Didier and me, we do not talk about slackware-current but the stable releases, e.g. Slackware 14.2

In other hand, is about the production ready releases, not about the development tree.

To build updated stable ISO download release ISO, mount it and copy content to other directory, download patches/packages/ from any mirror, replace packages, signatures and txt in series directories, recreate checksums, build new ISO.
Done. Not rocket science.

Hugh..:( Why, it is simple enough to install, then set the mirrors and slackpkg update, install-new, slackpkg upagrade-all, slackpkg clean-system. Now you are updated. The only purpose of a Service Pack, would be extra work for Patrick to constantly create new ISO's and ship them by a service provider, which has proven not-reliable to give PV any revenue for his work. Naw just leave the process as it is, it works and it is simply. KISS
Cheers, BrianA_MN

You assuming that you are able to manage to install the original Slackware version in your computer. Now imagine the combination: rookie + NVMe drive + Slackware 14.2

And yes, I am aware about this bit of extra work, but also I suppose there will be also the possibility of extra moneys gained. ;)

The fact that the shop used currently by our BDFL proved to not be so reliable is entirely another story.

I guess he can find a more reliable one, if he wants to sell DVDs...

My proposal in post #1947 is targeted as new users, not users wanting to update. And I assume that the same is true for post #1949 from Darth Vader (maybe the name Service Pack he used can be misleading, or I didn't well understand his proposal?). Also, providing a new ISO does not imply providing physical media.

Anyway Pat will decide what to do.

My bad. :(

Probably I smoked too much SLED (SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) but this idea of Service Pack is shameless borrowed from what SuSE do for its Enterprise solutions. E.g. we have SLED 12 SP1

They do those service packs since long time. And I seen them being sold pretty well... ;)

Of course, I do NOT ask also about a Slackware Linux Enterprise Desktop.

Yes, my idea was targeted mainly to the new installs, with an option to upgrade an existing installation. Which is possible in this context.

I would like to note that on some places on World, buying a DVD or torrenting a DVD ISO may represent a pretty good alternative to downloading packages from mirrors.

Please, do not forget about #1940 post. More information here.

For building xauth-1.0.10 with this patch (look at attached file xauth.git-bc78aa61cfbddaa27dee275f639ba40de6981b17.patch.txt - remove .txt) needs these dependencies:

• kbproto-1.0.7
• xextproto-7.3.0
• xproto-7.0.31

You can download them from these sources:
and for all
+ in the source of xauth-1.0.10 directory
Thanks!

proto headers are now all-in-one packages named "xorg-proto".

Yes exactly. I believe the NVMe drive is not supported by standard Slackware. What you are discussing is someone with a non-standard installation setup. Still once the install is done, the Service Pack update isn't necessary, since PV already includes the steps for updating the standard packages. If unique packages are needed due to some special hardware or configuration then that is not a process a Linux newbie should be pursuing. If your Service Pack is for unique hardware then it isn't "standard Slackware". It is instead a scenario to be covered by the wonderful helpful guru's, like yourself, here on LQ.
Cheers, BrianA_MN

@bamunds: NVMe is not supported (yet) by the installer of Slackware 14.2, but it is by the installer for current.

Chances are that a Slackware newcomer failing to install Slackware 14.2 on an NVMe drive will just think: "Slackware can't be installed on my machine, so let's try another distribution". Is that what we want? Providing an ISO with a modified installer would avoid that.

I know that a seasoned Slackware user will find ways to get the system installed reading this thread for instance, or using the installer for Slackware-current, but that's not that easy for someone new to Slackware.

So, let's say that NVMe is finally supported by the next "stable" release of Slackware. Again, if it is included in the standard release, then the installation still occurs as normal or per the Slackware included README files. Then it is simply a matter of still completing the standard updates to get the latest security and program updates.

Or, let's say the rookie picks the latest "current" release of Slackware. Then NVMe is supported as part of the installation. Again the updates are easily updated by the standard process suggested previously.

Also, there are always unpredictable interval security updates, which are received by Slackware users using the standard update process. Why would we suggest that someone wait for a Service Pack to get those updates?

In the end the idea of a Service Pack, regardless of how often, simply seems redundant and contrary to the Slackware way.
The only value in a "stable" Service Pack would be the concept of having the latest updated programs replace the original release on a ISO/DVD image. I think that means an additional point release system to keep track of which updates are included on the DVD, similar to what AlienBob does now with SlackLive releases. Oh, BTW, those are great LIVE CD's but still are not rookie installs. Cheers, BrianA_MN

I for one, I would not call the NVMe drives as "unique hardware" because NVMe stands for SSDs with a PCI-express x4 interface.

I do not know how is in America, but in Romania they are today pretty common drives, practically any decent laptop to buy today has a NVMe drive, excluding the really cheap ones, which sports, guess what? 16-32GB eMMC drives soldered on board. Also them not supported by Slackware 14.2

So, basically, if a Romanian buy a laptop today and he's a beginner on Linux, will not be able to install Slackware 14.2 on his laptop.

In other hand, those NVMe devices are bloody fast even compared with a standard SATA SDD which go up to 500MB/s. And at a similar price. For example this one: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-960-E...dp/B01LYFKX41/

That 3200 MB/s for reading and 1900 MB/s for writing made it a pretty performant alternative to the "standard" SSD with SATA interface, which go (like I said) up to 500MB/s.

And the Romanians discovered quickly those adapters: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N78XZCH which permit to mount a NVMe drive on a desktop box, within the PCIe x16 usual for the video card or in a secondary x8 if it exists. And how for many the on-board graphics card is more than enough for their web-browsing habits and for movies watching, the new trend in my country is to replace the hard drives with those NVMe ones.

Then, contrary of thinking as "unique hardware" I would consider the NVMe and eMMC drives as being pretty common storage devices. At least in Romania - and certainly the same is in entire Europe Union.

I do not think that -current is for rookies. ;)

For example, for someone living in North Korea, and having the computer connected on their National Intranet (aka Kwangmyong) the single way to get updates for his Slackware could be some cousin from South Korea to send them on a DVD or a memory stick. A very risky business thought. If he's found by authorities, he may risk 10 years of forced labor. For contraband. So, better to not happen often.

WOW! There's a Slackware Way even for updated releases? :D

Please tell me more about that Slackware Way about updated releases. Even after using Slackware on the last 20 years, I have still to learn. ;)

Yup. It is about lightly updated releases.

I do not think that there's a rule that Patrick should update/replace everything for doing a release.

Let's say that the service packs will be small releases, done often, while the the main releases will be the major ones.

So, more products in the Patrick's Shop, more sales, then his bank account will be more happy and there will be more happy users. ;)

I think the thing to think about is that this would not just be incorporating all the patches/ directory into the main tree. It would be used to add minor improvements like hardware support and/or a more modern kernel to 14.2. There would be a handful of packages that would be newer than the standard stable patches.

The biggest issues with such spaced out releases is hardware support. Pat, rightly so, doesn't want to upgrade to a new kernel series on the stable release, and he has no way to modify the installer without replacing the 14.2 ISO. If he were to have a 14.2SP1 ISO, he could incorporate installer changes, provide a newer kernel series and maybe even update mesa (although, that could add a lot of extra upgraded packages depending on what version he'd go to and the other dependencies that might need to be upgraded) or some of the video drivers.

The benefits are definitely there, but it would require additional work on Pat's end. Especially if he were wanting to support both the original 14.2 and the SP1 packages. It could also have ramifications on 3rd-party repos if the base packages were changed enough (but if it were just the kernel and installer, very few 3rd-party packages/SlackBuilds would need to be modified). Whether the benefits are worth the extra work can only be decided by Pat.

I'll let Darth speak for himself about SP1. My proposal is clearly to have the same packages in the new ISO as in Slackware-stable at time of release of the new ISO. If a package is upgraded on the occasion it will go in /patches in the packages repository for the stable release. Pat really should not have to handle a new packages repository every six months or year.

About kernel upgrades: there have been several for security fixes in Slackware 14.2 already, but still in the 4.4 series. I don't know if upgrading to 4.x.y with x > 4 would be acceptable for Pat and have no advice to provide on that topic.

About mesa or other changes of packages on which others depend (but for security fixes), in my humble opinion and for consistency, either Pat finds acceptable to provide upgraded packages in /patches or they shouldn't be shipped in a further ISO for the stable release.