This is sort of a pseudo announcement. I found so many posts on the internet in forums and mailing lists about people asking how to trim slack. What do they *need* and what can they throw out. What does everything *really* do. How can they make *just* a web server or fileserver or whatever server.

There have been very little responses to these because...well...there's no easy way to answer any of those questions. So most people give short little answers or some are the usual RTFM. Or no answer at all. Which is no good for the community as a whole.

I would like to change that. As a dedicated Slacker and a tinkerer who has been doing ungodly things to Slackware for years I would like to answer these questions and help people understand their Slackware that much more.

So with that, I announce that I am starting the uSlack project.

Oh god, another distribution? No

This will not be linux distribution 1,000,000,000,000 and 1. I am not forking Slackware. I am not changing Slackware, at least not it's core or principle's. I love Slackware. I also love toying with Slackware. Seeing all the different things I can do with it that maybe no one else thought of yet. Or at least, no one put on a website saying they did it yet.

At the site I hope to have many different Articles, Tips, Scripts, etc detailing everything from getting Slackware to it's most minimal that you can imagine to a fully functional server in the space of <200mb. I'm not talking crippled, i mean, webserver, fileserver, bittorrent server, ftp, tftp, ssh, sql. A server. I'm not going to give you a cd you can download and an install script. I'm going to show you how with the Slackware disk you have right now, you can make Slackware into anything you want it to be.

These articles aren't going to just show you a bunch stuff you type into a command line with no explanation to what it means or what it does. I mean before and after every step explaining the who, what, when, where, and why.

For right now I do not have a website as I am still building some material to open with. I am also not in my home country (US) to setup the necessary things for this and I am still in the process of looking for a host.

Hopefully within the next month I will have something up and running though. I am excited to bring this to the Slackware community. I feel it's something we've needed for awhile now and I want to give back to the best linux community out there.

Thank You

EDIT:

If you have any ideas for articles or any questions just post em or pm me.

This sounds like a worthwhile project. I look forward
to following your progress, and will make comments or
suggestions after reviewing what you post up.

Very interesting:-) I look forward to reading about your project as it develops. This project has the very real potential to help to empower Slackers.
Please post your site when it is up and running:-)

It does sound interesting, and I think it will be a great resource. I would like to suggest that, in addition to your articles, tips, etc. that you have some simple tagfiles that can be used instead of having to manually select/deselect packages (if you haven't thought of this already, that is). That way, you're still using Slackware (ie you are using the official Slackware install CD/DVD), but you can specify a tagfile that selects which packages to install (this functionality is built into the Slackware installer). I think this would make it easier to install a minimal Slackware system (after reading WHY each package is included/excluded, of course). It would also simplify installing a minimal Slackware system on multiple PCs (though even if you don't include a tagfile, one could be generated after installing on one PC and then that generated tagfile could be used on subsequent PCs...so I guess this isn't an issue).

Tagfiles are only a very very small piece to what I envision and have done. I will be showing in more advanced articles recompiling the Slackware packages and what parts and pieces are not needed. By recompiling packages without dependencies for everything like in the default pkgs, only the things we want to depend on. You can increase greatly the amount of space saved by not installing unneeded features from dependency packages.
What is the default package size of samba for Slackware-current right now? 78mb! All it does is allow you to serve files to clients and it takes up 78mb. Doesn't sound like much to you maybe, but i can show you how to get that number to ~10mb.

Don't think that I'm just going to recompile all of Slackware. That's not the case at all. I'm just going to show you that by making a minimal install of Slackware, adding a few key packages, and recompiling a very *minor* amount of packages. You can save a very large amount of space. Now, let me tell you that your definition of "large" will probably not be the same to begin with. We're so used to seeing packages that take up 50mb, 80mb, or more *each*. Doesn't sound like much, but add it all up and somehow you have an install that's in the gigabytes.

I have right now running in a Qemu image that I built myself. A Slackware that can do all the things I said in my previous post and more. A webserver, fileserver, bittorrent server(with web interface), upnp media server, ftp, tftp, ssh, and sql database. All this in ~260mb of space. Oh and did I mention that's including php(21mb unmodified pkg), python(65mb before being stripped), and a blogging software package and forum software. What I've done can be recreated easily again and again. I have done nothing more then take the Slack I love, and make it the Slack I always wanted.

I made several package decisions to get my Slackware so small and yet so full of features. I have not replaced all of Slackware with outside packages. Actually, really only 1 package and that was Apache. Everything else is right in Slackware. You don't have to choose every choice I made. If you want a different piece of software for you Sql database. So be it. It is your system to mold.

I simply want to show Slackware users what their system can be if they so choose. To give them the knowledge to make Slackware what they want it to be. To open that black box and peek inside. Hell, rip off the lid and jump in.

Slackware is so easy to make it what you want. I want to show you how.

It's your Slackware. Take control.

Hi,

I also look forward to your project. It does sound interesting and with potential.

Here another person looking forward to it !!

You've got my interest.

I probably would have named this thread something a little different, though, such as
HowTo Hack Slack: The uSlack Project
I think some people who would be interested will not look in the thread because uSlack won't mean anything to them. Of course, I was curious enough to take a look...

As far as suggestions for articles...
In addition to what you already mentioned I would include some tips on hacking the init scripts for various purposes (speed, functionality, etc). For instance, I have hacked my init scripts to be able to use boot time params to boot for certain functions such as turning my computer into a music player (total boot is a few seconds).

You might also want to add some articles that talk about using multiple gccs or firefox's safely in the same environment. I believe there are threads here for both of those.

The possibilities are really endless. You could potentially have a RSS feed that has the Slack Hack of the Week. I'm excited to see what unfolds.

I am also interested now. However is this only about making a more slim whatever_server Slackware? Will you do the same for a desktop based system too?

I chose uSlack for two reasons really. The 'u' conotates micro yes. It also to me can me 'u' or 'you' Slack. Your slack, my slack. All of our's.

As for what the project will be geared to. I really am not going to limit this to one type of thing or another. I won't say there will not be any Desktop oriented Articles. I don't know if I will write them personally. I am not too interested in Desktop Slack as much as I am Slack for servers. I am not going to say I will not allow an Article written for Desktop's to be added. A Desktop article might need to be built over time rather then written by itself and released all at once. Desktop's are not small beasts.

This is a community project.

Really, this is just getting people into their Slackware. Using, editing, hacking, etc.

I hopefully won't be the only contributor. If I am then I am, it's not going to stop me.

I have a whole bunch of ideas for the site. Some are as of yet not in any actual form other than my thoughts but I assure they will be beyond helpful resources for any Slacker.

Hi,
No 'u' does not denote micro but the symbol 'µ' does represent a micro symbol.

I like the broad approach to the server issues you are attempting. There is a need to present information to the Desktop user as well. As a community organizer. You should include both arenas that way more likely to get the Slackware® community involved.

Again, I hope this does evolve and I do look forward to it.

Actually the 'u' is used to denote the 'µ' symbol as a software naming convention. The uLibC (micro LibC) is the most famous example of that.

Eric

Hi,
I forgot about that. But conventionally/universal the 'µ' is used to denote micro.

I'll be watching for this one, too.

This sounds like a very interesting project, and if I can help, then I will.

I use Slackware for servers, and having an "easier" way to slim down to something very slim and basic would be absolutely great!


/Thomas