Hey there! new user here, have been frequenting the Slackware forums for a while and decided to hop in, found that Slackware worked really well in any hardware I threw at it, and not even the most glitchy BIOS of the world could hope to stop it once it ran, I was truly amazed at how stable the so called "iron distro" went for me as well as the simplicity of the distro itself

I've noticed that new threads have been a little bit on the negative side, not particularly encouraging but the posts are interesting to read. So I decided to change things a little bit and make my first thread this one!

Anyway, what is it that you like or love the most about Slackware in particular? the design choices? the KISS principles? the iron solid stability? the tools that come with it? maybe the docs?

For me, all the above plus the fact that it just works, admittedly, it takes some grease elbow to put it at where you want it to be, but for me, the desktop user, it works just fine. Word-processing, browsing, graphics, games, etc.

And I get to learn a lot about the distro, dependencies and man-pages while at it.

For me, it is stability, extensibility, and simplicity, in that order.

4 members found this post helpful.

Simplicity and transparency. With Slackware, user is in control.

Afterthought:

If you are new to Slackware and Linux, neither is simple, because new user has arrived in a different world.

Slackware teaches you to understand Linux. Distros that set out to make Linux "easy" do not; they keep Linux, to borrow a phrase from Earl Derr Biggers, "behind that curtain."

5 members found this post helpful.

DragoonJ, you're obviously linux seasoned, good to see you had a slacky experience.

What I like? the KISS principle, the iron solid stability, the fact that it just works amazingly! and no "that which shall not be named".

On the other hand from this other thread "Distrotube - Slackware Package Management With Serge" and to your other comments
That's all because of the well built and maintained slackware infrastructure.

3 members found this post helpful.

I have quite a few reasons to like Slackware even though I recently listed some reasons I have been running Red Hat distributions.

1. I like that Slackware comes with all the tools I need to develop web applications. I work with Ruby and the usual HTML/CSS/JavaScript technologies. I've developed my own blogging software, a bug tracking system, a front-end to Git, and a simplified webmin clone optimized for my Raspberry Pi gateway router. All are written in Ruby using either Sinatra or Ruby on Rails. All coded on Slackware 14.2. Before I ran Slackware I used to do all my testing on other distributions using virtual machines. On Slackware I use LXC because its conveniently included in the stock installation.
   
2. I like that administering hosts and networks can be done right out of the box. Tools like nmap, netcat, telnet, wget, curl, ruby, perl, and python come by default on Slackware. Many distributions require you to install these. There is nothing worse than when your internet access goes down and you cannot yum/apt-get install a package because you cannot reach the repository servers. With Slackware, the build script, package and source are all right on the DVD in my hands.
   
3. I like that I can easily extend Slackware by using my own SlackBuild scripts. The process of creating custom packages on other Linux distributions is a lot more complicated. Slackware makes custom packaging dead simple. Anyone who can shell script will easily pick up how to write a SlackBuild script.
   
4. I like that the Xfce desktop environment comes with Slackware. I've been using Xfce for many years. However, it is also a plus that I can switch to a lightweight window manager like Fluxbox with just a few commands. Slackware gives the user many options as far as default GUI's go.
   
5. Finally, I find Slackware as a very educational system. I have been running Linux since 2002. While I am still a fledgling penguin compared to some on this forum, that's quite a while. 16 years. Of those years I have been using Slackware for 3. I've learned more about Linux in those 3 years then I did all the other years running Debian. As a result, I can pick up any Linux distribution and feel right at home.

3 members found this post helpful.

It's probably a combination of the things already listed here but ultimately since I'd add the package tool system where dependencies are ither already in the system or they must be handled manually. This means it is easy to have and enjoy a system in which absolutely nothing happens that i didn't initiate. Not only is this a huge security assistance in clarity but if and when something doesn't go the way I expect it to I know right where to look because I just did it. Clear and Simple.

2 members found this post helpful.

No sense in repeating myself.

Why I Use Slackware

1 members found this post helpful.

Sanity

1 members found this post helpful.

Your blog entry was very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

I agree on most of what you have written there.

The reasons I liked and like Slackware is:

1. It is a very good distro for learning many different skills, from compiling to understanding bash and what is under the hood.
2. It is easy to replace packages, since there is no dependency checking
3. What is included is based on unpatched code
4. It is very flexible. Since it is quite simple you can understand it and change it to your needs fairly easily.
5. One package contains everything. You don't have to think about development libraries.
6. It has the homely feeling, This is something you develop only if you have used it for long enough, I guess it can be said for any distro but it is in my personal list of reasons.

Vanilla

Right, now we're getting somewhere interesting. I've said before that there are only three distros I tend to bother with: Ubuntu, Debian and Slackware [at three levels of ability]. But I don't like how Ubuntu is going, its community is just a cattle ring of new users [ditto FDN], and I'm not that comfortable about systemd in Debian. The Slackware community is part of the reason I love the distro and I've spoken about it before - many of the regulars have been here for years and the level of knowledge on the Slackware forums is impressive.

I think a lot of us are in Slackware for the same reasons - KISS, stability, learning etc. However, the associations linked to these reasons are important. I feel safe with Slackware. It's not a fad distro, its team and user-base are committed to what it represents: true simplicity, transparency, erudition, dedication, independence, self-reliance, determination and intransigence. Slackware does what it wants, it represents a lifestyle, life choices. There's an old school feel to the distro that can put one in a very good place psychologically. I respect it, its BDFL and its users. There aren't many distros I can say that about.

1 members found this post helpful.

Same reasons as all the previous posters have mentioned. Plus, it just feels right to me, suits me better than any other distro I've tried.

1 members found this post helpful.

Slackware is special. Using Slackware is rewarding experience, providing stable and pleasant computing. Learning stuff is just a bonus you can skip. Somehow, I relate to Slackware as if it were a living being. It's hard to explain, possibly because I feel that Slackware cares about me, the user.

I care for Slackware deeply and want to see it grow and take place it deserves in Linux ecosystem. I don't want it to be known as a tutorial distro, I want Slackware to be known for what it really is: a distro that is stable and cares about its users.

I have to say that I really dislike the aura of elitism surrounding it. I think that the most important task that a casual slacker can do for Slackware is to put some effort into breaking the prejudice about Slackware being hard core, difficult to use and tailored for neckbeard cultists chanting rtfm.

Slackware simply trades some convenience for more control. True dilemma about using Slackware is whether you benefit more from the control Slackware provides or prefer convenience that some other distros offer, or even Slackware itself - with third-party tools. Slackware maintainers are doing their best in order to keep that control for users and their hard work is rather cynically described with strong and pejorative words such as elitism, conservatism...

Anonymous reviewer on distrowatch.com sums it up in a simple one liner:

That's exactly what I like about Slackware. And this, too:

That's Steve Ballmer, raving and rampaging when asked about Slackware, while on sedatives, starting exactly 14.2 and ending 13.37 minutes before current heart attack. He's better now and his condition will soon be stable. I cannot stress stability thing enough, but he can

My attitude towards Slackware (or should I say Slackware's towards me) is equally important as technical reasons and that's why I had to write such a long reply. You could say I'm a fanboy.

2 members found this post helpful.

Slackware is robust, secure, and flexible; it meets my needs on a wide variety of hardware.
Welcome to the official Slackware forum, DragoonJ!

2 members found this post helpful.

Clueless end user here. I find Slackware to be...

• (relatively) Complete: a full (offline!) install from a standard iso plus half a dozen SlackBuilds gives me what I need for most eventualities
• Consistent: learn how to do things on 14.0 (in my case), the knowledge stays relevant for 14.2+
• Comprehensive: I quite often find out about a new bash command and, lo, it is already installed!
• Calm: The platform does not change things under your feet, you are in control. ChangeLog is a slow moving river (for a release version) that suggests sensible actions

3 members found this post helpful.