So I have a Slackware64-current multilib installation, but lately I've had several problems with slackbuilds from the sbo-git repo not compiling and I've decided the best solution is likely just to move back to stable and use the 15.0 branch for slackbuilds again, as most of the problems seem to arise from dependencies in current not always being compatible with software source versions from sbo-git.

I'm aware this is a major undertaking and backup is necessary. I've also read over some older posts on the topic but I'm still not sure of the best way to go about doing it. I know that some folks would recommend just doing a fresh install, but I'd rather not do that unless I have to.

I use slackpkg with slackpkg+ to upgrade

Here's what I think I should do:

Change the slackpkg repo mirror back to the 15.0 and change the multilib repo back to 15.0 in slackpkg+, as well as sbopkg's source repo back to 15.0

then run the following-

I don't think I should have to use install-new or upgrade-all??

At this point I believe I should be rid of anything from current and have reinstalled anything that was exclusive to 15.0.

My biggest concern here is how to do this without borking my system due to the glibc downgrades. Current's glibc is at 2.37, while 15.0 is at 2.33. Is there some order I should do this in so that I won't end up with a non-working system in the middle of the downgrade process because of glibc incompatibilities?

Would it be safer to downgrade everything else first and then downgrade the glibc afterwards?

Given the current low cost of drive real estate, why have to choose? Why not backup, create new required partitions, install 15.0 fresh and link your $HOME ?

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Right now my space is limited to a small ssd and small M.2 on this laptop and I don't currently have the option of buying larger ones or I'd already have a secondary drive large enough for my home partition as well as a backup partition for root. I have done a current-to-stable downgrade like this years ago and I remember that it did work, I just don't remember the process I used. I can back up and restore my home on an external drive and restore it later if necessary, it'd just be easier as things are now to do a downgrade.

rollback ?

I think is better to reinstall 15.0 from 0

First copy your $HOME on a usb stick , reinstall 15 , copy the old HOME in to 15.0 fresh.

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A lot of people find their belts drawn especially tight since Covid so that could be a constraint but are you aware that brand name SATA SSD's of 250GB go for around 20 bux now?

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A really nice thing to have is one of those docking station where you can place a SATA drive and connect it with USB to the computer. There are even some of those where you can place twp SATA drives and clone from one drive to another without connecting it to a computer. Combine such a thing with something like a live CD and you can easily clone entire drives or create or restore backups of single files or directories.

Regardless of any strategy for switching Slackware version you should have some kind of backup if you put any value in your data.

regards Henrik

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Personally, what I would do in your case is install 15.0 in a chroot. Then boot from a live system (liveslak, or the slackware installer preferably) and move your current install into a folder, then move the 15.0 install into your root. This way you have a clean 15.0 system and no leftovers from a in-place downgrade from current. You can delete the -current install after you verify you can boot the other. Of course, you'll need to fix grub/lilo/elilo or what-not, but this is very possible to do and much lower-risk than using slackpkg to downgrade. Bonus being your /home stays intact provided you don't mess with it.

I've done this many times until I realized it was just easier to keep another 20gb partition around to have both on hand. Though now I've just resorted to keeping 15.0 on a liveslak usb system since I only use it to verify SBo scripts build properly.

I wish you luck in whatever path you choose.

Are you aware that a lot of laptops these days don't have room for a SATA SSD? Sometimes M.2 NVMe is the only upgrade path.

This is a sane, speedy approach. A re-install of 15.0 takes minutes and you'll be up and running.

And let's do NOT forget that on Slackware, a full system upgrade/downgrade is terrible slower compared with a clean install.

Because the upgradepkg is a slow animal, much slower than installpkg.

In the past, I have tried too what OP wants, and I have lost my patience, ending with grabbing the USB dongle with the Slackware installer and calling a day.

So, also myself I suggest to OP to not waste his time with questionable downgrades, but to dare to cut the cat's tail.

Thanks. I wasn't, but I also did assume if the laptop was so new it only had M.2 it would likely come with ~200GB drive or bigger, stock. Even brand new brand name but budget laptops costing under $500 commonly have 250GB. That's plenty for several operating systems for most folks. If not, an SATA SSD external drive can expand that and is sometimes cheaper than buying just the bare drive, commonly also around 20 bux for 250GB.

FWIW I didn't assume laptop because I don't care for them. Mine are ancient. In 2023 a full tower for home and a smartphone for mobile and a docking station to combine them comprises the best of both worlds.

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I have "downgraded" from current to stable many years ago with no problems at all - but then i tried it once and many things have changed since then.
I went to
# slackpkg update
# slackpkg install-new
# slackpkg upgrade-all
# slackpkg clean-system

but i think it's more about preference.

Of course, if somethubg goes wrong, you can proceed with a new installation (supposing you have backups of your data).

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Depending on what filesystem you are using BTRFS might be a path forward. You may be able to do an in place conversion to BTRFS. You could then make a snapshot of the current installation into a sub Volume.

Fix your lilo/elilo/initrd up have the correct rootfs type

Change the default sub volume to the snapshot you created.

Try to use slackpkg as described to 'downgrade the system'

- if it does not work you can boot the previous systems (root solvolume by appending the subvol=5 parameter to the rootfs args

reinstall everything, or install a stable on a different partition and share the home between the two, (that's what I am doing. The only thing I have to do in stable is keep Firefox current (upto date with current slack) with that script, latest-firefox).