Slackware This Forum is for the discussion of Slackware Linux.
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04-20-2014, 10:32 AM
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#1
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Moderator
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida 20 minutes from Disney World
Distribution: SlackwareŽ
Posts: 13,971
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reliable and unpretentious (Slackware)
Hi,
I have been catching up with some reading & research this holiday weekend. From http://opensource.com/business/14/4/...-install-linux
Quote:
reliable and unpretentious (Slackware)
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With all this XP dieing has caused users to wonder what can or should be done. Of course Microsoft's position is to 'UPGRADE' for Xp users.
Sadly, not everyone can afford to upgrade or even purchase new hardware & software. World users do have the option to install a Gnu/Linux and not worrying about the faults for a Microsoft OS.
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04-20-2014, 10:41 AM
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#2
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Member
Registered: Oct 2009
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 534
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That's nice.. But to most end-users I would simply not advise them to try Slackware.. Mint (Mate version) is probably the best bet to get them hooked :P
However, since the article is describing a larger audience.... yes.. Slackware would be a great choice for some (even it's security upgrade support is way better then most the LTSs out there)
Last edited by Smokey_justme; 04-20-2014 at 10:44 AM.
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04-20-2014, 10:45 AM
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#3
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Moderator
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida 20 minutes from Disney World
Distribution: SlackwareŽ
Posts: 13,971
Original Poster
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Member Response
Hi,
I really do not see any reason not to recommend using Slackware. Sure, Slackware is not a hold your hand distribution. Users can always get help here at LQ Slackware from very resourceful & helpful Slackers.
As they say; Once a Slacker always a Slacker!

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04-20-2014, 11:10 AM
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#4
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Member
Registered: Aug 2012
Posts: 484
Rep: 
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That description " reliable and unpretentious" seemed VERY familiar. In fact, I came up with it!
Luis wrote a very nice article back in February but had overlooked including Slackware in his list. As you can see from my comment
in that piece, I suggested its inclusion and provided that small blurb. Luis was very gracious and immediately added Slackware.
He even explains in his response to me that Slackware holds a very special place in his heart because it was his first distrib.
I recommend everyone read that February article and take a minute or two to think about all the hard work Pat and his team
do behind the scenes so we all can continue enjoying Slackware. Donations and Slackware store purchases are great ways to express
appreciation but in addition, consider sending a short "thank you" email. I'm sure Pat will appreciate that; I know I would.
--mancha
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9 members found this post helpful.
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04-20-2014, 11:15 AM
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#5
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Member
Registered: Oct 2009
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 534
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@onebuck: I can, because I've dealt with people that didn't know how to maximize or minimize windows... Doing an "average" of what people do know or not know, the end-user will be the one that likes things just to work, likes automated stuff.. likes point and click.. but has however a minimum degree of knowledge of whats going on (that is, he knows partitions exists but now how they exists.. file hierarchy exists, but not how the file-system works or the difference between them.. knows the internet is not just web-pages but doesn't know about ports and other details about it, etc.) ..
Even considering that, as with Windows, the installation should be done by people who know what they're doing, the end-user will get annoyed that, for example, he can't click-install some new software that he want's to check out even if there is a Linux version..
Don't get me wrong, I use Slackware as my primary system and and consider it my go to OS and I love to see other people interested in it.. And even I get troubled sometimes about bits and pieces on it... But for your typical end-users, Slackware will be way more then they care to handle..
On the upside, projects like SalixOS or MLED are a plus and gets Slackware closer to those typical end-users... Still, if someone where to ask me about an alternative, I would say Mint (Ubuntu simply isn't simple)..
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1 members found this post helpful.
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04-20-2014, 11:15 AM
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#6
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Guru
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Canada
Distribution: Slackware, Debian, Ubuntu
Posts: 7,445
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mancha
Donations and Slackware store purchases are great ways to express
appreciation but in addition, consider sending a short "thank you" email. I'm sure Pat will appreciate that; I know I would.
--mancha
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Indeed! I have a subscription and I also buy swag from the Slackware store. If you do not have a subscription I urge you to consider that option. Let us support Pat and Slackware. 
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04-20-2014, 11:18 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Registered: Jan 2008
Location: Urbana IL
Distribution: Slackware, Slacko,
Posts: 3,716
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that was a wonderful article I read it when it came out. I had to look the word ( unpretentious) up. And yes it does draw a very good picture.
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04-20-2014, 11:43 AM
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#8
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LQ Veteran
Registered: Feb 2007
Distribution: Slackware64-current with KDE4Town.
Posts: 9,586
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokey_justme
That's nice.. But to most end-users I would simply not advise them to try Slackware.. Mint (Mate version) is probably the best bet to get them hooked :P
However, since the article is describing a larger audience.... yes.. Slackware would be a great choice for some (even it's security upgrade support is way better then most the LTSs out there)
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Mint is a very good choice and would have been my first recommendation to m$-windows users, until yesterday when I downloaded, burned and ran a "Zorin live CD." If there was ever, imho, a Linux distribution for m$-windows users, Zorin is the one. It even gives you the choice of making the desktop look like win7 or XP.
:-)
Last edited by cwizardone; 04-20-2014 at 11:53 AM.
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04-20-2014, 11:46 AM
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#9
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Member
Registered: Jan 2013
Location: France
Distribution: Slackware 14.1 32 bits
Posts: 211
Rep:
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There's also some other kind of articles that gives another point of view about the would-be arrival of a few ex-Windows XP users here :
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Dear-...x-432355.shtml
It's often mistaken as "elitism" which is completely NOT the point of the article.
It can be resumed like, those people wont bother discovering something new and will trash their old machine anyway.
Quite sad, but sadly true.
I'm a FOSS advocate but it's just simply not suited for people not genuinely interested in it.
Again, that's not an "elitism" feel at all.
I've just given up trying to enlighten people regarding to the MS monopoly.
Most of them just don't care and I've nothing against that.
It just makes me feel sad sometimes.
Last edited by Nh3xus; 04-20-2014 at 11:49 AM.
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04-20-2014, 02:31 PM
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#10
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LQ Guru
Registered: Jul 2011
Location: California
Distribution: Slackware64-15.0 Multilib
Posts: 6,564
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Actually, Slackware, being as straight-forward as it is with documentation, actually might be good for users and administrators looking for GNU/Linux alternatives.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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04-20-2014, 02:35 PM
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#11
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Guru
Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Canada
Distribution: Slackware, Debian, Ubuntu
Posts: 7,445
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ReaperX7
Actually, Slackware, being as straight-forward as it is with documentation, actually might be good for users and administrators looking for GNU/Linux alternatives.
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Agreed. Slackware is a good choice for new users who are willing to read and understand the provided support documentation.
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04-20-2014, 03:49 PM
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#12
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Moderator
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida 20 minutes from Disney World
Distribution: SlackwareŽ
Posts: 13,971
Original Poster
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Member Response
Hi,
The Slackware '*.txt' documents that are provided with the release are a must read for Slackers. A lot of new members fail to look at the 'similar threads' at the bottom of a thread.
Let alone use the LQ Forum search function for topics they need help with.

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04-20-2014, 04:41 PM
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#13
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LQ Guru
Registered: Jul 2011
Location: California
Distribution: Slackware64-15.0 Multilib
Posts: 6,564
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The How-to guide included on the disk has about everything you need to get a full install working. When I first read it years ago, it all made sense to me and I knew very little about Linux.
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04-20-2014, 06:19 PM
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#14
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Member
Registered: Oct 2009
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 534
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So you see, you've just lost the typical end-user at '*.txt' are a must-read ... They don't read that stuff even when pirating Photoshop from torrentz :P
@Nh3xus: Well, think of it this way... Most of them already know Windows, they know how to install it and "tweek" (install third party tools with problems) it... So in their mind this is easy and everyone does it.. Then we come along with something something that needs a documentation just for the installation part... And then they don't have an AV ready :P.. Ohh, how about CCleaner? :P ... So basically it's easier to see every Linux or FOSS advocate as an elitist or hacker or whatever than switching or giving Linux a fair-change... Windows already works...
Think of it this way, if the NSA would buy Windows and instead of EULA you would have to sign the "Patriot Act" on installation, most people would be more than happy to throw out their entire privacy and basic human rights.. They're overrated anyway, right!?
Basically, what I'm saying.. the author of that article has nothing to worry about  (sadly, in my opinion, since I think mass-migration would benefit the Linux world)
Last edited by Smokey_justme; 04-20-2014 at 06:23 PM.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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04-20-2014, 07:15 PM
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#15
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Moderator
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Central Florida 20 minutes from Disney World
Distribution: SlackwareŽ
Posts: 13,971
Original Poster
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Member Response
Hi,
I would not use 'Typical'. Most early users of Microsoft can/should be aware of '*' as a wild card and that '.txt' relates to text content files. Not all Microsoft users are as dumb as some elitist seem to think.
I certainly would give the average user the aptitude & general understanding of computer usage. Not all are just point & click users while some do not have basic understanding of operations let alone the desire to learn.
Sometimes things are look at too broadly.
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