalling slackware packages
 

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(as root) installpkg <pkgname> or removepkg <pkgname> ( for removepkg cd to /var/log/packages to use command line completion)

Run as root 'installpkg packagename' to install a package and 'removepkg packagename' to uninstall a package. You could also use pkgtool to remove or install packages.

N43

Another command that people seem to forget, is "upgradepkg". If you have a newer version of a package you have alkready installed, simply do as root
#upgradepkg package.tgz

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" If you have a newer version of a package you have alkready installed, simply do as root
#upgradepkg package.tgz"

I this the right way to install the glibc updates?

I ask because I trashed my Slack by trying it another way.

I've noticed that sometimes when you do an installpkg, you can end up having multiple instances of the same package and this can cause mayhem on a system. Upgradepkg just makes sure that the previous version is replaced by the new one.

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Yes, I would suggest using upgradepkg first. If upgradepkg doesn't work, remove the old version first, then do installpkg for the new one. If upgrading KDE or GNOME base packages, you maybe better of doing it whilst they are not running coz (in a console/terminal) I have known instances where this can cause problems.

So do we just use the upgrade command using the source from the originating sute (for example, if we wanted to upgrade to php 5, we just grab the tar.gz from php.net?) or is there a special slackware package that we're supposed to use? Also, does slackware have a package management tool like gentoo's portage system?

Slackware now has an official (sort of) portage type thing, though much less sophisticated called slackpkg. Get it on the slackware site, i think its nicer than swaret/slapt-get, if you've heard of those.

As for sources, if you want something thats not an official package from pat (like php5) linuxpackages.net has lots. Otherwise you can make them yourself using checkinstall, also available on the slackware sites and cds (i think).