As the title implies, I would like your input contrasting the 2. I am very new to Slack (I use Arch as my main OS) but I would like to learn how to use it for fun.
Manually resolving dependencies every single time seems like a bit much for me, so I was thinking of using either swaret or slapt-get.
Up to this point, I have been downloading source tarballs, compiling, makepkg, and installpkg, when possible. This has worked thus far for things like Yakuake, but now I would like to expand the capabilities of my Slack system by adding codecs and plugins, and this seems a bit beyond my abilities and level of patience to do 100% manually.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I personally prefer slapt-get much more than Swaret, but everyone is going to have their own take on the issue (with many shunning all types of automated package managers). The best thing to do is use them and see which one makes more sense to you.

It is important to note however, that the binary package repositories for Slackware are relatively small, and just because you have an automated package manager does mean you will be able to easily get all the packages you are looking for. I have to compile probably 70%-80% percent of the software I use simply because there is no (or no suitable) Slackware package available for it.

So be prepared to continue compiling and packaging your own software, regardless of what application you are using to handle the installation of it.

I appreciate the reply.
Does what I am proposing sound feasible to you? Namely, using slapt-get (or swaret) for installing stuff like mplayer, mplayer-plugins and codecs for sound and video on the web and dvd...?
I have no problem manually compiling and installing with makepkg and installpkg, but this mplayer thing is kicking my ashtray.

Try the SlackBuilds from slackbuilds.org or slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds or slacky.eu. Any dependencies are clearly spelled out. The latter two also have binaries as slackpackages (tgz) if you don't want to compile.

Linuxpackages.net has a bunch of pre-compiled binaries with dependencies spelled out (your milage may vary).

Brian

Swaret and slapt-get won't help you get dependencies sorted out for compiling software, they are only used on pre-compiled binary packages that somebody has already made. So if somebody has already put up a compiled version of MPlayer on a site like Linuxpackages.net, those tools would allow you to download and install it.

The only way they will help with the compilation of software is when you are trying to compile something and are missing a library which somebody has made a package for. Then you could use those tools to download and install the library, then try to compile again. But like I said before, many times packages simply aren't available for the software you are looking for, and you will be forced to compile it yourself.

Thanks again, I'll try and sort it all out. This is all quite new (and foreign) to me, so I will have to invest some time to understanding what I am doing. I have never had to manually maintain or install much of anything before, but I would very much like to learn, because that seems the most elegant way of working with Slackware. Perhaps I will use swaret or slapt-get after I learn the manual way.

You will probably find it is much easier than you think. SlackBuilds automate the build process for you, and create packages that you install with the simple command "installpkg" ( and can remove just as easily). Just take the time to read the information about each SlackBuild, and it will also tell you if there are dependencies. If there are, you can almost always find SlackBuilds for those at the same site. That automated dependency checking seems nice, but you will end up with a less stable system and one over which you have less control.

Brian

Wow, awesome. I used the Slackbuilds for mplayer, the codecs, and mplayer-plugin....worked flawlessly the first time! It is very similar to the ABS (Archlinux Build System), so I felt right at home here.
Thanks again for all the great advice and replies.