I am thinking of trying Zenwalk linux. There are 3 iso file available: 7.9.6, 8beta and 8beta2 : http://zen-repo.meticul.eu/x86_64/ . I want to install a stable system and keep it udpdated regularly. Which iso should I use: release 8beta2 or 7.9.6? Will both iso installs become identical system when I udpate them?

Jean-Philippe follows Slackware's development cycle so these ISOs are snapshots of Slackware-currents plus Zenwalk customizations and in-house packages and tools.

As such if I am correct a system installed from one of these ISOs is not supposed to be "updated". Rather, I assume that further beta or release candidates will follow suite and just supersede the previous ones and that Zenwalk 8 (stable) will be released shortly after Slackware 14.2. If JP doesn't answer himself here I will ask him if I am right or wrong.

Hi,

The Zenwalk beta2 matches Slack beta2, with all Slack improvements since beta1, all Zen improvements since beta1 (and all new Slack&Zen bugs introduced since beta1 )

Zen 7.9 serie is a kind of transitional "current" build toward 8.0, too much work in progress in this version : forget it (it's stable as current can be).

The beta2 is your choice to test Zenwalk : very stable.

You can start with beta 2 and then use netpkg to update from repositories to follow the evolution to 8.0 final, no problem : like Slackware, Zenwalk is a rolling release distro : ISOs are just stable snapshots of current

I hope it helps
Cheers
JP