I have been using Debian for a lil over a year now and would like to compare slackware with all of the other distros that I've used before in the past, however I don't know which ISO image Images ? to download or know if I'll have to partition the hard drive, manually to install slack- ware. if possible, would someone please show me the ISO images needed to install slackware and maybe give me a few pointers on how to install slackware onto the computer. my pc is a newer model, hopefully slack ware will auto detect most of my computers hardware @ least I'm hoping so. I download Slax live cd just in case something gos wrong during the installation and the pc won't boot.

I am a little bit nervous about installing slackware because Debian and, Ubuntu, had always done all of the formating and partition for me I'm not sure if slack ware will do the same and I am also a bit leery about partitioning the hard drive, manually for fear that I'll ruin the hard drive.

I tried just about every distro out there all but slack ware I'm dying to see what it would be like to use this all so famous slack ware that everyone is always bragging about.

Any help on how to go about doing slackware will be much appreciated.

This will guide you: http://www.slackbook.org/html/index.html

You basically need only CD 1 and 2 (the second for KDE). You will have to make a partition for Slackware if you don't have a spare one, you can share the swap between distros. You can make the partitions before running the setup program by using cfdisk or fdisk.
It's easy to install Slackware, just be sure to read the instructions and what's on screen.

If you need to resize use the proper programs like resize_reiserfs, ntfsresize or just parted (or qtparted). But if you need to resize, ALWAYS backup your data.

Edit: Oh, well, the link of mirrors is a little hidden in the Slackbook, here it is: http://www.slackware.com/getslack/

be prepared..........Slackware IS NOT point and click............you gotta do some editing of config files, reading, research on your own to customized Slackware to your liking......

Slackware is actually pretty straight forward and if you have a sense of having mastered Debian, you should have no difficulty with Slackware. As the previous poster noted, it isn't point and click, but you shouldn't have a problem with that.
The installation process uses ncurses, and the basic hard drive partitioning should be the same as for Deb: /home and / and swap at the basics, but it is usually wiser to also allow for /usr and /tmp and /opt if you can.
Do a full installation as a "newbie", because then it is easier to remove those packages that you don't want afterwards, using "pkgtool" as root. As someone previously noted, you will have to edit a number of config files but they are easy to find, read and edit (usually located within /etc/rc.*). Slackware also won't come laden with as much softare as you may be used to under Debian, but if you take a trip over to http://www.linuxpackages.net you can find Slackware packages there for pretty much anything you might want. Also, if you need something else that isn't listed on that site, you can download and compile anything that is *.tar.gz and that should work just fine. I've never tried anything that is *.rpm but I believe that those kinds of packages would work fine too, but can't testify to that. Finally, you can upgrade packages by using swaret or even slapt-get (there may be other upgrade processes, but I use either of these two).
In any event, the most important thing is: make sure you have backed up any important data before making the switch - you'll be really glad you did if the sh1t hits the fan.
Good luck

Further to the excellent previous posts. Stick to it. You may botch the first install, but, you can always run it again. I've become comfortable with installing Slackware, but, I found it hard in the beginning. Approach it as a learning experience. You will learn a lot about Linux as you gradually master Slackware. I've no where near mastered Slackware, but, Slackware is my favourite distro.
There have been times when I've been tempted to turn away from Slack because of frustration, but, I always come back to Slack. Slackware builds confidence.

Hi everybody thanks for the replies I finally did it slack-ware in now installed on this computer, I had to do a lot of editing and configuring to install slack ware, it wasn't easy the log in prompt is weird. At boot prompt, a menu appears asking me to choose the partition that I want to boot from, well... there is only 1 partition to choose from, and that partition is listed in the boot prompt menu as "Linux", so I type linux into the command line then press enter, after I hit enter a message comes up saying this>>> /dev/hda1 was not cleanly unmounted, cheek forced...... then the PC takes about 5 minutes to do its thing, when its finished, I type startx into the command line after that the PC boots to desktop. Also I don't not know how to turn off the computer, KDE dose not have a option that says Shut Down , just Log Off .. when I hit Log Off, from KDEs control panel, the pc gos back to the command prompt instead of turning off the computer, so I tried using this method instead. I kill all the demons that are running in the background by typing, into the terminal, #shutdown-h now that method kills everything that is running, daemons etc but dose not turn off the computer, I have no other choice but to press the button on the CPU to turn off the computer. Everything else seems to be ok I just need to know how to shut down the computer without having to press the button on the CPU.

Thanks again for the replies I appreciate them very much.

You can open up a terminal window as a regular user and type su, then enter root password.
Then type shutdown -h now

Your system will shut down

Glad you took the plunge and can still breathe!!!
Regarding the boot menu: you don't describe what you did in terms of installation, so if I describe what I did (and do when I am doing a new install) then you can compare notes. During the setup phase you will be prompted to install/use LILO. Go to the expert mode, enter begin and now these steps are sequential (I can't remember the prompt): identify whether or not you have a CD-RW (e.g. hdc=ide-scsi), set the frame buffer (1024x768x256), and locate it in the MBR. It will boot off of /dev/hda and as it is the only OS tell it that you don't want to wait (i.e. none). Then go to Linux enter /dev/hda1, give your OS a name ("Slackware" would make sense, but call it "psychonaut" if you wish), then enter Install (your mouse is likely to be a ps2 and yes, you would want GPM. This sequence will make your system boot into Slack the moment you power up.
As for shutting down - there is a school of thought that argues one's computer shouldn't be turned off (and I tend not to switch mine off). However, either do as hitest suggested or hit ctrl+alt+backspace (which logs you out) and then immediately ctrl+alt+del which will begin to power down the machine and unmount drives, etc. At some point the display will tell you that it is powered down. I believe that one can edit the kpm file (your login prompt), but I've never been successful with that route.

Let us know how you get on. Also, a bloke called Shilo has done an excellent tutorial on getting Slack up and running. Just do a search here in the forums (see Slackware) and you'll find it. I think he keeps it more updated on his own web-page; it is worth a read at least.

Enjoy and get Slack


edit: typo

The reason your computer doesn't turn off is probably because you have not the apm module loaded so as root do when you shutdown the computer now by doing the computer should knock off at the end.

You can add the modprobe line to /etc/rc.d/rc.modules to have the apm module loaded automatically at boot up.

If you don't want to do this, at the end of the halting process there will be messages that say something to the effect "spinning hard drives down: hda" and then "System Halted" after that it is safe to use the power button on the computer case to knock it off

Slackware is awesome, I like it so much I'm not going back to debian. Thanks for the boot scrip, phill dg it worked, perfect. The only thing that I am concerned about is with the way I am logged in. During installation, I was not asked to create a regular user account, right now I am lodged in as Root. When the computer boots, a screen appears asking me to enter a user name and password. I type root, for the user name "don't know why" hit enter then type my password into the terminal, then, startx, after that the pc boots to the desktop. I'm guessing that type of log in method Might normal since slackware did not prompt me to create a non- root user- account during the installation process, but I don't know.. that doesn't sound right. I have been using debian with a gnone desktop for a almost a year now it's going to take a little bit of time getting used to a KDE- Slackware- combo, but I look forward to it.

So far I configured my sound, sound card drivers, configured my net mask to Dhcp and Re-partitioned the hard disk after that I went to Shilos website and tweaked the pc with some of the suggestions posted on the website. Setting up slackware and getting it to work was not as difficult as I thought it would be shilos website help me out a lot, I wouldn't have gotten this far without it, thanks for the link. I can do everything thing else on my own, however I'm a bit concerned right now, about being lodged in as Root, is that normal for slackware not to create a user account for everyday pc use ? if it isn't, is there a way to fix the setup so I will not have to log in as Root ?

Thanks for the replies I appreciate them very much I'll be all set once I figure out how to make a Non Root- user account, that is if I even need to create one.

Hi,

When you log-on as root just type adduser at the command prompt and you'll create a non-root user. Yeah, you don't want to be running as root.