@ I.G.O.R:

In order to save you time, here's a standard reply that you can copy/paste and use whenever some sect member living in an imaginary world questions your healthy, rational views of reality:

I'm right. You're wrong.

HTH

You know, Patrick is not some mythical figure, so that we are only left with speculations. He reads LQ and maybe will chime in.

No doubts. But some people believe that Patrick walks on a water.

He leads the Slackware, but he cannot dig into all the time consuming technical details from different directions.

A sure sign that he's acquired Slack.

1 members found this post helpful.

Seems to me the proof, as they say, is in "the pudding". Even though I really hated it when Pulseaudio became default just because of Bluetooth, I still see why it was the smart move. I am quite certain Patrick can't walk on water but I'm equally certain he is broadly knowledgeable and experienced and makes wise decisions. As a result for my use cases, Slackware IMHO has no peer. Obviously YMMV, and looks like it does so why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish?

2 members found this post helpful.

Agreed! In my 16 years running Slackware it has been my experience that Patrick always delivers a secure, robust, stable release.
There are other operating systems that the OP can try.

One reason to have DOS installed on a 'disk' (of some variety) is to run the Dell BIOS update executable, when one's computers have only Slackware installed. :-)

In the past, I had DOS installed on a floppy and would use this to run the various BIOS update executables. These days, all of my computers with a floppy drive have been retired. It would be nice if the DOS would run from a USB flash-drive.

Over the years computers came to me with Windows on them, and the last step I made was to use Windows to install the then current BIOS update. Afterward, I would reformat the hard-drive and install Slackware. Now that Meltdown and Spectre and cousins are known, I want to be easily able to install the BIOS updates soon after they are issued --- DOS on a 'disk' would be useful.

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Both of my build-it-yourself desktops can update their BIOSes from a USB flash drive. I have done that on one. These machines have never run Windows.
Ed

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Whether Windows, Linux or both, it is possible to use a handoff bootloader like PLOP, which will sit on hdd, floppy, or optical, or USB. For those older PCs that won't boot a USB drive, PLOP will add that service. Just an example, PLOP is an option on many rescue disks like Hirens and it can boot USB even on a Pentium I machine.

1 members found this post helpful.

I have tried most of the mainstream distros and stayed with Slackware even though I don't like everything with it. Sort of love and hate opinion, let's put it this way. For me Slackware is a reliable and lazy representation of linuxfromscratch, but I believe it could be better.

Enjoy your servitude to IGOR then.
Who completely skipped my trollslaying post, by the way.
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Edit2:
Nevermind, I saw the reply, and I was completely right.
Spewed some bullshit and tried to stick his fangs into my chakras.
But, nope. Energy vampire revealed, and didn't even supply a slur for me to call him with. 100% correctly assessed and predicted.
Absolute garbage tier person. And all further energy expended on him, is on y'all.
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Now Slackware is limp wristed losers.

Go IGOR. Go get them!
I'm on your side now.

Edit:
That's a lie. I truly hate people like you. Interesting to see who would be, and was, unironically allied and protective of you though.
To me, this has some reflections to the real world.

Some people of some group go along with hostile intent of another, which in turn makes the people who aren't stupid, start to project loathing onto the group who had traitors to go along with some enemy.
Eventually leading to the idea that the original group deserves it and should be loathed too.

It's the engine that drives the division of nations of the world.
Some traitor always shows up, mucks about with some nation, and then the other nations look upon the mucked about with nation with disdain, and attribute something bad to them too.

Like how Sweden is now "Swedecucks" for example, because the people were too silent when a bunch of treasonous horseshit was thrown at them.
Now Sweden is unironically loathed and the only people who don't loathe them are people you can then deride as nationalists and co.

Needless to say, I don't like that either, but I kind of want to be banned now just to complete that package.
That would just be the cherry on top.

-does a chefs kiss-
(Also, seriously, a product named after a part of a literal 'cult'/'sect'/'church (of the subgenius)' worrying about being seen a sect and getting led by the nose by a 'not a troll, honest guvnah' to avoid that. )
What in "Bob"s name is wrong with y'all. )

FreeDOS has the option to do that.

1 members found this post helpful.

Why do you need to update the BIOS anyway? The Linux kernel accesses hardware directly and completely ignores the BIOS. It has been a long time since I flashed a BIOS, probably longer than 20 years... Never needed to. The risk of bricking the machine outweighs any perceived benefit IMO.
Get a USB floppy drive. Most BIOSes will allow you to boot from it.
This is not needed. The kernel takes care of it.

1 members found this post helpful.

This is true for pre-built machines.

Build-it-yourself machines may need a BIOS update to accommodate CPUs or memory timings that are newer than the motherboard. The BIOS still initializes the hardware. BIOSes for build-it-yourself machines have a bewildering number of settings that control how the hardware runs. Pre-built machines do not offer the ability to goof up the hardware.

My current machine is brick-proof: the motherboard has two independent, socketed BIOS chips and a switch to select which one to use. The manufacturer realized that the target customer (enthusiasts/overclockers) would otherwise brick it.
Ed