Hello all,

I am just doing a bit of surfing around looking at some different distros, so have a small bit of linux experience under my belt. I am interested in Ubuntu - but there is just something which I don't like, not sure what. Debian is just annoying trying to find any information on their site - ie do i actually need to download 15 CDs - their answer, just download the first few. How unhelpful!

So, Slackware......... looks interesting. I just would like to know why you all chose Slackware!

Thanks, and I look forward to your thoughts.

I haven't used Slackware for a number of years, but it was pretty solid and I learned a lot since everything was configured by hand at the time (not sure if that's still true).

I now prefer Debian, so to answer your question, if you have a broadband connection, just download a netinstall CD. It's about 150MB and will install everything from the web... Otherwise you can download the first full CD and get a gnome desktop system or a special KDE cd for a kde desktop system. Most Debian users get everything from the web though...

thanks pljvaldez, I'll have a look into the netinstall cd. What was it that made you turn away from Slackware - ie cons to the distro?

Slackware, IMO, is awesome! It comes with everything you could want, within reason; it does everything you want it to, exactly how you want it to. However you must be inclined to put more effort of the hands-on variety, into making it 'your distro', than you would with a lot of other distros out-of-the-box.
It's stable, painstakingly developed, very well supported, easliy configured, and there are no mysteries locked away in its internals.
Rather than go further myself, you will find around LQ here, a significant number of other threads about "Why do you love Slackware" and "What's so good about Slackware" and so on... Have a search around.

cool, thanks. Also, about downloading the ISOs. In the Slacware Book, it mentions software sets - a VERY sensible idea. So, which ISOs actually contain which sets?!

Edit: http://www.slackware.com/getslack/torrents.php This page says KDE is on Disk 2, but does Slackwarae support/give GNOME as an option?

I'm not sure what it means about 'sets' specifically. The book isn't fresh in my mind..
However, the entire thing comes either on ONE DVD, or on 3 CD's. The third CD is (mainly) other-language support, so the actual guts of it are on 1 and 2. Meaning, all apps, tools, desktop environments, etc, are on the two first CD's.
And to address pljvaldez' initial post re: configuring by hand, it's still like that

I can't really put a finger on what I didn't like about Slackware. It just didn't "fit". Maybe kinda how you feel about Ubuntu.

I left Slackware and tried Redhat 7, I think, and really hated it.

Then I installed Debian, and I knew it was the perfect mix for me of configuration utilities and manual configuration. At the time I switched, Debian's dependency resolution was infinitely better than any distro in existence (nowadays that doesn't matter as much since everyone is pretty equal). Plus, Debian had a huge package set that I knew wouldn't break (at least as long as I was in the stable branch). I just never really have had the itch to try anything else since, other than liveCD's for system rescue. Debian fits me, that's all I can say.

http://www.slackware.com/install/softwaresets.php Here is a link from Slackware's Install Help -> Obtaining the Software Sets. This Guide also mentions creating boot disks. Do I still have to do this, or does the first install cd boot all by itself?!

Oh, it boots and installs by iteslf.. And BTW it doesn't come with GNOME, that was dropped because of increasing complications on the GNOME side of things. You can however still install GNOME later if you like it that much.
Tell you what, let me look on my CD's and I'll tell you what's on the CD's.
Back in a few moments.

On installing GNOME - how easy is it to, and do I have to compile from source? Btw, what package management does Slackware use?! Probably a very newbie question!

ISO 1 - a ap d e f k l n x xap y
ISO 2 - bootdisks extra rootdisks kde t tcl xap
ISO 3 - extra testing kdei (languages)

That's how the 3-CD set is laid out.

For GNOME, if I had to recomend a GNOME, I would say use Dropline GNOME, which I believe is made for Slackware specifically. It compiles and installs itself. I don't use it, because I prefer KDE, and DL-GNOME gave me some weird issues I prefer to do without.

There are a bunch of Slackware package managers out there. The included MAIN one is Pkgtool, and the other good third party ones use Pkgtool as a backend. They incluse Slackpkg, Swaret, Src2pkg, Slacktrack, Slapt-Get, and probably others. Package management is done in large part, by YOU. Nothing is automatic, unless you make it that way, but it really is better the manual way.

Here'ssome stuff on Slackware package management.

Thanks, any ideas why the Slackware site still says GNOME as a software set?! If i just compiled GNOME from the source code, would it make sense just to install a lightweight Slackware box with X Server, then attempt CLI to compile GNOME. I tried KDE on Mandriva and took an instant dislike to it. Might be worth installing and trying again though...

Edit: How did you work out which sets are where? And thanks to manwichmakesameal - I hadn't got very far into the book!

I worked out which sets were where by looking on my CD's

And no, no idea why the site still says GNOME is in there -- it isn't.

I'm sure you could compile and install GNOME on your own, but there are a WHACK of dependencies and libraries that Gnome replaces with its own versions. Even though they are the same except in name, they play havoc with Slack's libraries when it comes time to upgrade stuff or install other things. Atleast, that's been my experience. If you really want GNOME, it'd be way easier AFAIK to go with Dropline or the other GNOME whose name I can't recall.
Personally, KDE does everything I want. It IS kinda heavy, but so is Gnome.

OK, basically my goal is to find a distribution which works and will teach me about Linux...basically...but I have become fond of GNOME. Bit off topic, but - Gentoo?


Edit: Is KDE the only GUI present in Slackware, or are others, like Xfce included/easier to install and use in the long run - ref to your mentioning of GNOME mucking up dependencies.