Preferred method of package management and software installation?
 

As you guys know Slackware is tricky when it come to package management, software installation and dependency resolutions. Although Slackware does provide many solutions it appears it is left up the user. I personally use Slackbuilds from binary to install software but what other methods for package management and software installation does the community use and why? Is there a preferred or suggested method and if not why? What are the opinions of the community concerning such topics?
VOTE FOR pkgtools/slackrepo by voting for slackpkg.

You left out:

pkgtools
slackrepo

(that's all I use).

Actually I don't know...

naarter --

I use native Slackware 'primatives' installpkg ; upgradepkg ; removepkg and then ${PACKAGE}.SlackBuild over a bunch of ( too many ) hand-rolled shell tools.

-- kjh

I use slackpkg but i not use slackpkg+. I use sbopkg but sometimes i install slackbuilds manually. For a few prebuilt packages, i just use installpkg/upgradepkg

swaret? seriously?

If you're going to include sbopkg in the poll, you should also add sbotools, sboui, and slackrepo.

How do I do that? I just shot my self in the leg because I ran a clean command that deleted all my third party software. SO I am trying to find out the best way to install software on Slackware. The slackbuild's method though seems tedious. I just want the best way to install software on my system.

You might be able to edit the poll options if you edit your post. I'm not really sure, because I never post polls.

Anyway, slackpkg and the like do fundamentally different things than sbopkg and the like. The former are meant for managing binary packages from the official Slackware repo (and third-party binary repos in the case of slackpkg+ and slapt-get), whereas the latter are for building packages from source from SlackBuilds.org. It sounds like the latter is what you are having trouble with. sbopkg is the one most people use. It has a familiar interface based on "dialog" (like the Slackware installer). It can handle dependencies as well, but you need to use a separate tool called sqg, which is packaged with sbopkg, to do that. sbotools is a command-line interface that handles dependencies on the fly. sboui also handles dependencies on the fly but has an ncurses interface inspired by Midnight Commander that can be operated with the keyboard or mouse. Some people use slackrepo to manage their SlackBuilds, which is a very powerful tool but has a bit steeper learning curve and has features that might be overkill for the average user (e.g., to build a complete repo of binary packages that can then be accessed via slackpkg+).

I don't know about the other items listed in that poll, but I do know that slackpkg with slackpkg+ will not work without pkgtools. So it sort of a default usage with package management.

Very true. My point was some people use only pkgtools and not other tools built on top of it.

pkgtools:
Installpkg,
removepkg,
upgradepkg,
explopdepkg,
pkgtool,
makepkg.
https://docs.slackware.com/slackware:package_management

I usually use, upgradepkg --reinstall --install-new

slackpkg is a different utility.

I use sbopkg for my third party software, with the occasional manual slackbuild, just to learn how to build them myself.

The good thing about sbopkg is that you can create a list of all your third party software, add each program to the list as you install it and back it up. The saved queues live at /var/lib/sbopkg/queues so if you ever have to install your usual additional software you can just move myqueue.sqf in there and load it within sbopkg and just wait until it all installs.

And may it stay that way forever! :D


Here's why...

Source: https://docs.slackware.com/slackware:package_management



Wish LQ would keep auto-smilies out of urls... :p :rolleyes:

To expand on that point for end users.. by providing a very simple and featureless set of package management tools Slackware gives users to choose or implement a package manager that best fits their needs.

Most distros lock users into using a particular set of package management tools and if you don't their choice you have to find another distro. Slackware lets you choose a package manager without having to leave Slackware.

I use slackpkg+ because I like to have a few additional repos available but don't need dependency resolution.

When creating your post, there is an option under "Additional Options" or "Disable smilies in text." Be sure to turn it off if you don't want smilies.

... but yes, it would be nice if smilies were always disabled in URLs.