SlackwareThis Forum is for the discussion of Slackware Linux.
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Hi, I'm fairly new to Slackware and Linux in general so could someone explain to me how to install software? I'm looking to install Google Music Manager since they finally released the Linux client a few days ago, but it seems that it only comes in .deb and .rpm
As far as I can tell, Slackware doesn't use either of these formats, so does that mean it's impossible for me to install this program? I suppose I've been spoiled by just having to double click. exe files in Windows, but I'm up for learning and so far really like what Linux has to offer.
Also, could anyone explain why there are so many different formats for installing programs in Linux? It just seems like a pain to developers to have to package things in so many ways, especially when there are so many different Linux distributions.
Hi, I'm fairly new to Slackware and Linux in general so could someone explain to me how to install software?
The easiest way to install software on Slackware is using SlackBuild scripts. You download the source package and the SlackBuild script, then run the SlackBuild to create a Slackware package, ready to be installed with installpkg.
There is also the incredibly useful tool, sbopkg, which automates all this and provides an interface to the process of downloading/compiling/installing software.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Synderesis
Also, could anyone explain why there are so many different formats for installing programs in Linux? It just seems like a pain to developers to have to package things in so many ways, especially when there are so many different Linux distributions.
Usually, the developers upstream distribute software as source code, it's the different distributions that compile the software and package it in their own formats (.rpm, .deb, .tgz, etc).
Most of the SuSE, Red hat, and Debian based distros will utilize dependency checking formats like RPM and DEB to make the installation process easier by often automatically downloading packages from their servers if they are missing. However, this takes away from the much needed learning curve of Linux such as compiling stuff for yourself, understanding dependencies, and documenting your system.
Most of the SuSE, Red hat, and Debian based distros will utilize dependency checking formats like RPM and DEB to make the installation process easier by often automatically downloading packages from their servers if they are missing. However, this takes away from the much needed learning curve of Linux such as compiling stuff for yourself, understanding dependencies, and documenting your system.
Ah okay. Thanks! I think I understand now. But could you elaborate on the importance of documenting your system? I think I kind of understand dependencies but feel free to enlighten me further.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diantre
The easiest way to install software on Slackware is using SlackBuild scripts. You download the source package and the SlackBuild script, then run the SlackBuild to create a Slackware package, ready to be installed with installpkg.
.
I have tried using that as much as I can, but it seems that sometimes the software I want doesn't come in that format. I mean I suppose that's bound to be the case since other distributions of Linux are much more popular than Slackware like Ubuntu for example, and the problem lies in the fact I don't know what I'm supposed to do with the other types of formats. I do try to use Slackbuild whenever possible though.
Last edited by Synderesis; 07-25-2011 at 11:16 PM.
Documenting your system goes from anything such as what settings you change, packages you install, uninstall, etc. to track yourself. Basically its called proper IT administration.
Without documenting what you install, often you can have issues like what to do when a portion of the system upgrades and such. Like updating a Linux kernel and modules package might require a rebuild of (example only) the nvidia driver and kernel module to match the system.
Without this you also would have no way of knowing which package was installed as well as the name of it, and how you would go about manually updating it the proper way.
Normally with Linux I do a standard set it and forget it with certain things (mostly to avoid the mundane such as setting X11 to autoload at boot to GDM/XFCE), but when I build my SlackBuilds packages to supplement my system with the software I utilize from day-to-day, knowing what I install and the dependencies helps with knowing how much I have to upgrade, install, or even remove.
This way, if anything screws up, I can track myself back to what happened and when and quickly solve any issues.
I have tried using that as much as I can, but it seems that sometimes the software I want doesn't come in that format.
If you're unable to find a SlackBuild for a particular program, you can use src2pkg if you have the sources for the software.
Many slackers build their own packages. In my case, for instance, I use the slackbuilds.org templates to build packages when I have to. The SlackWiki has articles about using and writing SlackBuilds. Have a look at this thread and onebuck's Slackware Links page for tons of useful information.
There are also third-party package repositories. Alien Bob and rworkman are Slackware developers, both have several packages in their repositories. The site slacky.eu has a huge repository as well. I'm sure there are more.
There are also third-party package repositories. Alien Bob and rworkman are Slackware developers, both have several packages in their repositories. The site slacky.eu has a huge repository as well. I'm sure there are more.
When you install third party packages it is critical that you trust the people that created the software. Both Robby and Eric create 100% trustworthy software.
Hmm.. so I'm supposed to document all my installs? That seems like a HUGE hassle. Call me lazy but that seems like a lot of work and really complicated. If that's the case, should I reconsider my attempts at using Linux? I mean I'm all for learning scripts and that kind of thing, but having to go out and keep track of every install you make and where it goes seems like a lot to do. I'm not IT administrator, I just use slackware on my laptop for personal use so that might be a bit more than I can handle.
Documenting your system is a good thing. If you don't want that you should consider to use a different distribution than Slackware. Most other distributions do the dependency-solving automatically, so that you don't need to document as much as in Slackware. Nonetheless, if you really want to learn Linux go for Slackware.
Quote:
should I reconsider my attempts at using Linux?
Keep in mind that this is not a Linux thing, but more a Slackware thing, although systems should be documented in general, not only in Slackware or Linux.
any package which you install via installpkg or sbopkg and so on will be logged by Slackware automatically. You can use the tool "pkgtool" on the commandline and view every installed package.
If you build a program by yourself and install it via "make install" Slackware does not know that this program is there. But this is true for any distribution.
In your case the easiest way to install the desired package would be to download the rpm-package, transform it with rpm2tgz into a Slackware-package and install it via installpkg.
Hmm.. so I'm supposed to document all my installs? That seems like a HUGE hassle. Call me lazy but that seems like a lot of work and really complicated. If that's the case, should I reconsider my attempts at using Linux? I mean I'm all for learning scripts and that kind of thing, but having to go out and keep track of every install you make and where it goes seems like a lot to do. I'm not IT administrator, I just use slackware on my laptop for personal use so that might be a bit more than I can handle.
First of all you don't HAVE to document things. It's up to you. I didn't document anything for the first 4 years of my linux adventure. In time I realised how helpful it can be so I slowly started documenting changes I've made to the system. Because my Slackware system is for my personal use I probably don't do it as thoroughly as some of the admin guys here, but I'm working on it. It might seem like a huge task but it's useful when troubleshooting and IMO gives you a better understanding of your system.
Might I ask though, if anyone could detail what exactly goes in to documenting the system? Or more specifically, when would I have to document it, and what exactly do you do or am I supposed to do when I do document it?
I think that I'm not going to give up on Linux yet and continue trying to learn it, even if it seems very difficult and even tedious. I'm sure I can learn a lot about operating systems and Linux this way, so I'll keep going at it for now.
Again, thanks so much for all the help and guidance.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.