Is Slackware dead? Should I use Red Hat?
 

Hello friends! I'm a beginner, and I was looking for more information about Slackware and saw this link from a 2015 reddit:
"Is Slackware dead? Should I use Arch?"
Is this still relevant to Red Hat that is more important then Slackware from a point "build packages" and understand HOW Linux works?


https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comme...ld_i_use_arch/

"There are some interesting comments in this thread that often pop up in related discussions that I disagree with. I will discuss some of them below.

Additionally, the question you have asked is difficult to understand without additional context. I want to learn Linux can mean a hell of a lot of things. Do you want to learn how to write software, build packages, administrate systems, kernel development, etc? Each of the topics listed (which is not a conclusive things of all things Linux), are broad labels that cover many different topics.

Things I disagree with:

If you want to learn Red Hat, use Red Hat. If you want to learn Linux, use Slackware.

As a Linux professional, I couldn't disagree with this more. Slackware and Red Hat in terms of day to day administration are essentially the same things aside from Slackware's unique package management and choice of init.

I would argue that what Slackware will force you to learn is some bash scripting, how to build software and how to find missing dependencies (since the package manager will be no help). Is this what people mean by learn Linux? I would probably disagree since Slackware package maintainer isn't exactly a professional skill in high demand. I'm thankful for all those who volunteer to do this but I really don't believe being proficient in building packages for Slackware makes you know Linux.

On the other side of the table, building RPM packages (on a RHEL based box) could be seen as a skill to know in the broad topic of knowing Linux. RPM is the standard Linux package format. Having this skill is useful for Enterprise distributions such as SLES and RHEL in cases where you find yourself needing to build and package software not distributed by the vendor in a professional setting.

Slackware's barebones installer is often seen as intimidating but is powerful in it's simplicity. I think doing at least one install of Slackware is potentially interesting but I would also argue that it may be more beneficial to learn a more old-fashioned install process such as the install process for Crux Linux (or Gentoo), which not only teaches you how people used to install Linux but also recovery techniques if you need to recover files from tarballs (Yes, at some companies that refuse to take backups seriously, tar is the answer).

What you will learn from Slackware is a Linux system that behaves very much like UNIX systems of the past. Assuming you do the full (recommended install), it comes with a complete build environment that will allow you to basically build whatever software you want. Please don't confuse Slackware with a source-based distribution. It's a binary distro with all the batteries included to help you build packages from external sources (hopefully) without having to worry about dependencies because they are already there. I don't believe this is in any way a negative comment towards Slackware and I've been an on-again off-again Slacker for a long time.

I find I learn a lot more from very minimal distros or things like Arch where you need to spend a little more time figuring out how to piece it together. Or like your example, Linux From Scratch.

I've argued this in the past and I don't believe Arch Linux teaches Linux. It teaches you how to follow instructions and how to copy/paste commands from a wiki in to your terminal. In the past it was interesting due to it's choice of init and new package manager but it has evolved in to a copy/paste distro without an installer. There's not much to learn here.

As for Linux From Scratch, it's an interesting science project. There's some neat things you can learn about such as what's required to build a GNU/Linux distro from scratch but beyond that there's not many real world skills (Unless you are planning on going further and maintaining a new custom distro). I don't believe the exercise of actually completing Linux From Scratch is worth while in any way other than a sense of accomplishment. It does have some interesting blurbs to read to give context of why you are copying and pasting code but for anyone who has actually completed it, I have to ask: Have you ever read a yacc manual and written any expressions with it to compliment your C code? If no, you probably didn't bother learning anything about the GNU system and simply copy/pasted.

==================================

So, TLDR; I don't believe Arch, Slack or LFS are good teaching tools.

Your question requires additional details in order for someone to steer you down the correct path.

If you want to learn how to build software or do any kernel development, any distro will suffice.

If you want to learn how to administrate systems, choose an enterprise distro derivative (opensuse leap or centos, maybe ubuntu/debian)

If you want to learn some basic skills to help volunteer (ex. maintaining packages), I would suggest giving smaller distros some love (like Slackware or even BSDs). Also depending on what you're working on if you go down this route, find some resources on the language of the software you are packaging (C, perl, python, whatever) as well as learn some portable shell scripting. Always review the documentation for the distro/or BSD to learn their packaging process.

If you want to be a hipster, who won't shut up about his gaps, install Arch.

I would also suggest looking up UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook 4th Editon (I think a 5th may have just been released).

Before all the comments and downvotes come in with "I run an Arch server to do X, I run a Slackware server to do X, etc", that's fine. You live in Rainbowland and there's nothing wrong with that. Enjoy the ride but be conscious that what you are doing is not recognized professionally and therefore your opinion on using distro X to accomplish task Y is invalid as it does not matter to me or anyone else who lives in the real world."

And there we go again...

We are not the drones you are looking for....your opinion is for you, don't jam it down others throat.

So are you a beginner? or a "Linux professional"? or just a TROLL?

My answer is you should use REDHAT as you are too much of a TROLL to use Slackware.

Slackware is about as vanilla as a Linux OS can get. Maybe you prefer tutti-frutti ........
all rooty ..........
once upon a time a ran a small crew of carpenters in Washington DC. I always expected a new guy to know the basics of hanging a door (we did lots of doors) before embarking on some other approach to the exercise.
Same goes with LInix, I'd say, understand the basic system and then it will be easier to understand the variations and those distros you mentions are all patched and altered to suit the fancies and whims of the folks who put them together.
.... nuf sed ... go crawl under a bridge .........

you should download slackware and redhat and merge the isos to create the slack-hat. The perfect linux for beginners professionals that have lot of opinions but no experience.

No I am not a troll, but a little bit a confused with this article. What is correct and what is not correct?

So you are answering a 3 years old reddit post in a place where there is zero chance that a reader of the initial post will read your answer. In what aim? I am puzzled.

PS I didn't see your last post while typing. Why not just make your own opinion then?

Well welcome to "rainbow land" I strongly suspect you'll find our opinion of people who dismiss us as "unprofessional and having opinions that don't matter" and yet expect to demand we explain ourselves less than warm.

You're not going to win any friends around here asking if Slackware is dead.

Try it in a VM and find out for yourself.

The article is from 2015. We are now in 2021. What may have been true in 2015 may or may not still be true. The article may or may not have aged well.

Personally, I think I have learned far more about "linux" from my 20+ years of using Slackware, than my 20+ years of using RHEL 5,6,7 and CentOS 6 and 7.

What I consider useful linux information may not be what you find useful. I have learned to authenticate against Microsoft Active Directory via SSSD in CENTOS at work, and have no use for that managing my linux systems at home. I broadcast music from my MPD player via Icecast to my Sonos speakers at home on Slackware, I only wish I could do that at work.... Everyone finds their own use for linux. Slackware suits my needs very well.

Hi Troll.
You stumble into the main Slackware forum. You copy into your first LQ contribution a lengthy and 3-year old post from a reddit, and you are not even the author. You do ZERO research, you then make a braindead assumption and then you expect us to spoon-feed you. Are you too braindead to understand the text you read? Should it be re-worked into a youtube video for better consumption?
I will just write down your name in my ignore list and avoid any further contact.

Gentoo is also dead. You can find "articles" about dead Gentoo, 10-15 years old. Sour grapes for some, and they cannot accept their defeat. To feel better lets convince everybody (especially themselves) it is bad and dead anyway.

Not dead! Flapping around...
 

It would have been nice to see the quote in quotes as only this is what OP posted:
Everything below that is from the reddit thread... afaikr...

Wanting to understand HOW Linux works surely can't be a matter of distro choice.

If you want something close to UNIX, then RedHat a.o. distros based on systemd probably can't get further away... for now at least.

Build everything from scratch *must* be the way forward. Tailor-made to taste... but of course quite time consuming...

Slackware? Run by a dictator? :scratch:
Fine with me after I found the "Slackware Philosophy"! :D That is how "my" distro should be managed. Look it up!

Anyone not sure if it's alive surely hasn't spent a single minute on LQ. Or read the changelogs...

Advice? Pick up anything and study away. Should you one day want something rock stable, sanely managed and with support second-to-none Slackware will still be here.

Though we'll probably still see questions like "Is Slackware dead"... :D

"Is Slackware dead?" *drinks*
Recommendation to use Arch. *drinks*
Mention of adages about learning linux vs. learning a distro. *drinks*

My God, dude. Think of my poor liver. I'm not in my 20's anymore.

Haha!
Slackware is not dead. Dear OP your initial post is moronic. Please don't post crap. Have a nice day.

Stolen from the 9front FQA. They stole it from a previous version of the OpenBSD FAQ. $DISTRO can be set to any one of the massive selection available.

Brilliant quote. There is no easy answer. The path to it starts with what you want from your computer/s.

Yes, Slackware is dead, Linux is also Dead...Windows, Apple and Google won.... we are just bots....Exit over ~~~~~~>

:rolleyes:

If your operating system starts trying to teach you something then you might want to call an exorcist.

It's not dead, it's just sleeping : )

Yes, Slackware is dead. Version 15 will be released shortly. There is no contradiction in those statements.

Trust Bob. Get Slack, or die trying!

slack-hat -> I like this!:)

Just unsubscribe from this. We are all zombies - got it?

Or something.

There is no one size fits all distribution of linux. Those days are gone and was always a pipe dream.

So have been running Slackware64 14.1 & 14.2 & Current as a base and previously ran Windows in VMware Workstation VM's (phasing that out after 13+ years of use and migrating them to VirtualBox) and VirtualBox VM's based on live cd's such caelinux2020 for engineering related tasks, Ubuntu Studio 20 for multimedia tasks including running iscan for not properly supported Epson Scanners (can't seem to get it running properly on Slackware) and have been pursuing some other live cd's as VM's that are science based and Music related distributions for notes editing & MIDI.

The only thing is that Slackware needs to release a "stable version" more frequently because when compiling hundreds of 3rd party packages and their dependencies, need a platform that will not shift and break the functionality of 3rd party & home grown apps. VM's are a good solution to lessen those dependencies. 14.2 (4.5+ years since release) & 14.1 (7.5 years since release) have become very long in the tooth. There should have been a 14.3 release ~2 years ago to fill the gap.

As somebody who started on BSD UNIX on Vax's & later Sun's & MIPS RISC computers in the early 1980's slackware was the obvious choice for pc based linux.

Question should be, what remains to be done before Slackware 15.0 is released? In the last 2 months have started to migrate applications to Current in anticipation of a release.

I want to say maybe someone should make a sticky of FAQs for Slackware - one of which being "is this distro dead?" - then again, I am probably just pissing against the wind, as I doubt it will be read and we will still see new threads with this very same topic, come up again and again. :rolleyes:

... but first you should check if on your system are programs like "skynetd" and "skynetctl" , when you may want to call Sarah Connor.

An exorcist we need probably us, to clean this curse of "Is Slackware Dead?" threads... ;)

Python reference for the win!! Slackware is an ex-parrot. It's pining for the fjords. Hahahaha!
As the oldest surviving distro our operating system is not going anywhere. I'm looking forward to Slackware 15.0.

That is like the plot in Terminator 3! Rise of the Daemons! We need the divine help of the LQ moderators to save us from this curse, but until then let's entertain ourselves.

I don't understand why anyone would call Slackware dead and ask if they should use Red Hat when Red Hat was discontinued over a decade ago, and was replaced with RHEL and Fedora. Our trolls need to step it up! They are being outdone by a bot. The bot that hangs out in "Requests for -current ..." puts in more effort and even seems to pass the Turing test among some users. Maybe it is the reverse, a human trying to post like a bot, but even that is more creative than these "'Is Slackware Dead?' threads."

Hello bgpepi
I'm going to give you the benefit of doubt and assume against considerable odds that you are not just trolling to trigger and give you the best possible advice. I'd say make a sizeable partition and install Slackware Current (it's really good!) but I can't assume that you can handle a menu-based installer or possibly even manage partitions, so this will be pretty easy but with huge rewards.

Go here =====>> https://download.liveslak.org/latest/ and download the latest LiveSlak. You can choose from 8 variants with different default DEs but the big one, 4.1GB compressed, is a truly full working system that is both portable and solid AND has persistence if you enable it. Please also note the dates. This last bit is important since it immediately answers your question here. However more importantly if you actually manage to download and install it on a USB drive and boot it up, the most important part is yet to come.

This Live system is not a pitiful excuse for a GUI installer (although with a little reading that's basically possible... but from a terminal. Those hold-your-hand poseurs one may use once and format. This one will solve LOTS of problems and be useful for possibly a year or more and on basically any machine, even many Macs, and will never of itself endanger the existing system.... unless you tell it to. If you do this it is highly likely you will understand why you have received several pissed off responses. We LOVE Slackware because it is a reliable buddy designed by several awesome coders with one amazing overseer instead of a Rube Goldberg contraption designed by committee.

Now that I think of it I think I'll post this link on the Slackware Sub-Reddit.... oh wait!... guys like you who are on reddit and quote ancient Redhat posts but never bother to check the Slackware section to see for yourself (the ones who possibly need it most for serious schooling) will never see it. Oh well, I'll do it anyway figuring some people are still motivated to research and learn cool stuff.

No isn't dead. It's just that the new version has slowed down more than expected and usual.

Slowed down? Are you checking updates? 100 every two days is by no means uncommon.... AND it keeps getting better. 15 will be superb.

Yea,

but he ask because Slackware 14.2 release notes. Thu Jun 30 22:37:15 UTC 2016
Check the main page is frozen from 2016 and if someone is not in community he won't know if is dead or not without to ask or make more deep research.

EDIT: sorry, wrong post

You are correct, Sir... and I did post on Reddit right after to get the word out a bit more.

"Oh it's not dead... not yet...".

I find it more troubling that you quoted a long diatribe without using correct formatting ("" isn't it and you should fix that). At least you cited the source.

Opinions are like... everyone's got one. So someone experienced in and heavily invested in RHEL or some other distribution/OS will generally recommend it - especially if they are making a living out of it professionally

Buddy, I'll give you an advice, do more research.

Of course Slackware is not dead, you should read the slackware-current notes, the next stable version will be out when it is ready.

Greetings.

Yep. I stopped using Red Hat when they discontinued the free versions at Red Hat 9 and moved to RHEL(I liked RH 9). I credit Red Hat for encouraging me to explore other alternatives.
Slackware 15.0 is shaping up to be a stellar release.

Well LO freakin L. Expecting a guy quoting Reddit to research may likely be a waste of time, somewhat like actual Science on YouTube. My thread now has many responses but not one of them so far has actually even tried LiveSlak. Basically they just "virtue signal" (sort of Ford vs/ Chevy) and nitpick to try to trigger a fight. I can only hope some will try and even if they don't respond will do some good but at least the rumors of early demise now have debate in Reddit u/linux, asnd a few misconceptions, like doesn't support NVME or "missing many packages" have at least been countered if not laid to rest.

I'm surprised I haven't seen a "Sure, Boomer" yet but then many are so young on Reddit they probably assume all Boomers still have VCRs that still blink 12:00 :D

I don't even think this question matters to a beginner. You want to climb Mt. Everest. You haven't even saved up the lunch money to buy a plane ticket, and you're worried about which sherpa outfit you're going to go with. Hell you haven't even graduated from middle school, so they won't even sell you a plane ticket. The question is so out of context.

When you're experienced enough to find debian-based or redhat-based distros too confining, get back to me. I'd be damn curious about what alternatives you tried (arch, gentoo, slackware), for how long, and what you thought of them...

EDIT: By the way, you can learn "linux" on any distro. So go do it. I know a lot of people who say they are learning linux and years later they don't know sh!!!!t. That's because they avoided the command line every chance they got.

It's times like this that I'm reminded why I don't spend any time on reddit. You'd be better off learning about computers from my cat.

Studies have shown if you feed trolls they'll stop fearing humans and become more aggressive in their attempts for attention :D

I was in the same situation! Then I only knew RedHat, now I only know Slackware.
I do not regret!

True but if youngsters are going to grow up without finding out anything factual about Slackware, it won't be because I didn't try. It used to be assumed that it wasn't wise to feed trolls, but then people began to realize a fairly large number of people fell downright medieval and figure the Earth is flat. Such false rumors can't go uncontested in my view or they "grow legs".

Many youngsters grow up thinking facebook is an app, so don't have your hopes high about them discovering Slackware.

I think that your strategy of pointing to the liveslak isos is a good one. It is after all a certain subset of potential users that we are trying to inform.

AlienBob's live-daw edition will certainly generate interest.

The default iso might allow people to appreciate that automatic dependency resolution might just be a bit less of a problem than they think it will be given the range of libraries included, and may actually have certain advantages.

I agree. Sometimes the troll is just someone who didn't receive a meaningful education so there's no point in assuming that everyone who is trolling has a malicious motive. That's actually the crux of my point about reddit. Sure Reddit might be great for opinionated discussions, but if your goal is to understand the technical merits of a software project then you won't get anything useful.


Like anything in education the quality of the teacher is probably the most important factor when learning the subject matter. IMO Reddit does not qualify as an educational resource and should not be used as such.

The discussion on https://www.reddit.com/r/slackware/ is quite actual and generally positive... no reason to refer to a three year old post here on LQ with reddit as reference...

I've apparently completely misread/misunderstood first post in this thread.

OP was running Slackware -current before making this thread... asking for opinions on that reddit "article".

Which is enough to be labelled troll?

I still don't understand the need for that, but since there seems to be concensus, I'll be more careful not to respond too quickly in the future. My responses aren't that valuable anyway. :D

OTOH... we're really not that many users, so could I suggest treating newcomers a bit more gently? Lightly?