 Visitor Reviews |
Slackware Linux
|
Reader supplied reviews for Slackware Linux
Average rating
9.1 from 122 review(s)
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-09-15
Votes: 4
|
I'm a business consultant in Japan, currently in my 50s, with a background in network engineering. I've been using Ubuntu for nearly a decade, having switched all my home computers from Microsoft Windows. Testing Slackware for a few weeks as a replacement for Ubuntu has been quite a revelation. Surprisingly, adapting the system to the Japanese language was super easy and straight forward. Despite not having changed much since I first encountered it in the 1990s, the modern Slackware is running significantly faster and more smoothly than Ubuntu, after a bit of initial troubleshooting. The sense of control over the system is palpable, even though I've only gone through the basic routines of `sudo slackpkg update` and `upgrade-all`, and installed a few SlackBuild applications as an experience. This feeling of transparency and control is something I’ve never experienced with more closed-off distributions. I am grateful to the developers and the community, and I hope the distribution continues to thrive.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-10
Votes: 31
|
I'm using Slackware-current on my main desktop and Slackware 15.0 (with Salix third-party repos) on my two laptops, and they all function as they need to be. Slackware is Linux as it was meant to be: minimal, old school, and portable. You can make it into your very own OS if you'd like, or just accept the defaults. What makes this better than Debian or Arch is that I can tell the system what I want and don't want on my system. They also never went along with the Systemd scam, as far as I can tell, and Elogind is there if I want to use desktop environments (I use i3wm, which doesn't need any of that). Newer packages can be built from SBO (SlackBuilds). No problems being on the newer 6.10 kernels.
I highly recommend Slackware and Slackware-based distros if you're a long-time Linux/Unix-like user who's ready to end the distrohop once and for all. Debian and Arch are too politically corrupt, whereas we Slackware users rely on each other as a COMMUNITY. Think that's the real dividing line, and it shows. We must thank Patrick Volkerding and his co-developers for continuing to publish only the highest-quality open-source software!
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-30
Votes: 10
|
I am still using 14.2 version (have version 15 on another partition), it runs fine like an old knitting machine. Of course I now have to update packages manually, like firefox, openoffice, palemoon ..., thats not a problem, and unlike slackware 15 where I have some issues due to the graphics being too bright or something, I can keep using this version with not many vision problems - its a great distro, long live slackware 14.2.
I have been using slackware since version 9.1, got of a cover of a magazine here in the UK - its never failed me.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-12
Votes: 29
|
Even though many people thinks this is an outdated distro, man, when you're using -current branch there is nothing to miss about Windows 11, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, works right out of the box, even touch panels! When you have been such a long time Slackware user, like me (I have used since version 7.0) I'm kinda overwhelmed by this fact, but I have it on an old Acer Aspire, and it works beautifully! On this same machine I have a Docker development implementation, with no issues with my web browsing or media experiences, with 0 frame drop! Long live Pat!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-23
Votes: 23
|
I actually run both 15 and current maintaining both, I use current more and 15 as a fallback as an extra layer of redundancy. Slackware is for people that want to operate and run original GNU LInux, you can't even argue that fact. It's original GNU Linux, period. On my GNU Linux journey I started out using Mandrake and tried several others in 2001, I kept checking out stuff until around 2003-2004,
then I settled with Slackware and it just locked into place for me. I then tried Vector Linux just to check it out in 2006, I ran that for awhile, then went to Ubuntu Studio for awhile, then Manjaro for another five years. I am back on Slackware, I got tired of systemd and annoyed with it's stop jobs and a few other aspects of it. Slackware feels like home on my system. It's outrageously solid and stable, it's old school but very modern.
Slackware is magical. Do yourself a favor and give it an honest try making it as a permanent thing as possible.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-19
Votes: 16
|
I have used Slackware when 8.1 version was fresh. Stayed until 10.0. Then I did not have time to play with Linux, so I used Win 7, Ubuntu, RHEL, Fedora. Until the big drama with Red Hat obfuscating sources. I decided that I had enough of corpo greed and evaluated a few distros for my servers, laptop and workstation/gaming PC. Migrated servers from Ubuntu to Slackware and have never been happier since. Once Slackware is set up it needs very minimal or no maintenance, without stupid reboots and the initial setup is plain and easy. There is nothing going behind the scenes. Unlike Debian for example all packages are vanilla, just like their authors and maintainers meant.
Then I decided to give it a go as my daily and once I've found out that it is extremely easy to run games with conty.sh. I am running Fluxbox with no login manager. It feels snappy and extremely responsive and it is definitely not a resource hog. Mint and Fedora felt much slower and had more problems and bugs than Slackware and my PC is fairly up to date (i5-13600kf, 32GB RAM and RX6800XT). Everything works out of the box with no bugs. You will need to spend some time in text configs, but once it is done it is the best distro ever. I am not going to change it for anything else anytime soon. It just works.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-01-06
Votes: 33
|
Have 4 intel/AMD 64-bit servers plus 2 64-bit servers VMs.
Except for the occasional pkg that I need to do a SlackBuild for, it is perfect for my servers and laptops.
Have KDE on 1 VM, XFCE on 3 servers and 1 VM, and 1 server without any X-windows nonsense at all.
Easy to install and configure, easy to maintain. Patrick and Co. do a great job. If you are looking for a simple, no nonsense distro and are not afraid of the command line Slackware is a great distro.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-29
Votes: 19
|
Slackware Linux works great out of the box. Hint: Slackware should probably not be your first distro in my opinion. Once you have your "Linux ropes" around you and are comfortable, this is the time to break out your Slackware DVD. Yes, you have tweaks here and there, but a lot less than other distros.
With the software supplied and the great documentation, the user has many configuration options available to set up the Slackware Linux box as individually required. It just is the one distro I rely on to get work done.
I have tried many, many different distros, but being a Slackware Linux user since 1996, I have found no other distro that I would change to for my daily tasks and adventures. Slackware in 1996 was equipped with a 2.X kernel (2.0 I think). Slackware keeps to it's K.I.S.S. principle Keep It Simple Stupid. This principle has worked for me very well. After you get it set up, do yourself a favor and read the /etc directory. You will learn a great deal and things will be much more clearer to you.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-15
Votes: 22
|
Slackware is not designed to be your next distro hop. It is designed so that after all your hopping, you can make Slackware the distro you need yourself. Its one of the few.
The only con I find...It really is work to get into Slackware truly, and I should write a "slackware for dummies like me" -book to help new users not give up on it so easily.
The curve of learning.
To get started with it is relatively easy for anyone who has even a little patience. You will break it a few times when you don't follow the "keep it simple stupid"- philosophy and by that meaning you wont do it the way you were told to do it.
After 4 years Im still slacking.
Anyone can learn to use it.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-07
Votes: 205
|
Slackware is second to none GNU/linux distro. I have been using Slackware as my daily driver for almost two decades now. I tried many other linux distros, but none is as stable and simple as Slackware (no, not even debian - i really mean it). It just works. It is a clean, tidy, and consistent os. Once you learn it, you can use it for years without any problems (of course nothing is perfect, but the glitches/hiccups you encounter is minimal compared to other linux distros). My favorite os is openbsd but as a daily driver Slackware is my main choice, ( I also use FreeBSD as a file server at home).
So if you want reliable, simple, consistent, os to use on your desktop and/or laptop, you cannot find a better distro than Slackware. I highly recommend it. Make sure you activate firewall, edit hosts, hosts.allow, ssh config file (as per your requirement), and for laptop please use full disk encryption. You are good to go!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-06
Votes: 10
|
The BEST OS in the world.
Everything works from the start. No other Linux distro have this ability.
Is a special Linux distro for special people
You have the control on your system, not the other way round
Stable what else
Give it a try. You will find a lot of YouTube videos how it works
I hope the project will go on
I'm not a new Linux user but with experience more than 20 years.
I have tried a lot of distros but always coming back to Slackware
Once you try Slack you never go back
Slackware until the end !!!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-10-29
Votes: 23
|
If you want to ditch windows and also not be beholden to "mainstream" linux distros, this is the one to pick. YES, the usage learning curve is STEEP, but you DO want to have a stable and conf-once-run-forever OS that won't jump at you with hidden updates, files of unknown origin and/or use?
Minimum requirement for using Slackware:
A pair of eyes and/or glasses as an aid --- because of RTFM that applies from the moment you decide to create a bootable usb, all through the installation and then later usage
Slackware comes with a lot of, if not all, development tools, multimedia programs and office package to boot. Yes, it's not ideal, but that's where YOU come in with your rolled up sleeves --- no two slackware installations in the world are equivalent, at least not by choice.
You have the help of SBo although I wouldn't recommend the simulations of yum//apt-get that are provided by the community -- better you should control exactly what and where you install to your system, the slapt maintainer won't use it, you will! :)
I've been a happy user of Slackware for 6 years running; My intro to slackware was by force of having to drop to very old machine hardware that could only feasibly run Slackware 14.2. Those were some dark weeks but as some of the brothers like to say, and they say it with pride and knowing full-well what that entails;
"Once you go slack, you never go back!"
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-08-31
Votes: 10
|
Being a slackware fan, I would love more than anything to give it a 10. But 9 is the most I can manage for the lack of a unified package manager, and the lack of support for openZFS. Besides that, it is indeed perfect, and so stable you can forget about it.
Things to be aware: kernel upgrades are usually just fine, but sometimes you need to take a few steps to get it bootable. Specially if you use strange modules.
The new change for GRUB may be a good thing, but that is still to be seeing. In my experience, some hardware will work easily with lilo. Not to mention UEFI, this atrocity. But well, not Slackware fault.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-10
Votes: 83
|
Preface, if you want a distribution all special effects and configuration wizards, stay away from it, it is not for you.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for substance, read on.
Slackware is "old school" linux but that does not mean it is obsolete or unsuitable for use in a modern PC or server, simply that it follows the KISS (keep it simple stupid) philosophy and does not decide instead of the end user how it should be used.
It provides a choice of software, DE, and WM that may be redundant for many but all of which allows for much, if not all, of what is needed to begin using it.
For everything else there is slackbuilds.org and various repositories of already compiled packages, as an example I can mention AlienBOB aka Eric Hameleers.
Slackware does not dazzle with customization and special effects aimed at catching new users, everything is in "vanilla" configuration, that is, as released by the software developers, including the kernel but if you have the patience to learn about the distribution and do not let yourself be discouraged by the fact that any configuration will have to be done by editing the configuration files, either through the system tools or manually, you will end up with a system that is truly your own and not one prepared according to someone else's tastes.
At first it seems hostile, but in the long run the satisfaction of learning how it works might even convince you to stop jumping from one distro to another.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-06-11
Votes: 35
|
Slackware is not for the faint of heart, or easy-click monkeys. With Slackware it's possible to have a functional operating system that takes up disk sizes reminiscent of days gone by. With Slackware you learn to be a conscious user , to move your brain, to understand what well-made software looks like. Slackware is especially useful for servers. For those who want a DAW or graphics workstation : better to lean on Devuaan , which can draw on a large software pool. If you take pleasure in drugging yourself with special effects at the click of a button, Slackware is not for you.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-06-07
Votes: 17
|
The best operating system in the word. Slackware is the most UNIX like Linux distribution and always the user to determine what they want to do with their system and not the creators of the Linux distribution. Slackware is fast and is advanced. Slackware will be the best operating system for the rest of time. Slackware can do what ever any other operating system in the world can do and is very good. I use Slackware because it allows me to to what ever I want to do and it is free, secure and stable.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-05-16
Votes: 14
|
What to say, one of the besto distros ever.
It may look difficult but its not. Its not bloated, it has a hihly customisable installation and you can get a very basic minimal system for your needs, what you cant do in other distributions. After minimal installation, compiling everything else is best way to go and keep it simple. Compilation of software is very intuitive and easy same as compiling dependencies and manually tracking them.
Elegant, simple and very stable distribution (even current one - rolling release )
Highly recomended
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 1
Date: 2023-04-04
Votes: 279
|
Installing Slackware was a "travel" in 90 years! It's incredibly old, difficult, complicated and not reliable.
The website of this Linux is not appropriate for such a big name. Downloads are available through mirrors (and otherwise you have to search for them a lot) and someone who calls himself "Alien".
A live version looks awful and comes with "Darkstar" in Root. Strange repositories, like a SCAM.
It's a pity that such a famous Linux distro remains undeveloped, complicated and 90 years product.
The "positive" point is that, if you do not want an easy installation, a nice, modern workstation / desktop and drivers for modern applications, you can do endlessly messing around, puzzle and search for sollutions with/in this Linux distro.
Have fun ;)
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-03-23
Votes: 16
|
When Slackware came out, the web, and the distro concept, were new ideas. By the time I started to use it, Slackware was one of the old established brands in a field populated with fly-by-nights. I thought, when moving from an established, proprietary, OS to something comparatively new and experimental I would be leaping in the dark and due a beard singe and finger burn. When I realised that I would be running the installer only once every few months, to a year, its quotidian appearance was less worrying than it could be.
It is not true that Slackware comes with everything but the kitchen sink. I comes with a range of kitchen sinks. There are several desktops, several free-standing window managers, several of just about every kind of internet server you could possibly want, a surprisingly complete gcc package set, format converters and codecs, programmes I have found as binaries nowhere else. That is just on the standard installation iso that fits onto a 4GB usb stick.
Once you get used to the installation and format convertion tools, installing openoffice and Libre Office on the same system is easy and simple to do. You may even like to install one of a number of third-party for-Slackware semi-graphical installers. These typically do dependancies, and not just that, they compile from verified source, automatically. However, you do have to install them first, by hand, with web browser and installation tookit.
There are other products missing from Slackware that you may expect, such as gnome. You can get cinnamon and possably some other respins of gnome from some of the main third-party sites that, for me at least, take Slackware to the next level.
What advice do I have for new users ? Install sbotools and sboui, if you must have dependancy resolution. Do not be alergic to the command line. And finally, if in doubt ask.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-03-10
Votes: 20
|
Slackware is a classic. There is little I can say about it that hasn't already been said. It has a well-deserved reputation for being stable and conservative. It adheres more closely to the traditional UNIX philosophy of keeping things simple and using text files for system configuration.
I do think it would be better if dependency checking were added to the main package tools. This would eliminate the need to "install everything or you will have problems later." Then Slackers could more easily build leaner, more customized installations like you can do with distros like Arch, or Void, or Gentoo. For those who remain convinced that dependency checking is a bad or unnecessary thing, there could be an option to disable it (--no-dep-check or similar).
But I guess if this has not been done in the past 30 years, the chances are probably low.
In any case, I still have a lot of respect for Slackware.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-02-14
Votes: 8
|
It comes bundled with everything but the kitchen sink... and Libreoffice! It is recommended that you install everything, regardless of whether or not you will ever use 2 desktop environments (XFCE and KDE) or a host of web browsers, music players, etc. Installing Libreoffice... the one thing that I use daily... is unnecessarily tedious: it's a time-consuming exercise and prone to failure. Unless you're just curious (as I was) don't bother with Slackware: the whole project is stuck in the 90s, and we have moved on.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 29
|
Its just a little to much. It was fine to have full control over the OS. I still want this. But it brakes to often and it takes me to much time to resolve it. I finally switched to another Distro. It allows me to switch off anything that could happen automatically. But it works smoothly with less OS work on it than with Slackware. Somehow Slackware forgot to move with time. Hard and I do feel sad about it. However, i left Slackware as my active Gnu/Linux Distro. After nearly 18 years and happy 10 years.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-11-13
Votes: 506
|
Slackware is a great distro and ... my bitter disappointment
Well, it was my first Linux that got into my hands. I compiled my first egg in it. I think it was version 3.5 ;) Time goes by and I had forgotten about Slackware for years. Because of the release of the 15th, I decided to play with it. Finally I've got everything set up the way I wanted. It's OK.
So where is my bitter disappointment?
As the oldest Linux on the market, it should have very good documentation. There was plenty of time to do that. And what do I see?
The Slackware documentation is not only bad. It is downright sloppy! It makes me cry when I look at it.
No, I don't buy "don't be lazy, there's everything you need on the web" answers. This is not the way modern projects are developed. This creates confusion and discourages new users.
I will not criticize the official website of the project. Though I could. However, where is a good Handbook? It does not exist. "The Slackware Book Project" looks like it was written on a lap by a freshman. The "beta" of new version is been being created. Information on the web is scattered on various websites often outdated and sometimes even harm instead of helping. And don't tell me it isn't. Do You really want to talk about various system update instructions which can be find on web?
Kind of KISS philosophy, but not quite. Rather,the view is pushed that it is a "system for advanced users" but in practice: "puzzle system - solve it yourself". In addition, the not-so-nice community that get irritated when someone asks too trivial questions and refers to MAN pages, instead of writting a complete guide once and for all.
Slackware is a good piece of software and could be a very friendly distro but it is not. Patrick focused on the code itself and forgot about the rest part of the project. The community that should have fought for new users also overslept. This was not done and at the moment Slackware is a niche distribution despite it's potential. Strong competition in the operating system market made Slackware a system for hobbyists and a small group of enthusiasts.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-12
Votes: 72
|
If you want something really modern-looking and flashy then this isn't it, but it's stable, sane and dependable.
Not for beginners, unless you are looking to put some work in and learn something. Difficulty level of getting up and running is harder than Debian but easier than Gentoo. For those that care, no SystemD bloat is nice. Quite a lot of software is available as binaries and the ports library is huge, so I've not had a problem getting the programs I need.
Especially good if you have some old kit you want to keep going; I'm carrying around a 2006 32-bit ThinkPad running Slackware 15.0 and it runs beautifully, in 2022!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-09-05
Votes: 21
|
I use it. It works. Not much more to say. Often derided for being out of date and not capable of modern use cases. I can't think of a single thing I can't do (that's worth doing) with a little effort as a generic desktop os. Its simple design makes it far more robust, especially with limited resources. In other's negative reviews I often notice complaints that have simple solutions if your familiar with Slackware. This could definitely be averted by better documentation on Slackware's end. Slackware definitely is at a disadvantage attracting new users with its steeper learning curve but, to say that no one is picking it as a distro for the first time is inaccurate.
Philip
first time Slackware user of 1 year.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-29
Votes: 109
|
It's a fantastic distribution. Because the design decisions are made by a single person, the entire OS feels like a complete package, which resembles *BSDs. The same person is doing it for 30 years, so you know exactly what guiding philosophy to expect, and every release will be as easy to navigate as the previous ones. For those of us who like a well working computer that does not send you in re-learning mode every release.
The packaging system is very simple, and consists of a managed compressed tarballs with optional scripts to ease installations. There is no artificial dependency checks, yet some tools like slapt-get, which mimic Debian's apt-get, offer that. The system comes in complete, with a wealth of libraries and software for any occasion, and scripts used for the default packages are available. Those scripts might come in handy since Slackware has a philosophy of not including any patches unless absolutely necessary. Running software as design by the creators makes the system predictable and very stable. During installation it offers to exclude individual software, or entire categories, such as the entire KDE environment at once. Additionally multiple repositories run by volunteers or Slackware-compatible spinoff distributions exist. However, there is also the collection of scripts called SlackBuilds, optionally managed by such programs as sbopkg, which are able to compile or properly package binaries for most things that is ever needed, much like ports in *BSD world, but not as complex as Gentoo's Portage, and more transparent than Arch Linux's AUR. They are tested for consistency, standardized, and well maintained. For those very rare occasion where an obscure program is not available, the simplicity of packages themselves and wealth of libraries already included in Slackware make creating new packages a very simple and elegant experience comparing to .deb or .rpm.
Slackware for now does not come with SystemD, but has it's own *BSD-like init scripts, as well as SystemV compatibility, so the traditional Linux scripts will run fine by default. However, the simplicity of the system allow for installation of SystemD with easy if one really wants it. In fact, the ease of modifying the system is one of its greatest strengths. All configurations files are well commented, each program is unmodified from upstream so their documentation will be always accurate, and the transparency of the system makes it very easy to visualize how any given change fits in the operating of the system. While the default Slackware works great, putting in a little bit of learning on how to make it work just for the user is immensely rewarding, and the conservative philosophy makes the modifications long lasting. No more reconfiguring everything every release!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-07-26
Votes: 101
|
i will say this: i learned more in one year with Slackware than five years with Gentoo. For me Slackware is the best distro and i tested and used lots of distros in the last years. if you want a fast stable rock solid distro you have the number versions if you want something not as stable but stable enough with newer packages you have current. i stopped ditros hopping with Slackware.
Next year Slackware will 30 years old, not to many ditros can say that. This distro doesnt hold your hand but you are in total control of your system As Alien Bob said Slackware is the swiss army knive of the linux world.
|
Version: current
Rating: 1
Date: 2022-07-01
Votes: 22
|
Slackware's site is an HTTP site, which is disappointing.
Slackware is expected and popular as Systemd Free OS, so please use HTTPS site.
(The download site is HTTPS, but the server is slow and crappy.)
I am fed up with the fact that Bluetooth is on by default when I start current Live. I am very disappointed with the parade of software I don't need. Why don't you make it simpler?
Also, please use sha256 or sha51 for checksums, not md5.
kde is too heavy. i wish they would have adopted xfce as default.
I was disappointed because I had very high expectations.
I have no desire to actually install LiveOS because it is not user friendly at this point.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-24
Votes: 101
|
One of the oldest and one of the best. I don't change it for anything else, on my systems. I love it and it philosophy about pakage manager. It' one of the few distros that really you can use to improve your linux knowledge on many aspects of the operating system. Default desktop enviroment choosen by the mantaier (yes, only one mantainer and many collaborators and packet managers) is Plasma (derived by kde), a modern and beautiful integrated ambient, that offer a lot of tools. Server side, it's rock solid, with core applications well tested, without unnecessary frills. It's based on SystemV init method, if you are like me, that don't prefer the systemd drift which, is like an octopus in your system management.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-05-20
Votes: 15
|
Been with Slackware since Zipslack (slackware 9). I moved to Salix a little bit and came back to Slackware. Actually Pat needs to fold Salix (or whats left of Salix) into Slacware (my opinion). What Salix has is Stapt-get/Gslapt. Although Slapt-get/Gslapt is available for Slackware 15.0, I found the developer didn't quite get the update right to run correctly. BUT Salix repositories (yes there are still Salix repositories -- and there are even Slackware 15.0 Salix repositories) The Sailix versions of Slapt-get/Gslapt were superior to the developer's version.
Of course the lion's share of packages to complete my Slackware 15.0 came from Slackbuilds.org, because that's where you KNOW, you build the source code so it SHOULD work with Slackware 15.0. Alas, When Slackware 15.0 debuted, Slackbuilds was not ready for Slackware 15.0... not right away... I had to give it like 2-3 weeks. But they work okay now. Albeit a lot of the packages need to be updated to newer versions. If Pat could fold Slapt-get/ Gslapt into Slackware, and use the packages from Slackbuilds, WE would really have a most modern up-to-date Linux Distro (my opinion).
My system is pretty good now. But I had been without my Slackware PC's for some time, and had forgotten a lot of Linux in that time. So I had to relearn Old School Linux with the new Slackware 15.0. Which I did. I run the Window Manager Openbox on my Slackware systems. It makes the old hardware of this laptop more perky.With that I run Feh, Tint2 (with Jgmenu), and i pipe a full Openbox menu to the Standard Right-click Openbox menu with obmenu-generator.So I have 2 "start menus". I'm weird.
All in all, I would not trade my Slackware 15.0 for all the Ubuntu's in the world. Rock Solid? YEP. It sure is. Was it rough getting here? Meh... I actually tried Xubuntu for a few weeks while Slackbuilds was getting itself up to Quality. Hated it. Went right back to Slackware 15.0. That should tell you a lot. I stuck it out with Slackware 15.0.
Pat, I'll always come back. Always. So keep making Slackware. No Matter What.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-30
Votes: 46
|
I use Slackware from 2004, and it was, and it is my best Linux distro. I used different other Linux distros from time to time like Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, Debian, Arch etc. but Slackware is unique. It is stable and with this new version 15 is suitable for a new or old computers. Yes as I said I have tried Arch too and is really great but Slackware is better, but this is my own opinion. What I really like from Slackware is that you are the boss of your PC and you update things when you decide to do it, not the other way around like the most "easy" distros. With Slackware you have a full control and when something goes wrong you know what to do to roll it back, the other "easy" distros that do everything automatically behind the scenes if something breaks you don't know what went wrong. So for me easy distro is Slackware because I am doing everything by myself and at the same time I'm learning how to use Linux. And yes, I can sleep at nights, and I'm not praying after of each update or upgrade if something goes wrong. I know my PC will start only a hardware failure will stop me. Great work as always, thank you Pat. Slackware until the end.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-17
Votes: 19
|
I have been using slackware since 2008 when I first came across Linux. It wasn't my first Linux experience but as I got more interested in the operating system/kernel/desktop environments, etc... and more knowledge about it I got to know slackware. I use version 15.0 on a 2006 dual core pc. The system is fast and complete even on such an old computer. Although Slackware doesn't have all the tools and software out of the box, if you search a little bit on the Internet you can get everything you need.
I think Slacware is "the" distro of excellence!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 2
Date: 2022-04-16
Votes: 4
|
I used Slack for a few months in the past, and it was kind of fun with its philosophy of doing most things in a not-so-automated way, "do it yourself" fashion, and such. However, if you don't have some spare time or a powerful enough computer, it can be a hadache to make it as "comfortable" to use as some other distros out there, since Slack's repositories are lacking some packages, and most of them you will have to compile from source with slackbuilds or something similar. In my experience it seems to be good for servers, but not practical for daily desktops if you don't fit into one of the categories mentioned above. Despite this, I decided to try the latest release, version 15, and I had some video problems on my laptop with an Atom processor, such as programs stuttering when opening, or glitches in the rendering of windows when moving, leaving some artifacts on the screen during the process, probably related to drivers (?), and also some connection problems, that at certain times I was disconnected and reconnected. After some workarounds I managed to make everything work, apparently, but I noticed some loss in perfomance that will not occur in previous versions. Maybe it is a particular problem of my hardware, maybe not, who knows. Fact is that it made usability totally unfeasible.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-16
Votes: 21
|
Slackware is special. It's community driven, with a benevolent dictator for life. Slackware gives it's users complete control yielding extreme configurability for the power user and sysadmin alike. At the same time, with just a little study, slackware can be installed by an average linux user, or even a new linux user because the proper method to installing Slackware is a Full Install. This conveniently provides everything one needs to get started in any linux endeavor. Version 15 continues the tradition. If one truly wants to learn linux, this is the way to go.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 6
Date: 2022-04-14
Votes: 0
|
Been a diehard Slackware user since version 3.0.
Use it on my desktops, laptops, and servers.
And all along it's been a rock stable OS.
But using 15.0 is a bit disappointing. Although not Slackware directly.
I upgraded from 14.2 to 15.0 on one laptop and my primary desktop.
And I'm encountering problems with both.
I'm encountering problems with many slackbuild programs.
Problems such as programs crashing, desktop freezing, and display corruption.
Enough problems that I'm delaying upgrading my machines used as servers.
But as I said, these are problems with programs obtained from Slackbuilds.
So it's possible that the maintainers of these slackbuilds may be premature in validating their programs for Slackware 15.0.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-11
Votes: 15
|
I use it ( versions 14.0 and 14.2 were the last I worked with) as a replacement for old versions of RED HAT
in 2000 and it is extremely reliable and easy for configuration.
It is running on the servers and is simple, stable, and straight forward ready for work.
I don't need any interventions related to OS.
Never need to replace or update any packaged because of the bugs.
We don't use X win or any desktops.
Will replace old version 14.2 with this 15.0 soon.
We are testing it now on our test system.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-28
Votes: 49
|
slackware gnu/linux fast, stable and simple. i'm use slackware gnu/linux for the laptop working so i used it for working. i'm application developper mobile(android). i use android studio every day in slackware working nice never show an trouble. before change to slackware i use ubuntu but the android studio always slow responding if i use too long time. so i buy a ssd and installing slackware just for chalenging me so i love slackware. good job for pat and the team and all of contributor. hehehehehe
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-17
Votes: 42
|
It's Slackware. Simple, stable, and straight forward. I've used it as daily driver on desktops, and servers since pre-slackware days ... Soft Landing Systems from the old Walnut Creek CD Rom. I have been a fan of Pat since he oversaw that project and decided to continue and introduced the world to Slackware when Walnut Creek went the way of the "Dot-Com" bubble.
I currently have Slackware running on Laptops, Desktops, Servers, & Raspberry PIs.
It has been the most stable and consistently stable of all the Linux distros. Because Patrick et al don't spend all of their time trying to make Slackware anything other than hat it is. So many of the security issues that I see with the various Linux Distros is be cause they try to make them too Ubuntu'y or too RedHat'y and that is where the bus slip in. Do we have security updates Yes but I challenge you to go look at the security updates from the last few years of the major distributions. Live on the bleeding edge expect to get bloody.
There used to bean old saying. If you want to learn this version of RedHat run RedHat.
If you want to learn Linux run Slackware.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-14
Votes: 102
|
In my opinion, this distribution, only this one, would need the praise, so I put 10 because it is the maximum but in truth it would be equivalent to 13.
At the end of the installation we have a real linux (but I would also say UNIX), clearly systemd-free, a system without frills but certainly working; a fast and lean system, modified as little as possible in all respects (read VANILLA).
For the installation we don't have to waste time, we almost go to memory, since 1993. Apart from the partition that must be done in advance, it is always the same. A few questions and in the end everything worked. The SETUP program starts in a fraction of the time of the other installations, and ends in a fraction of time and ATTENTION it also works with an old pentium, even if for many the name does not mean anything by now. In short, this distribution works with the most modern computers, but can give life to real dinosaurs.
After the first start of the system, some things should be changed to speed up the boot time, but everything is solved by setting a few parameters.
Slackware is anything but abandoned, but it is followed by many competent people scattered in the most famous forums.
In the end, knowing how to overcome the few difficulties you will have an exceptional system that has seen many competitors born and die …… .. there will be a reason !!!!!!!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-06
Votes: 11
|
If, like me, you've used Slackware from the get go you'll be happy with 15.0. If you're new to Linux there's a learning curve but it's not steep if you understand Unix commands, even from MacOS.
There are plenty of tools for package and dependency management - just not in the base install so you chose how to do that. It's not hard.
You'll either love it or hate it but, much like vi is the one true editor, Slackware is the one true Linux.
Would you rather live with unanswered questions or would you rather live with unquestioned answers?
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-26
Votes: 12
|
I thought I would see what Slackware is like.
I have used it for a couple of weeks. It has been rock solid and has surprisingly modern software.
Check out Old Tech Bloke (OTB) youtube channel for some good tips on installing and configuring Slackware
The installer works well. I used cfdisk to partition the drive - easier than fdisk for a first time. Install was smooth.
There is a live version too from alienbob called liveslack, which I also have tried - very good also,
The forum at linux questions is full of helpful people too.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-20
Votes: 21
|
Slackware 15.0 has it all! It's not Ubuntu, mind you.
But ahh...that feeling of control over your PC...is still there...and it just feels just feels..great!
I run slackware on my laptop and on a old desktop. As usal performance is good, inline with other fast distros.
I do a mix of desktop and server usage, on the former relying on KDE.
Installation is as you would expect of good old slackware and everything is working.
But beware that some post-install configurations are mandatory such as fine tuning for SSD optimization, enabling basic services, and installing software you use and are not already included in the base distro.
Of these I would highlight:
- Libreoffice
- VLC
- Inkspace
- google-chrome
These can be easily obtained trusted third party repos (from trusted people I, mean). Checkout Alienbob's repo for instance.
(This is one thing I really like about slackware: it has a "personal" feeling i.e you know can name some of the ppl behind the scenes.)
If you have a little patience slackbuilds.org will be updated to support version 15, and then you'll have access to even more software which you can build yourself.
I like to use slackpkgplus and sbopkg to automate things a bit, but these are in no way mandatory.
If you have difficulties search linuxquestions, but before read the documentation! You are not just learning Slackware you will be learning Linux! In possession of a reasonable know-how you will realize that many distros are just blocking you sight.
Not much more to say about a venerable and rock solid distro... just use it and be served...
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-20
Votes: 11
|
I've been using Slackware since about 2004, when I had a DragonLinux (Slackware 7 based) webserver running on the internet. so the installation and configuration of version 15.0 held no fears for me. Rather than upgrade my existing 14.2 install, I opted for a clean install on a Distec ESI604DC industrial PC. I setup a local source on my webserver, and installed via a PXE boot. I had a play with Plasma, but really didn't like it. XFCE4 is more to my taste, but I have always liked the simplicity of fluxbox, and soon had it customised just how I like it. I usually leave out KDE, as I find it just takes up space, though I do have the prettier TDE installed on my 14.2 box.
I find Slackware the least annoying operating system. It has few faults, it doesn't get in the way of what I want to do, and is very well supported by a usually friendly community. I really don't need anything other than lilo as a boot manager, as I understand it well, and it works very reliably. If I wanted to use grub instead, it would be simple to change to it.
My PC is fast and responsive, despite having only 4GB RAM and a 60GB hard disc. Web browsing is faster than my wife's W10 machine, and full screen video smooth, using VLC (easy to install from AlienBob's repo.)
I want a system which isn't hidden away, which allows, and encourages understanding. The popular Debian based distros attract many answers on the forums, but much like windows advice, the quality of answers is patchy, and can lead down the wrong paths. Slackware answers tend to be from people who know what they are doing.
Shout out to Eric Hamerleers, Patrick Volkerding, and all the other hard working enthusiasts who keep this project current and secure.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-19
Votes: 10
|
Just installed the 15.0 32bit on my old Asus EEE 901 which I use for coding and such when sitting outside during summer... I've used Slackware since 11.1 with Mandriva and others before, I never had the need to change back to something else since I've been with Slackware. My Desktops and Laptop will upgrade to 15.0 as soon as I have time for it.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-16
Votes: 10
|
This version has been in waiting for some time. It sports a very recent LTS kernel so support for hardware is great, and the installer supports NVME drives, which are much more common these days. Installation was pretty painless. With support for modern accelerated graphics for Intel and AMD out of the box, the desktop experiance is smooth. The addition of ffmpeg and SDL2 out of the box is welcome as well. For those that want the ability to do enterprise style authentication, the adoptoin of PAM is welcome, and for those that don't need it, the default of shadow passwords means that you can continue as before.
The two most obvious omissions are libreoffice and vlc, both of which are available from alien's repository. If you don't know where these are, for example a quick google of slackware alien vlc will find them.
for slackware familiars, this is a welcome update that preserves investment in learning, but manages to include the current stuff like python3 and kde plasma as well.
If you are new to slackware, give it a go. It is a different experiance from the hand-holding you get with ubuntu, for example, but if you want control over your os and are prepared for a bit of learning, It is well worth a go. You may hear about lack of depedency handling, but don't let that alarm you. There is so much included in the full install that you have most of what is needed out of the box. When slackbuilds dot org is ready to open with this new version, you can find build scripts for many other packages, and tools like sbopkg make downloading, creating and installing using those scripts straight forward.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 0
|
You always return to your first love - so they say. An intermezzo with Alien Bob's slackware current, almost two years ago, ended abruptly, after the introduction of PAM through slackpkg locked me out from my system. So I was curious about 15.0, grabbed it instantaneously when I saw the news here @Distrowatch.
I installed the (erronously, instead of 64-Bit) downloaded, 32-Bit ISO into a vacant partition and was fine with the good ol' ncurses based routine. At large I come to the same conclusions as the 15.0 Feature Story by Jesse Smith, with a few additional remarks:
* installation with selection of jfs -filesystem hang; start again from scratch with ext4 -destination was okay
* as in the last 15 years lilo install to a partition fails. No problem for me to include Slackware into another lilo or grub -config on the same machine
* the packaged falkon -browser does not work for me
* Alien Bob's Chromium package for 'current' also crashes
* base system is fast
* the KDE -desktop layout looks beautiful and modern
* for me the Caligra office suite is just fine.
Subjectively I conclude that Slackware is an awesome peace of work, but obviously I have outgrown the approach: the days when I took pride in compiling kernel etc. myself, finding solutions for OS hardships are gone. Perhaps one day Slackel, Zenwalk or a born-again Salix, even Vector Linux may help over the undue amount of packages installed by the official Slackware, but I'm not sure if / when I'll take a chance ...
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 10
|
Slackware is best of all. A classical rock solid system!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 0
|
The start is slow; while SysVInit and the BSD-style init are consedered classics they are clearly obsolete; a modern system has so many tings to do that a serial start of services is almost useless
The Bootloader is weird: the use of LILO and ELILO is ridiculous; LILO is dead and ELILO existence feels forced in existence of other bootloaders also the setup tool installs GRUB, the more powerful and flexible bootloader used almos everyother place
The repository shrunked in comparision with 14.2, the popular APT-like for package management Slap-get is still unavailable,
The insistence on Vim is weird; while the editor war is something I am not interested the fact that user are presented with only a Vi-based choise would be umcomfortable to Emacs(optional install) ,Nano, Micro and others text editors (Nano is installed but nothing says it unless you use terse or menu installation)
The setup tool while spartan is clear and flexible and works flawlessy in setting the system
The system is in general very clear, practical, and useful but some old fossil software still creeps out to make things weird and dificult for newcomers; i hope this almost inmortal distro can still evolve and keep growing in this dificult and interesting decade even if its dificult to use for many; Even then it still provides and interesting learning grow
I woulnt daily drive it but still like to learn and experiment in it; Good job and Good Luck Patrick i hope to where te pursuit of slack takes you
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 10
|
Proven stability, proven maintainer, proven flexibility, Systemd-free, and amazing community.
Slackware 15 is blazing fast. Slackware 15 now includes a make_world.sh script, taking Slackware's already nearly unrivaled customization to the next level. Some distro's hold your hand, and make life easy, until you want to do something the distro doesn't support, and then things get really tough and the actual distribution tools end up getting in the way. Slackware, on the other hand, empowers its users to venture off into unsupported territory; by providing easy to read and, easy to write build scripts, and very sane defaults. Slackware's maintainer has been developing, and maintaining Linux for longer than any other distribution out there. If anyone knows Linux OS building ,its Patrick.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 10
|
I've run Slackware on my Development Laptop since Slackware Version 10.0
I've tried other distros but I've always returned to Slackware because of it's simplicity and because it provides all the latest software.
As for the long period between 14.2 and 15.0 -- it didn't matter to me because I have full control over my System -- when I needed updated Apps and Libs, I upgraded as I found necessary.
I would have rated it 9.5 or 9.75 but the rating drop-down only allowed for integer increments.
-- kjh
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 13
|
Slackware is rock solid, blazing fast and up to date.
It is the genuine article, and truly a Unix based version of Linux.
You will learn so much using it.
It is simple and pure and you will have fun!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 4
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 0
|
Various installation, configuration and unidentified hardware issues with attempted USB installation of latest release Slackware 15.0. Rah-rah advocacy chorus at Slackware LQ forum not too helpful. Until 15.1 comes out, will stick with the very usable alternative of latest Absolute Linux.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 0
|
Slackware is not a distro for everybody, but only for those who know Linux, and for those who want to learn Linux (me in 2005). If you do not want to see nor use a command-line interface, and if you do not want to learn Vi & bash, please do not choose Slackware !
Adding extra-software is not that difficult thanks to SlackBuilds (the small sister of Slackware !), although it is frequent to need to modify the script ; but when you have no SlackBuilds yet (like now exactly), it can be very tricky, even whith good repositories of extra-packages.
Slackware is fantastic if you do not need any "graphical environment", that is if a simple "window manager" is enough for you, and if you are happy to use an antique and minimalistic machine : it runs fast ! and so reliable ...
I love it of course.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-12
Votes: 10
|
The best distribution in the world. Its simplicity, its perfection, all the work behind it gives the user a software that can be run forever without reinstalling.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-11
Votes: 10
|
one of the most loyal linux distributions. We do not discover Linux on Debian or Suse but on Slackware.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-10
Votes: 10
|
Very good distribution, very up-to-date packages, even more up-to-date kernel than Debian, I love that it has Xmms, I start it at runlevel 3, I've only had sometimes problems starting the graphical environment with startx con, sometimes KDE doesn't start and stays on black screen, nothing that can't be fixed quickly with Ctrl+Alt+Backspace and then typing startx again, overall fast, and very stable, very little Ram usage to get KDE up and running.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 4
Date: 2022-02-10
Votes: 0
|
I didn't get through the setup. It reminds me of an install from the 90's. I don't think many normal people will get it installed. It should at least have a graphical setup program, but maybe it just isn't meant for me.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-02-09
Votes: 0
|
Couldn't get it installed from a USB stick. When "setup" scans for the source USB media it disconnects the target USB media. So now the target USB changes from /dev/sda to /dev/sdc.
...reboot...
Try to work around that by "mkdir /SW;mount -o ro,loop /dev/sdb1 /SW" and then selecting /SW as a hard disk partition also fails. I did that so I wouldn't need to scan for USB. But that didn't work and I gave up.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-06
Votes: 10
|
I LOVE IT! My first distro was Slackware and it wil always be the one and only!
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-06
Votes: 18
|
As usual, when there's a Slackware version to install on my current system at the time, it installs easily and without any heartache or headache.
It then runs like it's supposed to and lets me have absolute control of my system and I actually *enjoy* spending several hours adjusting everything and then even several more hours compiling and installing the programs I use the most that may not be a part of it.
If I actually run into a problem, the Slackware forum at Linuxquestions.org has a ton of Slackware geniuses there who answer questions quickly and usually simply enough for even me to understand and fix my problem.
I've been using Slackware since version 11 or 12 something and once I install it, I never have to do anything more other than just do what I do on my computer day-in and day-out. I've even had my older system with Slackware 14.2 (which is still running without any flaws!), go four months without having to reboot and that was only because a storm had blown up a thing on the light pole.
I'm proud to be able to say I've tried other distro's and I just keep coming back because Slackware just works and works well. I'll have this latest version for as long as it takes to get to the next...whether 6 months or 10 years, there's no other distro out there that impresses me like Slackware, period.
|
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-04
Votes: 16
|
It is just fantastic. All rounded, and the most up to date of all distros. Kernel, packages, compiling without any complains. Great stuff, stable, with a history of years of success, you can put it on production and easy your mind.
The only complain people have is that it hasn't a package dependency manager out of the box. But you can install one on pos-install. That is it. Slackware for life!
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-04
Votes: 10
|
The most open and Keep It Simple Stupid of them all.
Power to the user.
/Slacker since 2002
|
Version: current
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-02-04
Votes: 0
|
Not user-friendly. No graphical installer makes absolutely no sense. You need to be an accurate typist and know what you are doing. Seems like it was meant to be secret.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-04
Votes: 9
|
love it.
powerful.
simple
useful
it just works.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-03
Votes: 13
|
Slackware GNU/Linux it is like a work of art that is not perfect but is close.. Only those who use it realize how well done it is. Practically Slackware gives you a ready-to-use operating system with the programs you need. Under the hood the system is secure, stable and fast.With version 15 almost upon us the least we can hope for is that Slackware will always be the same from day one.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-26
Votes: 15
|
The only distro that stays true to its principles and has not been consumed by the passage of time. It is truly stable and gives the user all the power to use the system the way they want. With the magic of the 90´s!!
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-01-20
Votes: 12
|
A very, very unixoid GNU/Linux system. Fast, light and nice to handle, maybe a little bit poor of apps. However in combination with SlackBuild you can get a suitable & stable system with the real Unix feeling.
Nice, quite nice.
Berni
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-17
Votes: 11
|
from my old notebook, my new notebooks, VMs, all using slackware and never got any stability and performance issue for all of them!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-17
Votes: 11
|
Slackware Linux is simple. It stays close to the metal with its slackbuilds and doesn't mess around with the init system (systemd I'm looking at you). I like its package management paradigm even though its does not solve dependencies on its own. With Slackware Linux we know for sure that the system is not a moving target changing things that doesn't really have to change with every new release. So our time spent on learning the system is really worth it. Maybe it's not a distro for those who like fancy GUIs over plain text files. I'm really looking forward onto that 15.0 stable release! To finish with, one thing that I'm really passionate about is that curses installer. Every I see that I know it's to have a lot of fun and also a cup of coffee.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-16
Votes: 10
|
A most trusty companion in all affairs re: computer since 2005
Does all and everything any other distro does - and then some (other's apparently can't)
Just works...
Excellent community and support at LinuxQuestions.org (kudos to Jeremy o/ )
The very BFDL will address You in a polite and down to earth manner, people don't have to be decade long developers to get a mention in the change log - a sane contribution often is just enough.
Did I say a most fair and down to earth developer team I know so far?
And then the SlackBuilds.org (kudos to many maintainers over there and especially ponce ( kudos! o/ ) (for he is redying it for when 15.0 hits the streets))
The 14.2 still holds up, although the seams slowly show signs of wear and tear :D, and current is brewing as RC3 as we speak, don't miss out!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-14
Votes: 45
|
Suatu hal yang menyenangkan menggunakan Slackware Linux sebagai Nara Sumber bahan ajar untukmengajarkan Unix dasar bagi siswa dan mahasiswa, Pada pandangan pertama memang terlihat lebih tradisional ketimbang distribusi lainnya, tapi ternyata dibalik kesederhanaan ini banyak terdapat kelebihan dan keunggulan distribusi tertua ini.
Terimakasih banyak kepada para penyusun pengembang distribusi yang sangat baik dan menarik ini sebagai salah satu operating sistem yang masih menjaga keaslian sistemoperasi Unix ini, salam.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-09
Votes: 10
|
Very very clear, stable refined distro. I use it form 1997 ... now over more then 250 servers. ( Some very old hardware still work without issues on slackware 7 :). Easy do optimizations for all process, daemons etc ... with clear startup ... . So i have some heavy loaded system db, radius, named, mail, openxchange, inmon, opennms, streamers and encoders with realtime encryptions etc. Some with permanent high traffic 4x10G ... it works :)
Lets see what happen with 15 ...
Make fun and give it chance.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-02
Votes: 20
|
Slackware might not be for everyone, but it is everything I want, and like in a Linux distro. It may not be the best for a casual Linux user, or for someone to put on their main computer if they never used a Unix like Linux before. That being said this is the best Linux distro for someone who wants to learn how to use Linux. I mean really roll up your sleeves sit down and learn how to use Linux. It does not hold your hand, and you may need to read some guides, and go to Linux Questions, but if you keep with Slackware it will be very rewarding.
I don't recommend using the stable release, at least maybe until 15 finally gets released. Slackware Current is the way to go. It is rolling and updates almost daily, but is extremely stable and well tested. I like to use XFCE so I usually Blacklist KDE in slackpkg. Then i install slackpkgplus and enable multilib and enable some other repositories and features. Once you get it how you like it there is very little you have to worry about.
Slackware is what you make it, you decide weather you use the binary repositories, weather you compile the software yourself, use slackbuilds and the sbo's, or a mix of it all. You will have to understand your config files, and be able use the shell. It gives you all the tools you need. Slackware is built by the excellent community that develop it, and the dedicated people who use it. Slackware fails only if you fail, and it works because you make it work.
I have been through may Linux distros and I come back to Slackware, because I miss something that Slackware did just a little bit better, or a little bit different. Somehow, and It may just be me, but Slackware has a "personality" or a "soul" all it's own.
Slackware = Freedom!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-31
Votes: 10
|
Infinitely stable and flexible. It leaves the user in control, that's a big word these days!
Pros: Slackware
Cons: there is nothing for me
Slackware. Just Do It.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-31
Votes: 14
|
I think the fact that slackware has been around for 28 years says it all!
Always loyal to its philosophy.
No unnecessary tweaks and with stability, security and simplicity in mind. It works extremely well out of the box with practically everything you ever need.
It could be easier to set up but once you use it everything becomes easy and simple!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-15
Votes: 14
|
Works Ok with all apps I need for home work. No need for Windows since 2002
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-12
Votes: 35
|
This is the pinacle of operating systems which I have run since the 90's. I did try windows once, then after covid type symptoms reloaded Slackware and have been ever since. Windoz is the Go Gordon of OS and will remain
such....
That is all
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-11
Votes: 21
|
For a server, it's all I use unless a particular piece of software absolutely needs a specific OS.
Us old timers will remember the old saw: "Learn RedHat and you know RedHat; learn Slackware and you know Unix."
Still true.
|
Version: current
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-12-04
Votes: 14
|
IMHO I consider Slackware to be the best linux distribution I have ever used.
I have used Debian / Devuan, * buntu's, Arch *, * Suse, RedHat's, but the simplicity, quality, stability even in the Current version is spectacular.
If there are any bugs in the current version, I run the LinuxQuestions Slackware section and they solve it effectively.
Recommended Slackware, I just hope they don't adopt SystemD
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-29
Votes: 40
|
It is simple, not overcomplicated, so it is stable and flexible. No systemd, what else do you need?!
Gut. Besser. Slackware.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-11-27
Votes: 13
|
Still running Slackware 13.37 on my server and 14.2 in my sandbox machine for in house learning and school projects, recently switched desktop to Mint to try a new flavor as I wait for the stable release of 15.0 Then switching all my machines over to 15.0. I have hopped distro's over the last 5 years and keep coming back to Slackware as I go to. Just for personal choice it is a better fit for me.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-27
Votes: 12
|
It is simple, not overcomplicated, so it is stable and flexible. No systemd, what else do you need ?! Gut. Besser. Slackware. ;)
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-26
Votes: 12
|
I'm already using the current since RC1 was launched. I was on Gentoo, but now I'm moving back to Slackware as my main distro, its trustable, fast, powerful and now it's working well on my laptop with Nvidia graphic card.
I do recommend it, even to beginners, you will learn a lot with Slackware. For server and desktop.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-20
Votes: 22
|
Current is amazing at this point (RC2), it will certainly be the best version of SLK.
The 15.0 will bring Slackware to the top of main distros!
And it's not about being up to date or having this or that feature.
It's about being simple and working like hard steel that inspires reliance.
"In Bob we trust!"
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-18
Votes: 18
|
I have beed a user of Slackware since v3.0, and I am a sponsor on Patreon for this project. This is the most stable installation of Linux. No, you won't get a fancy install GUI, and you will have to learn how Unix System V works. However, if you learn Slackware, you will learn the details of Linux. You will be able to work on the command line, and you will know how to solve problems. Indeed, if you learn how to compile your own kernel, as well, you will be in the 99th percentile of users. This is the system that makes all this possible.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-11
Votes: 21
|
A distro that does things properly.
It's a very complete and flexible system right out of the box, with rock solid stability.
Slackware is truly excellent if you want to learn how things work, because most of the configuration files contain full explanations of their various options, and all documentation is installed by default.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-05
Votes: 23
|
Slackware current is impressive right now. I hope to see Slackware 15 with Kernel 5.15.x soon!
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-10-13
Votes: 17
|
A distro without systemd! Yes, slackware uses the older/simpler system init.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-09
Votes: 34
|
Used Slackware my whole life, never had any big issues with it. The only time something went wrong for me, it was entirely my own fault. Drivers have all been easy for me to install, good versions of most things are available. It would maybe be nice to have a network manager with more VPN options, but other than that, no issues. Overall a 9.75 from me, rounded to 10.
|
Version: current
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-10-08
Votes: 1
|
I have heard good things about slack out there, but personally I had several problems installing certain drivers, such as nvidia, webcam, wireless devices (aka bluetooth), etc. This made for a problematic experience and inconsistent system operation, which is frustrating. I'll try again next version.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-09-14
Votes: 52
|
What will become Slackware 15 is looking extremely promising for all kind of users (server, desktop, embedded et etc). The rock solid Slackware base with with bleeding edge software and a joyfully pure KDE environment.
Most things are more up to date than most distroes, and some legacy features like Python 2 has finally been dropped, paving new ways of what can be done, creating a solid development environment and enabling inclusions of all kind of software and features that one might want to add.
As always Slackware comes with all the basic development tools out of the box, and even more. The simple and elegant ways of doing things remain, making it one of (or THE) the best distroes for easily accomplishing very powerful tasks.
This is looking to become a true masterpiece, and a highpoint for Slackware.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-09-13
Votes: 13
|
4 years ago I could not any more continue with Microsoft world and I switched to Linux: firstly Open Suze, then Debian,then Devuan and finally I arrived to what I consider to be a real clean and honest OS: Slackware. You are the master of your OS and not the subject of other's mind, and that's really what matters to me.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-09-13
Votes: 11
|
Not the easiest to configure but rock solid.
My best Linux disto by far.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-09-02
Votes: 10
|
I tried lots lots of Distros, Including Arch, and Gentoo, for me Slackware is the best distro rocksolid and very unix like. 10/10.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-31
Votes: 11
|
I give a rating of 10. 9 for the system itself and one more for being the oldest Linux distro and even in use.
Many, many other distros were coming and going, but Slackware is always here. That's great!
I use it for some years now. It it rocksolid stable and works day by day. It is my daily system for all my office work at home. A reboot is merely necessary, my laptop runs it for several months without one reboot.
Slackware is not cutting edge but well tested and easy to use. One has to edit config files and installing and removing of software is done without a blinky gui app. The good old terminal does everything well. There is a very good documentation for help and with little effort every one can use it.
I'm looking forward for Slackware 15 and hope that Pat will maintain Slackware for long time.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-28
Votes: 11
|
I have used dozens of linux distributions, but I am back to Slackware, my favorite.
Long live Slackware!
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-22
Votes: 11
|
For some time I was using the current version mixing a few packages already compiled and to be compiled by third parties, I had not yet realized that for a few days the version 15 was almost ready because I was not satisfied with the old 14.2 of 2016, so great job updated all packages with slackpkg, keep it up.
You were I tested several unconventional applications on the official distro and they work great, for low latency music with JACKD and REAPER, (unfortunately it was impossible to compile the ARDOUR package as it requires a version of the core libraries Libicuuc at version 56 while this distribution uses the icu4c version 69.
Also tested a "use Rust" program for screen duplication named WEYLUS that uses ffmpeg, creates a stream to multiple screens via network "not the classic remote monitor concept" for real-time high frame rate tablets using one interface web. It's not the classic VNC it's like having a second monitor side by side at 0 latency.
The Linux Kernel 5xx version work perfectly
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-22
Votes: 11
|
I have used Slackware since the first half of the 90's.
I've also used distributions like SalixOS that added value to Slackware (especially with the "gslapt" integration) while maintaining compatibility with official repositories.
Slackware is tough, secure, reliable; with an uncomplicated SysV startup, with simple, understandable and easy to modify scripts.
With DE XFCE, you can run on machines with few hardware resources.
Slackware presents medium or high difficulty for new users who come to Linux-like OS, because it does not have a software management system as flexible and intuitive (that solves dependencies) as the "apt" of MXLinux or "xbps" of Void Linux.
Of course ... a complete installation of Slackware will always include all the necessary software to compile and install any application if we have the source code.
|
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-21
Votes: 11
|
Used several flavours of Linux. Always come back to Slackware.
|
Version: 14.2
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-08-18
Votes: 11
|
I have been using Slackware exclusively since Sept. '93 and found no reason to need any other distribution or OS. I currently have two NAS boxen, a PostgreSQL server and four workstations running 14.2, with an Apache/Nextcloud server on 15.0 Beta. All servers are installed without X11 and are essentially headless, although they are all connected to a KVM switch for basic maintenance. Workstations all use XFCE, but two of them also have the KDE libraries and applications installed. Firefox, LibreOffice and Zim round out the basic tool set with XMMS and VLC on the side. My only significant complaints are about the infrequent updates and the lack of third party support for -current. Both Slack Builds and Alien Bob tend to focus on the last stable release and make it very awkward to port applications and libraries onto -current. Now if the Bluetooth and WiFi drivers were bundled into separate packages so they didn't waste time and space on boxen that will never need them, it would not bother me a bit. (XMMS does a wonderful job with the OGG stream from theclassicalstation.org, supplied by Ibiblio.)
|
|
Latest Reviews
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-09-15
Votes: 4
|
I'm a business consultant in Japan, currently in my 50s, with a background in network engineering. I've been using Ubuntu for nearly a decade, having switched all my home computers from Microsoft Windows. Testing Slackware for a few weeks as a replacement for Ubuntu has been quite a revelation. Surprisingly, adapting the system to the Japanese language was super easy and straight forward. Despite not having changed much since I first encountered it in the 1990s, the modern Slackware is running significantly faster and more smoothly than Ubuntu, after a bit of initial troubleshooting. The sense of control over the system is palpable, even though I've only gone through the basic routines of `sudo slackpkg update` and `upgrade-all`, and installed a few SlackBuild applications as an experience. This feeling of transparency and control is something I’ve never experienced with more closed-off distributions. I am grateful to the developers and the community, and I hope the distribution continues to thrive.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-08-10
Votes: 31
|
I'm using Slackware-current on my main desktop and Slackware 15.0 (with Salix third-party repos) on my two laptops, and they all function as they need to be. Slackware is Linux as it was meant to be: minimal, old school, and portable. You can make it into your very own OS if you'd like, or just accept the defaults. What makes this better than Debian or Arch is that I can tell the system what I want and don't want on my system. They also never went along with the Systemd scam, as far as I can tell, and Elogind is there if I want to use desktop environments (I use i3wm, which doesn't need any of that). Newer packages can be built from SBO (SlackBuilds). No problems being on the newer 6.10 kernels.
I highly recommend Slackware and Slackware-based distros if you're a long-time Linux/Unix-like user who's ready to end the distrohop once and for all. Debian and Arch are too politically corrupt, whereas we Slackware users rely on each other as a COMMUNITY. Think that's the real dividing line, and it shows. We must thank Patrick Volkerding and his co-developers for continuing to publish only the highest-quality open-source software!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 14.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-30
Votes: 10
|
I am still using 14.2 version (have version 15 on another partition), it runs fine like an old knitting machine. Of course I now have to update packages manually, like firefox, openoffice, palemoon ..., thats not a problem, and unlike slackware 15 where I have some issues due to the graphics being too bright or something, I can keep using this version with not many vision problems - its a great distro, long live slackware 14.2.
I have been using slackware since version 9.1, got of a cover of a magazine here in the UK - its never failed me.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-12
Votes: 29
|
Even though many people thinks this is an outdated distro, man, when you're using -current branch there is nothing to miss about Windows 11, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, works right out of the box, even touch panels! When you have been such a long time Slackware user, like me (I have used since version 7.0) I'm kinda overwhelmed by this fact, but I have it on an old Acer Aspire, and it works beautifully! On this same machine I have a Docker development implementation, with no issues with my web browsing or media experiences, with 0 frame drop! Long live Pat!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-23
Votes: 23
|
I actually run both 15 and current maintaining both, I use current more and 15 as a fallback as an extra layer of redundancy. Slackware is for people that want to operate and run original GNU LInux, you can't even argue that fact. It's original GNU Linux, period. On my GNU Linux journey I started out using Mandrake and tried several others in 2001, I kept checking out stuff until around 2003-2004,
then I settled with Slackware and it just locked into place for me. I then tried Vector Linux just to check it out in 2006, I ran that for awhile, then went to Ubuntu Studio for awhile, then Manjaro for another five years. I am back on Slackware, I got tired of systemd and annoyed with it's stop jobs and a few other aspects of it. Slackware feels like home on my system. It's outrageously solid and stable, it's old school but very modern.
Slackware is magical. Do yourself a favor and give it an honest try making it as a permanent thing as possible.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-19
Votes: 16
|
I have used Slackware when 8.1 version was fresh. Stayed until 10.0. Then I did not have time to play with Linux, so I used Win 7, Ubuntu, RHEL, Fedora. Until the big drama with Red Hat obfuscating sources. I decided that I had enough of corpo greed and evaluated a few distros for my servers, laptop and workstation/gaming PC. Migrated servers from Ubuntu to Slackware and have never been happier since. Once Slackware is set up it needs very minimal or no maintenance, without stupid reboots and the initial setup is plain and easy. There is nothing going behind the scenes. Unlike Debian for example all packages are vanilla, just like their authors and maintainers meant.
Then I decided to give it a go as my daily and once I've found out that it is extremely easy to run games with conty.sh. I am running Fluxbox with no login manager. It feels snappy and extremely responsive and it is definitely not a resource hog. Mint and Fedora felt much slower and had more problems and bugs than Slackware and my PC is fairly up to date (i5-13600kf, 32GB RAM and RX6800XT). Everything works out of the box with no bugs. You will need to spend some time in text configs, but once it is done it is the best distro ever. I am not going to change it for anything else anytime soon. It just works.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-01-06
Votes: 33
|
Have 4 intel/AMD 64-bit servers plus 2 64-bit servers VMs.
Except for the occasional pkg that I need to do a SlackBuild for, it is perfect for my servers and laptops.
Have KDE on 1 VM, XFCE on 3 servers and 1 VM, and 1 server without any X-windows nonsense at all.
Easy to install and configure, easy to maintain. Patrick and Co. do a great job. If you are looking for a simple, no nonsense distro and are not afraid of the command line Slackware is a great distro.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-29
Votes: 19
|
Slackware Linux works great out of the box. Hint: Slackware should probably not be your first distro in my opinion. Once you have your "Linux ropes" around you and are comfortable, this is the time to break out your Slackware DVD. Yes, you have tweaks here and there, but a lot less than other distros.
With the software supplied and the great documentation, the user has many configuration options available to set up the Slackware Linux box as individually required. It just is the one distro I rely on to get work done.
I have tried many, many different distros, but being a Slackware Linux user since 1996, I have found no other distro that I would change to for my daily tasks and adventures. Slackware in 1996 was equipped with a 2.X kernel (2.0 I think). Slackware keeps to it's K.I.S.S. principle Keep It Simple Stupid. This principle has worked for me very well. After you get it set up, do yourself a favor and read the /etc directory. You will learn a great deal and things will be much more clearer to you.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-15
Votes: 22
|
Slackware is not designed to be your next distro hop. It is designed so that after all your hopping, you can make Slackware the distro you need yourself. Its one of the few.
The only con I find...It really is work to get into Slackware truly, and I should write a "slackware for dummies like me" -book to help new users not give up on it so easily.
The curve of learning.
To get started with it is relatively easy for anyone who has even a little patience. You will break it a few times when you don't follow the "keep it simple stupid"- philosophy and by that meaning you wont do it the way you were told to do it.
After 4 years Im still slacking.
Anyone can learn to use it.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-07
Votes: 205
|
Slackware is second to none GNU/linux distro. I have been using Slackware as my daily driver for almost two decades now. I tried many other linux distros, but none is as stable and simple as Slackware (no, not even debian - i really mean it). It just works. It is a clean, tidy, and consistent os. Once you learn it, you can use it for years without any problems (of course nothing is perfect, but the glitches/hiccups you encounter is minimal compared to other linux distros). My favorite os is openbsd but as a daily driver Slackware is my main choice, ( I also use FreeBSD as a file server at home).
So if you want reliable, simple, consistent, os to use on your desktop and/or laptop, you cannot find a better distro than Slackware. I highly recommend it. Make sure you activate firewall, edit hosts, hosts.allow, ssh config file (as per your requirement), and for laptop please use full disk encryption. You are good to go!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-06
Votes: 10
|
The BEST OS in the world.
Everything works from the start. No other Linux distro have this ability.
Is a special Linux distro for special people
You have the control on your system, not the other way round
Stable what else
Give it a try. You will find a lot of YouTube videos how it works
I hope the project will go on
I'm not a new Linux user but with experience more than 20 years.
I have tried a lot of distros but always coming back to Slackware
Once you try Slack you never go back
Slackware until the end !!!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-10-29
Votes: 23
|
If you want to ditch windows and also not be beholden to "mainstream" linux distros, this is the one to pick. YES, the usage learning curve is STEEP, but you DO want to have a stable and conf-once-run-forever OS that won't jump at you with hidden updates, files of unknown origin and/or use?
Minimum requirement for using Slackware:
A pair of eyes and/or glasses as an aid --- because of RTFM that applies from the moment you decide to create a bootable usb, all through the installation and then later usage
Slackware comes with a lot of, if not all, development tools, multimedia programs and office package to boot. Yes, it's not ideal, but that's where YOU come in with your rolled up sleeves --- no two slackware installations in the world are equivalent, at least not by choice.
You have the help of SBo although I wouldn't recommend the simulations of yum//apt-get that are provided by the community -- better you should control exactly what and where you install to your system, the slapt maintainer won't use it, you will! :)
I've been a happy user of Slackware for 6 years running; My intro to slackware was by force of having to drop to very old machine hardware that could only feasibly run Slackware 14.2. Those were some dark weeks but as some of the brothers like to say, and they say it with pride and knowing full-well what that entails;
"Once you go slack, you never go back!"
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-08-31
Votes: 10
|
Being a slackware fan, I would love more than anything to give it a 10. But 9 is the most I can manage for the lack of a unified package manager, and the lack of support for openZFS. Besides that, it is indeed perfect, and so stable you can forget about it.
Things to be aware: kernel upgrades are usually just fine, but sometimes you need to take a few steps to get it bootable. Specially if you use strange modules.
The new change for GRUB may be a good thing, but that is still to be seeing. In my experience, some hardware will work easily with lilo. Not to mention UEFI, this atrocity. But well, not Slackware fault.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-10
Votes: 83
|
Preface, if you want a distribution all special effects and configuration wizards, stay away from it, it is not for you.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for substance, read on.
Slackware is "old school" linux but that does not mean it is obsolete or unsuitable for use in a modern PC or server, simply that it follows the KISS (keep it simple stupid) philosophy and does not decide instead of the end user how it should be used.
It provides a choice of software, DE, and WM that may be redundant for many but all of which allows for much, if not all, of what is needed to begin using it.
For everything else there is slackbuilds.org and various repositories of already compiled packages, as an example I can mention AlienBOB aka Eric Hameleers.
Slackware does not dazzle with customization and special effects aimed at catching new users, everything is in "vanilla" configuration, that is, as released by the software developers, including the kernel but if you have the patience to learn about the distribution and do not let yourself be discouraged by the fact that any configuration will have to be done by editing the configuration files, either through the system tools or manually, you will end up with a system that is truly your own and not one prepared according to someone else's tastes.
At first it seems hostile, but in the long run the satisfaction of learning how it works might even convince you to stop jumping from one distro to another.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-06-11
Votes: 35
|
Slackware is not for the faint of heart, or easy-click monkeys. With Slackware it's possible to have a functional operating system that takes up disk sizes reminiscent of days gone by. With Slackware you learn to be a conscious user , to move your brain, to understand what well-made software looks like. Slackware is especially useful for servers. For those who want a DAW or graphics workstation : better to lean on Devuaan , which can draw on a large software pool. If you take pleasure in drugging yourself with special effects at the click of a button, Slackware is not for you.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-06-07
Votes: 17
|
The best operating system in the word. Slackware is the most UNIX like Linux distribution and always the user to determine what they want to do with their system and not the creators of the Linux distribution. Slackware is fast and is advanced. Slackware will be the best operating system for the rest of time. Slackware can do what ever any other operating system in the world can do and is very good. I use Slackware because it allows me to to what ever I want to do and it is free, secure and stable.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-05-16
Votes: 14
|
What to say, one of the besto distros ever.
It may look difficult but its not. Its not bloated, it has a hihly customisable installation and you can get a very basic minimal system for your needs, what you cant do in other distributions. After minimal installation, compiling everything else is best way to go and keep it simple. Compilation of software is very intuitive and easy same as compiling dependencies and manually tracking them.
Elegant, simple and very stable distribution (even current one - rolling release )
Highly recomended
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 1
Date: 2023-04-04
Votes: 279
|
Installing Slackware was a "travel" in 90 years! It's incredibly old, difficult, complicated and not reliable.
The website of this Linux is not appropriate for such a big name. Downloads are available through mirrors (and otherwise you have to search for them a lot) and someone who calls himself "Alien".
A live version looks awful and comes with "Darkstar" in Root. Strange repositories, like a SCAM.
It's a pity that such a famous Linux distro remains undeveloped, complicated and 90 years product.
The "positive" point is that, if you do not want an easy installation, a nice, modern workstation / desktop and drivers for modern applications, you can do endlessly messing around, puzzle and search for sollutions with/in this Linux distro.
Have fun ;)
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-03-23
Votes: 16
|
When Slackware came out, the web, and the distro concept, were new ideas. By the time I started to use it, Slackware was one of the old established brands in a field populated with fly-by-nights. I thought, when moving from an established, proprietary, OS to something comparatively new and experimental I would be leaping in the dark and due a beard singe and finger burn. When I realised that I would be running the installer only once every few months, to a year, its quotidian appearance was less worrying than it could be.
It is not true that Slackware comes with everything but the kitchen sink. I comes with a range of kitchen sinks. There are several desktops, several free-standing window managers, several of just about every kind of internet server you could possibly want, a surprisingly complete gcc package set, format converters and codecs, programmes I have found as binaries nowhere else. That is just on the standard installation iso that fits onto a 4GB usb stick.
Once you get used to the installation and format convertion tools, installing openoffice and Libre Office on the same system is easy and simple to do. You may even like to install one of a number of third-party for-Slackware semi-graphical installers. These typically do dependancies, and not just that, they compile from verified source, automatically. However, you do have to install them first, by hand, with web browser and installation tookit.
There are other products missing from Slackware that you may expect, such as gnome. You can get cinnamon and possably some other respins of gnome from some of the main third-party sites that, for me at least, take Slackware to the next level.
What advice do I have for new users ? Install sbotools and sboui, if you must have dependancy resolution. Do not be alergic to the command line. And finally, if in doubt ask.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-03-10
Votes: 20
|
Slackware is a classic. There is little I can say about it that hasn't already been said. It has a well-deserved reputation for being stable and conservative. It adheres more closely to the traditional UNIX philosophy of keeping things simple and using text files for system configuration.
I do think it would be better if dependency checking were added to the main package tools. This would eliminate the need to "install everything or you will have problems later." Then Slackers could more easily build leaner, more customized installations like you can do with distros like Arch, or Void, or Gentoo. For those who remain convinced that dependency checking is a bad or unnecessary thing, there could be an option to disable it (--no-dep-check or similar).
But I guess if this has not been done in the past 30 years, the chances are probably low.
In any case, I still have a lot of respect for Slackware.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 5
Date: 2023-02-14
Votes: 8
|
It comes bundled with everything but the kitchen sink... and Libreoffice! It is recommended that you install everything, regardless of whether or not you will ever use 2 desktop environments (XFCE and KDE) or a host of web browsers, music players, etc. Installing Libreoffice... the one thing that I use daily... is unnecessarily tedious: it's a time-consuming exercise and prone to failure. Unless you're just curious (as I was) don't bother with Slackware: the whole project is stuck in the 90s, and we have moved on.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-12-12
Votes: 29
|
Its just a little to much. It was fine to have full control over the OS. I still want this. But it brakes to often and it takes me to much time to resolve it. I finally switched to another Distro. It allows me to switch off anything that could happen automatically. But it works smoothly with less OS work on it than with Slackware. Somehow Slackware forgot to move with time. Hard and I do feel sad about it. However, i left Slackware as my active Gnu/Linux Distro. After nearly 18 years and happy 10 years.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-11-13
Votes: 506
|
Slackware is a great distro and ... my bitter disappointment
Well, it was my first Linux that got into my hands. I compiled my first egg in it. I think it was version 3.5 ;) Time goes by and I had forgotten about Slackware for years. Because of the release of the 15th, I decided to play with it. Finally I've got everything set up the way I wanted. It's OK.
So where is my bitter disappointment?
As the oldest Linux on the market, it should have very good documentation. There was plenty of time to do that. And what do I see?
The Slackware documentation is not only bad. It is downright sloppy! It makes me cry when I look at it.
No, I don't buy "don't be lazy, there's everything you need on the web" answers. This is not the way modern projects are developed. This creates confusion and discourages new users.
I will not criticize the official website of the project. Though I could. However, where is a good Handbook? It does not exist. "The Slackware Book Project" looks like it was written on a lap by a freshman. The "beta" of new version is been being created. Information on the web is scattered on various websites often outdated and sometimes even harm instead of helping. And don't tell me it isn't. Do You really want to talk about various system update instructions which can be find on web?
Kind of KISS philosophy, but not quite. Rather,the view is pushed that it is a "system for advanced users" but in practice: "puzzle system - solve it yourself". In addition, the not-so-nice community that get irritated when someone asks too trivial questions and refers to MAN pages, instead of writting a complete guide once and for all.
Slackware is a good piece of software and could be a very friendly distro but it is not. Patrick focused on the code itself and forgot about the rest part of the project. The community that should have fought for new users also overslept. This was not done and at the moment Slackware is a niche distribution despite it's potential. Strong competition in the operating system market made Slackware a system for hobbyists and a small group of enthusiasts.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-12
Votes: 72
|
If you want something really modern-looking and flashy then this isn't it, but it's stable, sane and dependable.
Not for beginners, unless you are looking to put some work in and learn something. Difficulty level of getting up and running is harder than Debian but easier than Gentoo. For those that care, no SystemD bloat is nice. Quite a lot of software is available as binaries and the ports library is huge, so I've not had a problem getting the programs I need.
Especially good if you have some old kit you want to keep going; I'm carrying around a 2006 32-bit ThinkPad running Slackware 15.0 and it runs beautifully, in 2022!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-09-05
Votes: 21
|
I use it. It works. Not much more to say. Often derided for being out of date and not capable of modern use cases. I can't think of a single thing I can't do (that's worth doing) with a little effort as a generic desktop os. Its simple design makes it far more robust, especially with limited resources. In other's negative reviews I often notice complaints that have simple solutions if your familiar with Slackware. This could definitely be averted by better documentation on Slackware's end. Slackware definitely is at a disadvantage attracting new users with its steeper learning curve but, to say that no one is picking it as a distro for the first time is inaccurate.
Philip
first time Slackware user of 1 year.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-29
Votes: 109
|
It's a fantastic distribution. Because the design decisions are made by a single person, the entire OS feels like a complete package, which resembles *BSDs. The same person is doing it for 30 years, so you know exactly what guiding philosophy to expect, and every release will be as easy to navigate as the previous ones. For those of us who like a well working computer that does not send you in re-learning mode every release.
The packaging system is very simple, and consists of a managed compressed tarballs with optional scripts to ease installations. There is no artificial dependency checks, yet some tools like slapt-get, which mimic Debian's apt-get, offer that. The system comes in complete, with a wealth of libraries and software for any occasion, and scripts used for the default packages are available. Those scripts might come in handy since Slackware has a philosophy of not including any patches unless absolutely necessary. Running software as design by the creators makes the system predictable and very stable. During installation it offers to exclude individual software, or entire categories, such as the entire KDE environment at once. Additionally multiple repositories run by volunteers or Slackware-compatible spinoff distributions exist. However, there is also the collection of scripts called SlackBuilds, optionally managed by such programs as sbopkg, which are able to compile or properly package binaries for most things that is ever needed, much like ports in *BSD world, but not as complex as Gentoo's Portage, and more transparent than Arch Linux's AUR. They are tested for consistency, standardized, and well maintained. For those very rare occasion where an obscure program is not available, the simplicity of packages themselves and wealth of libraries already included in Slackware make creating new packages a very simple and elegant experience comparing to .deb or .rpm.
Slackware for now does not come with SystemD, but has it's own *BSD-like init scripts, as well as SystemV compatibility, so the traditional Linux scripts will run fine by default. However, the simplicity of the system allow for installation of SystemD with easy if one really wants it. In fact, the ease of modifying the system is one of its greatest strengths. All configurations files are well commented, each program is unmodified from upstream so their documentation will be always accurate, and the transparency of the system makes it very easy to visualize how any given change fits in the operating of the system. While the default Slackware works great, putting in a little bit of learning on how to make it work just for the user is immensely rewarding, and the conservative philosophy makes the modifications long lasting. No more reconfiguring everything every release!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-07-26
Votes: 101
|
i will say this: i learned more in one year with Slackware than five years with Gentoo. For me Slackware is the best distro and i tested and used lots of distros in the last years. if you want a fast stable rock solid distro you have the number versions if you want something not as stable but stable enough with newer packages you have current. i stopped ditros hopping with Slackware.
Next year Slackware will 30 years old, not to many ditros can say that. This distro doesnt hold your hand but you are in total control of your system As Alien Bob said Slackware is the swiss army knive of the linux world.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 1
Date: 2022-07-01
Votes: 22
|
Slackware's site is an HTTP site, which is disappointing.
Slackware is expected and popular as Systemd Free OS, so please use HTTPS site.
(The download site is HTTPS, but the server is slow and crappy.)
I am fed up with the fact that Bluetooth is on by default when I start current Live. I am very disappointed with the parade of software I don't need. Why don't you make it simpler?
Also, please use sha256 or sha51 for checksums, not md5.
kde is too heavy. i wish they would have adopted xfce as default.
I was disappointed because I had very high expectations.
I have no desire to actually install LiveOS because it is not user friendly at this point.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-24
Votes: 101
|
One of the oldest and one of the best. I don't change it for anything else, on my systems. I love it and it philosophy about pakage manager. It' one of the few distros that really you can use to improve your linux knowledge on many aspects of the operating system. Default desktop enviroment choosen by the mantaier (yes, only one mantainer and many collaborators and packet managers) is Plasma (derived by kde), a modern and beautiful integrated ambient, that offer a lot of tools. Server side, it's rock solid, with core applications well tested, without unnecessary frills. It's based on SystemV init method, if you are like me, that don't prefer the systemd drift which, is like an octopus in your system management.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-05-20
Votes: 15
|
Been with Slackware since Zipslack (slackware 9). I moved to Salix a little bit and came back to Slackware. Actually Pat needs to fold Salix (or whats left of Salix) into Slacware (my opinion). What Salix has is Stapt-get/Gslapt. Although Slapt-get/Gslapt is available for Slackware 15.0, I found the developer didn't quite get the update right to run correctly. BUT Salix repositories (yes there are still Salix repositories -- and there are even Slackware 15.0 Salix repositories) The Sailix versions of Slapt-get/Gslapt were superior to the developer's version.
Of course the lion's share of packages to complete my Slackware 15.0 came from Slackbuilds.org, because that's where you KNOW, you build the source code so it SHOULD work with Slackware 15.0. Alas, When Slackware 15.0 debuted, Slackbuilds was not ready for Slackware 15.0... not right away... I had to give it like 2-3 weeks. But they work okay now. Albeit a lot of the packages need to be updated to newer versions. If Pat could fold Slapt-get/ Gslapt into Slackware, and use the packages from Slackbuilds, WE would really have a most modern up-to-date Linux Distro (my opinion).
My system is pretty good now. But I had been without my Slackware PC's for some time, and had forgotten a lot of Linux in that time. So I had to relearn Old School Linux with the new Slackware 15.0. Which I did. I run the Window Manager Openbox on my Slackware systems. It makes the old hardware of this laptop more perky.With that I run Feh, Tint2 (with Jgmenu), and i pipe a full Openbox menu to the Standard Right-click Openbox menu with obmenu-generator.So I have 2 "start menus". I'm weird.
All in all, I would not trade my Slackware 15.0 for all the Ubuntu's in the world. Rock Solid? YEP. It sure is. Was it rough getting here? Meh... I actually tried Xubuntu for a few weeks while Slackbuilds was getting itself up to Quality. Hated it. Went right back to Slackware 15.0. That should tell you a lot. I stuck it out with Slackware 15.0.
Pat, I'll always come back. Always. So keep making Slackware. No Matter What.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-30
Votes: 46
|
I use Slackware from 2004, and it was, and it is my best Linux distro. I used different other Linux distros from time to time like Ubuntu, SUSE, Fedora, Debian, Arch etc. but Slackware is unique. It is stable and with this new version 15 is suitable for a new or old computers. Yes as I said I have tried Arch too and is really great but Slackware is better, but this is my own opinion. What I really like from Slackware is that you are the boss of your PC and you update things when you decide to do it, not the other way around like the most "easy" distros. With Slackware you have a full control and when something goes wrong you know what to do to roll it back, the other "easy" distros that do everything automatically behind the scenes if something breaks you don't know what went wrong. So for me easy distro is Slackware because I am doing everything by myself and at the same time I'm learning how to use Linux. And yes, I can sleep at nights, and I'm not praying after of each update or upgrade if something goes wrong. I know my PC will start only a hardware failure will stop me. Great work as always, thank you Pat. Slackware until the end.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-17
Votes: 19
|
I have been using slackware since 2008 when I first came across Linux. It wasn't my first Linux experience but as I got more interested in the operating system/kernel/desktop environments, etc... and more knowledge about it I got to know slackware. I use version 15.0 on a 2006 dual core pc. The system is fast and complete even on such an old computer. Although Slackware doesn't have all the tools and software out of the box, if you search a little bit on the Internet you can get everything you need.
I think Slacware is "the" distro of excellence!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-16
Votes: 21
|
Slackware is special. It's community driven, with a benevolent dictator for life. Slackware gives it's users complete control yielding extreme configurability for the power user and sysadmin alike. At the same time, with just a little study, slackware can be installed by an average linux user, or even a new linux user because the proper method to installing Slackware is a Full Install. This conveniently provides everything one needs to get started in any linux endeavor. Version 15 continues the tradition. If one truly wants to learn linux, this is the way to go.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 2
Date: 2022-04-16
Votes: 4
|
I used Slack for a few months in the past, and it was kind of fun with its philosophy of doing most things in a not-so-automated way, "do it yourself" fashion, and such. However, if you don't have some spare time or a powerful enough computer, it can be a hadache to make it as "comfortable" to use as some other distros out there, since Slack's repositories are lacking some packages, and most of them you will have to compile from source with slackbuilds or something similar. In my experience it seems to be good for servers, but not practical for daily desktops if you don't fit into one of the categories mentioned above. Despite this, I decided to try the latest release, version 15, and I had some video problems on my laptop with an Atom processor, such as programs stuttering when opening, or glitches in the rendering of windows when moving, leaving some artifacts on the screen during the process, probably related to drivers (?), and also some connection problems, that at certain times I was disconnected and reconnected. After some workarounds I managed to make everything work, apparently, but I noticed some loss in perfomance that will not occur in previous versions. Maybe it is a particular problem of my hardware, maybe not, who knows. Fact is that it made usability totally unfeasible.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 6
Date: 2022-04-14
Votes: 0
|
Been a diehard Slackware user since version 3.0.
Use it on my desktops, laptops, and servers.
And all along it's been a rock stable OS.
But using 15.0 is a bit disappointing. Although not Slackware directly.
I upgraded from 14.2 to 15.0 on one laptop and my primary desktop.
And I'm encountering problems with both.
I'm encountering problems with many slackbuild programs.
Problems such as programs crashing, desktop freezing, and display corruption.
Enough problems that I'm delaying upgrading my machines used as servers.
But as I said, these are problems with programs obtained from Slackbuilds.
So it's possible that the maintainers of these slackbuilds may be premature in validating their programs for Slackware 15.0.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-11
Votes: 15
|
I use it ( versions 14.0 and 14.2 were the last I worked with) as a replacement for old versions of RED HAT
in 2000 and it is extremely reliable and easy for configuration.
It is running on the servers and is simple, stable, and straight forward ready for work.
I don't need any interventions related to OS.
Never need to replace or update any packaged because of the bugs.
We don't use X win or any desktops.
Will replace old version 14.2 with this 15.0 soon.
We are testing it now on our test system.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-28
Votes: 49
|
slackware gnu/linux fast, stable and simple. i'm use slackware gnu/linux for the laptop working so i used it for working. i'm application developper mobile(android). i use android studio every day in slackware working nice never show an trouble. before change to slackware i use ubuntu but the android studio always slow responding if i use too long time. so i buy a ssd and installing slackware just for chalenging me so i love slackware. good job for pat and the team and all of contributor. hehehehehe
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-17
Votes: 42
|
It's Slackware. Simple, stable, and straight forward. I've used it as daily driver on desktops, and servers since pre-slackware days ... Soft Landing Systems from the old Walnut Creek CD Rom. I have been a fan of Pat since he oversaw that project and decided to continue and introduced the world to Slackware when Walnut Creek went the way of the "Dot-Com" bubble.
I currently have Slackware running on Laptops, Desktops, Servers, & Raspberry PIs.
It has been the most stable and consistently stable of all the Linux distros. Because Patrick et al don't spend all of their time trying to make Slackware anything other than hat it is. So many of the security issues that I see with the various Linux Distros is be cause they try to make them too Ubuntu'y or too RedHat'y and that is where the bus slip in. Do we have security updates Yes but I challenge you to go look at the security updates from the last few years of the major distributions. Live on the bleeding edge expect to get bloody.
There used to bean old saying. If you want to learn this version of RedHat run RedHat.
If you want to learn Linux run Slackware.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-14
Votes: 102
|
In my opinion, this distribution, only this one, would need the praise, so I put 10 because it is the maximum but in truth it would be equivalent to 13.
At the end of the installation we have a real linux (but I would also say UNIX), clearly systemd-free, a system without frills but certainly working; a fast and lean system, modified as little as possible in all respects (read VANILLA).
For the installation we don't have to waste time, we almost go to memory, since 1993. Apart from the partition that must be done in advance, it is always the same. A few questions and in the end everything worked. The SETUP program starts in a fraction of the time of the other installations, and ends in a fraction of time and ATTENTION it also works with an old pentium, even if for many the name does not mean anything by now. In short, this distribution works with the most modern computers, but can give life to real dinosaurs.
After the first start of the system, some things should be changed to speed up the boot time, but everything is solved by setting a few parameters.
Slackware is anything but abandoned, but it is followed by many competent people scattered in the most famous forums.
In the end, knowing how to overcome the few difficulties you will have an exceptional system that has seen many competitors born and die …… .. there will be a reason !!!!!!!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-03-06
Votes: 11
|
If, like me, you've used Slackware from the get go you'll be happy with 15.0. If you're new to Linux there's a learning curve but it's not steep if you understand Unix commands, even from MacOS.
There are plenty of tools for package and dependency management - just not in the base install so you chose how to do that. It's not hard.
You'll either love it or hate it but, much like vi is the one true editor, Slackware is the one true Linux.
Would you rather live with unanswered questions or would you rather live with unquestioned answers?
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-26
Votes: 12
|
I thought I would see what Slackware is like.
I have used it for a couple of weeks. It has been rock solid and has surprisingly modern software.
Check out Old Tech Bloke (OTB) youtube channel for some good tips on installing and configuring Slackware
The installer works well. I used cfdisk to partition the drive - easier than fdisk for a first time. Install was smooth.
There is a live version too from alienbob called liveslack, which I also have tried - very good also,
The forum at linux questions is full of helpful people too.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-20
Votes: 11
|
I've been using Slackware since about 2004, when I had a DragonLinux (Slackware 7 based) webserver running on the internet. so the installation and configuration of version 15.0 held no fears for me. Rather than upgrade my existing 14.2 install, I opted for a clean install on a Distec ESI604DC industrial PC. I setup a local source on my webserver, and installed via a PXE boot. I had a play with Plasma, but really didn't like it. XFCE4 is more to my taste, but I have always liked the simplicity of fluxbox, and soon had it customised just how I like it. I usually leave out KDE, as I find it just takes up space, though I do have the prettier TDE installed on my 14.2 box.
I find Slackware the least annoying operating system. It has few faults, it doesn't get in the way of what I want to do, and is very well supported by a usually friendly community. I really don't need anything other than lilo as a boot manager, as I understand it well, and it works very reliably. If I wanted to use grub instead, it would be simple to change to it.
My PC is fast and responsive, despite having only 4GB RAM and a 60GB hard disc. Web browsing is faster than my wife's W10 machine, and full screen video smooth, using VLC (easy to install from AlienBob's repo.)
I want a system which isn't hidden away, which allows, and encourages understanding. The popular Debian based distros attract many answers on the forums, but much like windows advice, the quality of answers is patchy, and can lead down the wrong paths. Slackware answers tend to be from people who know what they are doing.
Shout out to Eric Hamerleers, Patrick Volkerding, and all the other hard working enthusiasts who keep this project current and secure.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-20
Votes: 21
|
Slackware 15.0 has it all! It's not Ubuntu, mind you.
But ahh...that feeling of control over your PC...is still there...and it just feels just feels..great!
I run slackware on my laptop and on a old desktop. As usal performance is good, inline with other fast distros.
I do a mix of desktop and server usage, on the former relying on KDE.
Installation is as you would expect of good old slackware and everything is working.
But beware that some post-install configurations are mandatory such as fine tuning for SSD optimization, enabling basic services, and installing software you use and are not already included in the base distro.
Of these I would highlight:
- Libreoffice
- VLC
- Inkspace
- google-chrome
These can be easily obtained trusted third party repos (from trusted people I, mean). Checkout Alienbob's repo for instance.
(This is one thing I really like about slackware: it has a "personal" feeling i.e you know can name some of the ppl behind the scenes.)
If you have a little patience slackbuilds.org will be updated to support version 15, and then you'll have access to even more software which you can build yourself.
I like to use slackpkgplus and sbopkg to automate things a bit, but these are in no way mandatory.
If you have difficulties search linuxquestions, but before read the documentation! You are not just learning Slackware you will be learning Linux! In possession of a reasonable know-how you will realize that many distros are just blocking you sight.
Not much more to say about a venerable and rock solid distro... just use it and be served...
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-19
Votes: 10
|
Just installed the 15.0 32bit on my old Asus EEE 901 which I use for coding and such when sitting outside during summer... I've used Slackware since 11.1 with Mandriva and others before, I never had the need to change back to something else since I've been with Slackware. My Desktops and Laptop will upgrade to 15.0 as soon as I have time for it.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-16
Votes: 10
|
This version has been in waiting for some time. It sports a very recent LTS kernel so support for hardware is great, and the installer supports NVME drives, which are much more common these days. Installation was pretty painless. With support for modern accelerated graphics for Intel and AMD out of the box, the desktop experiance is smooth. The addition of ffmpeg and SDL2 out of the box is welcome as well. For those that want the ability to do enterprise style authentication, the adoptoin of PAM is welcome, and for those that don't need it, the default of shadow passwords means that you can continue as before.
The two most obvious omissions are libreoffice and vlc, both of which are available from alien's repository. If you don't know where these are, for example a quick google of slackware alien vlc will find them.
for slackware familiars, this is a welcome update that preserves investment in learning, but manages to include the current stuff like python3 and kde plasma as well.
If you are new to slackware, give it a go. It is a different experiance from the hand-holding you get with ubuntu, for example, but if you want control over your os and are prepared for a bit of learning, It is well worth a go. You may hear about lack of depedency handling, but don't let that alarm you. There is so much included in the full install that you have most of what is needed out of the box. When slackbuilds dot org is ready to open with this new version, you can find build scripts for many other packages, and tools like sbopkg make downloading, creating and installing using those scripts straight forward.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 5
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 0
|
The start is slow; while SysVInit and the BSD-style init are consedered classics they are clearly obsolete; a modern system has so many tings to do that a serial start of services is almost useless
The Bootloader is weird: the use of LILO and ELILO is ridiculous; LILO is dead and ELILO existence feels forced in existence of other bootloaders also the setup tool installs GRUB, the more powerful and flexible bootloader used almos everyother place
The repository shrunked in comparision with 14.2, the popular APT-like for package management Slap-get is still unavailable,
The insistence on Vim is weird; while the editor war is something I am not interested the fact that user are presented with only a Vi-based choise would be umcomfortable to Emacs(optional install) ,Nano, Micro and others text editors (Nano is installed but nothing says it unless you use terse or menu installation)
The setup tool while spartan is clear and flexible and works flawlessy in setting the system
The system is in general very clear, practical, and useful but some old fossil software still creeps out to make things weird and dificult for newcomers; i hope this almost inmortal distro can still evolve and keep growing in this dificult and interesting decade even if its dificult to use for many; Even then it still provides and interesting learning grow
I woulnt daily drive it but still like to learn and experiment in it; Good job and Good Luck Patrick i hope to where te pursuit of slack takes you
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: current
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 10
|
Slackware is best of all. A classical rock solid system!
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-02-15
Votes: 0
|
You always return to your first love - so they say. An intermezzo with Alien Bob's slackware current, almost two years ago, ended abruptly, after the introduction of PAM through slackpkg locked me out from my system. So I was curious about 15.0, grabbed it instantaneously when I saw the news here @Distrowatch.
I installed the (erronously, instead of 64-Bit) downloaded, 32-Bit ISO into a vacant partition and was fine with the good ol' ncurses based routine. At large I come to the same conclusions as the 15.0 Feature Story by Jesse Smith, with a few additional remarks:
* installation with selection of jfs -filesystem hang; start again from scratch with ext4 -destination was okay
* as in the last 15 years lilo install to a partition fails. No problem for me to include Slackware into another lilo or grub -config on the same machine
* the packaged falkon -browser does not work for me
* Alien Bob's Chromium package for 'current' also crashes
* base system is fast
* the KDE -desktop layout looks beautiful and modern
* for me the Caligra office suite is just fine.
Subjectively I conclude that Slackware is an awesome peace of work, but obviously I have outgrown the approach: the days when I took pride in compiling kernel etc. myself, finding solutions for OS hardships are gone. Perhaps one day Slackel, Zenwalk or a born-again Salix, even Vector Linux may help over the undue amount of packages installed by the official Slackware, but I'm not sure if / when I'll take a chance ...
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 0
|
Slackware is not a distro for everybody, but only for those who know Linux, and for those who want to learn Linux (me in 2005). If you do not want to see nor use a command-line interface, and if you do not want to learn Vi & bash, please do not choose Slackware !
Adding extra-software is not that difficult thanks to SlackBuilds (the small sister of Slackware !), although it is frequent to need to modify the script ; but when you have no SlackBuilds yet (like now exactly), it can be very tricky, even whith good repositories of extra-packages.
Slackware is fantastic if you do not need any "graphical environment", that is if a simple "window manager" is enough for you, and if you are happy to use an antique and minimalistic machine : it runs fast ! and so reliable ...
I love it of course.
|
Project: Slackware Linux
Version: 15.0
Rating: 4
Date: 2022-02-14
Votes: 0
|
Various installation, configuration and unidentified hardware issues with attempted USB installation of latest release Slackware 15.0. Rah-rah advocacy chorus at Slackware LQ forum not too helpful. Until 15.1 comes out, will stick with the very usable alternative of latest Absolute Linux.
|
|
|
| TUXEDO |
TUXEDO Computers - Linux Hardware in a tailor made suite
Choose from a wide range of laptops and PCs in various sizes and shapes at TUXEDOComputers.com. Every machine comes pre-installed and ready-to-run with Linux. Full 24 months of warranty and lifetime support included!
Learn more about our full service package and all benefits from buying at TUXEDO.
|
| Star Labs |
Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
|
|
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
bc1qxes3k2wq3uqzr074tkwwjmwfe63z70gwzfu4lx 
lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7ampd3kx2ar0veekzar0wd5xjtnrdakj7tnhv4kxctttdehhwm30d3h82unvwqhhxarpw3jkc7tzw4ex6cfexyfua2nr 
86fA3qPTeQtNb2k1vLwEQaAp3XxkvvvXt69gSG5LGunXXikK9koPWZaRQgfFPBPWhMgXjPjccy9LA9xRFchPWQAnPvxh5Le 
0x969CD4E778C7b6549A2B00e34114e0168c86A542 