Slackware handles package management in a very different way to Ubuntu.. Yes the apt-get stuff you learned will be largely useless on a Slackware system. The system is updated by running
as root. This will perform any official Slackware Updates. For third party programs, you're in charge of upgrading and handling dependencies. Check out a program called sbopkg, which makes handling upgrades and build queues a hell of a lot easier. Basically you check the README of a package, which will list any required dependencies. You're then required to build these first before building your desired package. Don't worry, it's not as hard as it sounds, and 'sbopkg' automates a lot of the process.

I can't help but notice that there are 6 disks required. Do I need to get all of them? I mean Ubuntu would fit in one CD, and I'm pretty sure that Slackware is lighter, so why is it that there are so many required?

I don't really mind, but I'd like to save burning CDs if possible.

You don't have a DVD burner or something? Just use the USB boot image and then do an FTP install.

Some of the mirrors should offer a single DVD iso rather than 6 cd images. The easiest way is to get the DVD image from the torrent here.

torrents

i don't think it's a big problem.
I switched to Slackware in 2005 when 10.1 is still the latest version and it still used 2.4.x kernels

With limited Internet connection in Indonesia, i still managed to learn about Slackware in very short time and i used it until now

i came from "the other end of the spectrum" and have been using computers for a very long time, beginning with an Osborne 1 which was a Z80 machine and used CP/M, then the whole line of x86 machines using Dos and Windows. i was introduced to Slackware by a friend, and i began using it as a hardware diagnostic "toolbox".... that was about 10 years ago, and i think it was Slack 8. Windows had a hard time with viruses and linux does not (there's over 100,000 viruses for Windows, and i think about 800 linux viruses. they just don't propagate well in a properly configured system). so i set up a dual boot system at home and ran it that way until i needed to reinstall windows after a hardware upgrade. windows just didn't want to play nice so i finally made it into a linux box with Slack 12 (now 13). if something breaks with windows, it's extremely difficult and time consuming to weed out the broken stuff in the registry (or give up and reinstall). with linux, the config files are mostly text, and not filled with long hex keys and obscure links. fixing something that gets broken in linux is a lot easier. i like the KDE GUI, having come from a windows background, but my earlier DOS background made it easier to get used to using the terminal window. anything that the GUI can run, can be run from a command line, and you can see the errors that dmp a broken program, and you usually can get s good clue how to fix it.

I think there are really only a few major things that slackware does different that may confuse users of other Linux distos.
1. a text based installer that requires more manual setup for advanced configurations and partitioning.
2. a single small but complete repository that's tested for good compatiblity and stability.
3. a text based package manager that reinforces the idea that slackware is a complete OS by not offering dependency resolution.
4. an arguably simpler init system that is clean and obvious how to implement.
5. boots into console by default

If you really know linux and aren't shy of the command line for simple tasks like adding users, then slackware wont be a problem.

For a full install you need CDs 1-3. CD 4 has /extra with a lot of good stuff like wicd for wireless. Go to the Slackware main page and look for the torrents page which itemizes the contents of all 6 CDs.

http://www.slackware.com/getslack/torrents.php

You only need the first 3 CDs (the last 3 contain source code and extra/). If you can use the DVD ISO, that's obviously the easiest, but if you are stuck with CDs then just grab the first 3. If you need anything from extra/ you can just download the individual package from a mirror and install it. Slackware takes up 3 CDs instead of 1 because it has no other official repository for extra software -- what you get with the CDs is it. Fortunately Slackware ships with a fair amount of software, and community-based efforts like slackbuilds.org have made installing third-party software a pleasure. Also check out Alien Bob's repository and rworkman's repository, which provide both SlackBuilds (scripts that compile and package software) and binaries (pre-compiled packages that you can just install). Both Alien Bob and rworkman are major Slackware contributors and I would trust their packages 100%. As a fourth option, you can check out slacky.eu, which has many SlackBuilds and binary packages. I would trust that one a little less but I have never had any problems with their packages (and it's great that they include SlackBuilds for every package they host). There is also linuxpackages.net, which has been around for a while, but not all packagers include SlackBuilds and some packages are of variable quality. There *are* some good packagers at linuxpackages.net, but finding them takes some experience (and it is pretty rare that the other 4 options will not have what you need anyway).

Wow thanks for all the input. You guys make everything sound really easy though, which is something I don't understand. I'm sure you are all familiar with the saying that if you learn Red Hat, you'll know Red Hat, etc etc, but if you learn Slackware, you'll know Linux.

What exactly is it that's different with Slackware than another distribution like Ubuntu then? I mean besides all the glitter Ubuntu has? You guys make it seem like it's much the same, although I suppose it should be since they're both Linux, but what makes it so that you learn Linux by using Slackware? After all, that's the whole point of me trying to do this.

Well... it's not as easy as Ubuntu, no question about that. Ubuntu ships with a ton of extra utilities for system administration; with Slackware it's pretty much all done by editing configuration files. Keeps the system slimmer, cleaner, and less buggy. You can probably run Ubuntu without ever opening a terminal; with Slackware if you're scared of terminals and text editors you might as well not even bother. Package management is a big one; the Slackware package management system does not automatically resolve dependencies. This has a lot of advantages, but it does mean the user taking personal responsibility for dependency management. Slackware does very little hand-holding and makes very few decisions for you... you've got to be prepared for that.

Yes, learning Slackware will teach you Linux in a way that few other distros can do. But here's the thing: if you're not afraid of terminals and text editors, Linux is really not that hard.

Oh.. I actually love using the terminal. While I was on OS X, before I discovered how to use spotlight, I opened everything with the terminal.

I actually found it a hassle to have to use the GUI to open folders and stuff when typing cd whatever/whatever was so much faster. Of course, it's a lot easier in OS X because if you want to open an application you just do open -a Safari for instance. I remember in Ubuntu, if I wanted to open a pdf I couldn't just do "open thefile.pdf" but I would have to do "evince thefile.pdf" or something.

Nonetheless, if it's just learning to use the terminal and text editors, I feel at home there. I've bought some books which will hopefully allow me to understand how Linux works better so that I can correctly edit whatever I'm going to need to.

Thanks!

Pat should really implement metalinks for the ISOs. My ISP throttle bittorrent bandwidth, http downloads and rsync, even when there is a local mirror in the country. example: I tried using aria2c to download a Ubuntu LiveCD for a friend, using torrent/http-local-mirror I get 35kB/s, but when using metalinks only, the speed shoots up to 55-70kB/s.

Bandwidth throttling is affecting the distribution of the ISOs and many ISPs implement them. Metalinks will add more choices for sources of the files.

That's pretty normal for linux systems, but we do have an equivalent to that:
Though personally, i never use it. Sometimes one wants to open the file in a specific program. Sometimes I'll want to edit a text file in emacs, and other times elvis. 'open whatever.txt' doesn't cater to that.

Hello,

IMHO as a computer sci major, not knowing your way around a *nix system would be a major (no pun intended) embarrassment so I would highly recommend Slackware (or tbh most distros as opposed to none at all).

My tips would be:
i) Expect frustration, confusion, rage, and a steep learning curve followed, eventually, by an incredible sense achievement (and feel smug as you observe other 'users' locked in their M$ and Mac prisons).
ii) Learn vi
iii) Forget about package managers (if coming from other distros). I do use pkgtool and slackbuilds but I often just build from source.
iv) Learn vi
v) Just go for it. Scrounge a cheap old PC with enough grunt and start messing about, that way you don't risk destroying your main system (and when it all goes horribly wrong, you still have net access to get solutions!)

FYI I've just started grad school (ocean modelling) and I'm building my own laptop running Slackware to get the job done - I wouldn't have it any other way...

Good luck!
Ben

ps did I mention learning vi?

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