So I finally decided to go deeper in my linux knowledge and move away from SuSE. Being new to Slackware, I have a few questions:

From what I have read, Slackware does not come with a package manager outside of pkgtool to update the system and do dependency checking like Yast or Yum or apt-get. I have also heard third party programs such as swaret can also kill a working system. So being new to Slackware and interested in learning, what is the "Slackware" way of upgrading?

I know how to see the changelog on the Slackware site, but how do I compare that changelog to whats installed on my system and upgrade based off of that? Also, how does Slackware push out security updates? SuSE threw them in with the package upgrades, and from what I read Debian has a security mirror.

One other question: While installing Slackware I noticed the recommended install type is Full, and even when choosing Menu, all programs are checked off to be installed by default. I guess there wouldnt happen to be a guide or something explaining what are doubles of each other, or what is necessary and what isnt? I can always google as I go through I suppose.

Thanks in advance for help
toxic.influx

there's a plenty of options you can choose to have a package manager, such as Slapt-get, GSlapt, or Swaret.

The way of upgrading is your choise, as each people have their own preferences. I prefer to download the packages manually, read the changelog, and then make the decisions whether to upgrade/not. If you like automation, then the above application should fit your need, but ALWAYS read the changelog, because sometimes you have to do a little tweak, for example merging the .new files on /etc/rc.d/ to reflect changes, etc

You can always compare them with packages in /var/log/packages.

Security updates will always be high priority in Slackware and they will be released as Pat has build and tested them. Mostly, they will appear in all Slackware supported version and also in -current. You will see (* Security fix *) mark to indicate if this update is security updates

hi toxic,


welcome to slack

personally, i've been on slackware a few months. since my time with slackware i've been using 'slapt-get' from http://software.jaos.org/
and i've found it to be really acurrate for keeping me up to date and grabbing the correct packages, installing them as required, etc.

they offer a visual one there to called 'gslapt'. i've only just started playing with that, so i really cannot comment on it at this point.

many other slacker's use a program called "swaret".

when you install slackware, you will see some of the packages have in their descriptions 'required'. this is not the dependency checking that you're used to using in suse. the 'required' in the slackware is really the absolute must have items that Mr. Pat V. feels that you must install to prevent installing a broken minimal install 'system'. what's a system...well that's a different story. but he still gives you the control to not install them either which is actually nice too.

the slackware installer will not tell / warn you if un-check something and it affects another. to a newcomer this can be frustrating if you choose not to do a full install.

however, you will find that this is the way that we slacker's like it

if you choose NOT to do a full install let's say, and forget to choose a package that is required, here is an easy fix IMO.

let's say i want firefox, but i didn't put something in that firefox wants. open up konsole/terminal...type firefox..now it crashes..and spits out dependencies..i then go to http://packages.slackware.it/ and search for the dependency there and install them then i'm fine. as simple as that. just be sure to gpg verify / md5sum if you use downloaded files if you choose not to use from you gpg verified / md5sum checked install cd's.

also, this is a nice resource tool to understand why the installer is set up into 'series' and discusses them more at http://slackbook.org/


the package manager seems archaic to some, but honestly, i love it. the packages are gzipped tar balls and just go in! you can remove let's say...xorg...and it will leave kde in there, that's really nice IMO. what's really nice is, if you make your own packages, you can just throw them all in one directory on another pc...then just type one line of code and they install on that pc/slackboxen too! it's so powerful.

be sure to add linuxpackages.net to your favorites in your browser they have a lot of precompiled packages there you can grab. many of the 10.2 packages...actually every1 that i put in for my version 11 worked with 10.2 packages so far

bye for now.

heh willy beat me 2 it :d

oh and be sure to subscribe to slackware's mailing lists too.

yeah, there're several mailing list for Slackware, but one of the most active is the slackware-security which will notify you when there's a security updates

old_fogie: sorry about that

Thanks for all the replies...I am going to go with the manual method for now, better for learning and having control over the system. I noticed a lot of times the automated methods intsall stuff I dont want or aren't necessary.

I will see how well it goes comparing the changelog to /var/log/packages, doesn't sound hard at all. The biggest thing will be handling the updated config files...but once I get a method all will be good.


Thanks for the help
toxic.influx

It certainly is your choice.

So that you are aware, slapt-get for example, will only look at the packages that are on the slackware server placed in .../patches/packages then compare to what you have in your pc, then upgrade them accordingly. It will show you what it wants to do first for your ok before it makes any changes.

I will not go out and hunt down stuff for you.

If something else is required, then Mr. Pat V. of slackware will put it into .../patches/packages on the Slackware site.

At this point now, going manual is probably not hard, because there are no packages/patches out there yet as of yesterday when I looked.

But for me, I came to slackware 10.2 after it was out about 7 months or so, it was a nightmare to me then at the time.

Basically, what i do is go down to cli out of KDE.
then 'slapt-get --update'
this checks the slapt-get site for updates to slap-get itself.

then i run 'slapt-get --upgrade -s' to do a simulation. really just a double check.

then i run 'slapt-get --upgrade' and it shows me the files it wants to change, i type a 'y' for yes, then it downloads them and installs them.

alternatively, you can download the files using a web browser or wget if you know what they are, gpg verify them and just put them into your '/var/slapt-get/patches/packages' directory. slapt-get will see that you need to update and already downloaded them, and just use the files you placed locally and not download them.

edit" slapt-get --update' checks for updates to slapt-get and slackware.