I have two Slackware 12 boxes at the moment, using XFce 4.4.1, they both run light and fast. These units are both Pllls, a 667 MHz with 256 MB RAM and a 800 MHz with 768 MB RAM.
Slackware 12 runs just fine on my PCs. I don't notice any noticeable lag with Fire Fox 2.0.0.8, also Open Office 2.3 loads surprisingly quickly.

I've used Slackware for a while on my Thinkpad 600E (PII, 288MB RAM). I actually dual boot with Windows XP (which I stripped down a lot) and both work beautifully. I use Xfce for Slackware. I installed Freerock GNOME so I could use some GNOME apps and all of these work fine and aren't slow (GNOME and KDE ARE a little sluggish). I'm using a customized kernel (2.6.13). My only problem is that it seems the graphics card isn't as well supported in linux as it is in windows. As a result, when I scroll down a window (in Firefox or a pdf reader for example), the screen kind of rolls instead of just scrolling. It doesn't do this in windows.

Right now the system is somewhere between Slackware 11 and 12. I used to be slackware-current, but I haven't needed to use my laptop much for a while so it definitely is no longer current. I do know I have the newer version of Xfce on it with desktop icon capabilities and all still works fine. I may reinstall to slackware 12 someday, but for now, as many have said, it is not worth it. This is especially true for me as I would have to recompile a kernel to accommodate new features and my old hardware.

I appreciate all the posts. I finally got a monitor, so I was able to boot the machine, and here are the full specs:

Dell Dimension 4100
Intel Pentium III 1.10 GHz
384MB PC100
200GB - One 40GB and one 160GB
Nvidia Geforce 2 GX w/32MB of Video Memory


So as you can see, this is not as bad of a machine as I origionally thought. The only problem is that the BIOS refuses to boot the Slackware 12 or 11 installation CD's. It only boots the 10.2 and older CD's. Hopefully I can resolve this by upgrading the BIOS, and if not that, then I will try swapping the discs after booting. Or is there a way to change the boot-image-size on the discs? I don't know, but I will figure something out to get Slack 12 on this computer. Again, thanks for all the input. Wish me luck!

are you using cd-r's or cd-rw's?

They are CD-R's. Memorex Blacks to be exact.

Hi,

Does your Dell 4100 use the Intel 44bxe motherboard? If so your BIOS should be -p17 which would be the most current from Intel.

You could use the 'Slackware®12_Janux_NET_NoBurn_Install' method.

I use a Toshiba Libretto 100CT (Pentium MMX, 266 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 4 GB-CF as harddisk) with Slackware 9.1 and Kernel 2.4.33.3 (bareacpi.i).

Boottime to init 3: 33 Seconds
Boottime from init 3 to X-Server, startet firefox only: 30 Seconds (I start it with "startx /usr/lib/firefox/firefox")

In this way I can use firefox without any problems, I do not need a running Windowmanager while surfing the net.

The little machine also can run GpsDrive with festival soundserver for speech output with a plugged in GPS unit.

In this case I start the X-Server with "/usr/local/bin/festival & startx /usr/local/bin/gpsdrive -Sqs 475" and I have the CPU running with about 60 % and used full memory without swapping.

Slackware 9.1 in init 3 needs 13 MB of memory, the rest is useable for programs or the X-server to start.

Only my experience with Slackware and "old" hardware and actual programs (firefox, GpsDrive, festival).

Fluxx.

I haven't checked the specific model of motherboard, but I went to Dell's website to see if they had it, but the one they had was A11. I don't know if this BIOS can read the larger boot loader on the Slackware 12 disc, but I will try. I will take a look at my motherboard tonight and see what model it is.

A question about that, actually, I already downloaded the bootable image to install the new BIOS, but the instructions on Dell's website says that I need to use a 3.5" floppy. I don't have any of these, so would it be possible to load the boot installer for the new BIOS to a CD and boot from that? Just wondering if I should try that, or just bite the bullet and actually go out and buy a pack of floppies.

Hi,

Just bite the bullet an get some floppies!

Oh, fine... I SUPPOSE I could do that. Stupid floppies.

Ok, so I updated by BIOS, and my computer still cannot boot the Slackware 12 CD's. I tried swapping out the CD's at the time of installation, and every package fails at the install. How can I change the size of the boot loader on the CD?

Hi,

You could use a older Slackware 10/11 version install cd. Swap out the Slackware 12 install cd1 once you boot.

I tried that already. It doesn't work for me. It cannot find the kernel to boot on the CD, and if I swap out the CD before the setup is started, every package that attempts to be installed fails.

How would I go about taking the bootloader off the CD with Nero?

sounds like to me that your are going to have to install Slackware by booting into any linux, chrooting, and manually installing packages and setting up.