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ROCK Linux
ROCK was a distribution build kit, or in other words, a software development toolkit for building OS solutions. You can configure your personal build of ROCK and easily build your own distribution directly from source code. Most of the ROCK Linux development was done on ix86 hardware, But ROCK Linux also supports the Alpha AXP, PowerPC, Sparc32/Sparc64 and MIPS architectures.
Status: Discontinued
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| Tips, Tricks, Q&As | | Tips and tricks: Creating, removing, modifying, and ignoring aliases |
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 Latest News and Updates |
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| 2022-02-03 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 15.0, the project's first stable release since July 2016. The new version of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution comes with a number of new features, such as PAM, ConsoleKit2 and PipeWire. Also, unlike most other distributions, Slackware continues to support the x86 architecture. "We are very happy to announce the availability of the new Slackware 15.0 stable release. There have been way too many changes to even begin to cover them here, but for our dedicated user base suffice to say that you'll find things modern but also familiar. We've gone with the 5.15.19 Linux kernel (part of the 5.15.x kernel series that will be getting long-term support from the kernel developers). You'll also enjoy a refreshed desktop experience including the KDE Plasma 25th Anniversary Edition with support for Wayland sessions. We adopted PAM (finally) as projects we needed dropped support for pure shadow passwords. We switched from ConsoleKit2 to elogind, making it much easier to support software that targets that Other Init System and bringing us up-to-date with the XDG standards. We added support for PipeWire as an alternate to PulseAudio, and for Wayland sessions in addition to X11." See the full release announcement for further details. Download (mirrors): slackware64-15.0-install-dvd.iso (3,605MB, MD5, signature, pkglist), slackware-15.0-install-dvd.iso (3,736MB, MD5, signature). |
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| 2022-01-13 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC3 |
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The Slackware Linux distribution has been slowly gearing up toward a new stable release for a while now, gradually releasing new development snapshots over the past eleven months. The project has announced a new (and final) release candidate, tagged Slackware Linux 15.0 RC3. "Good hello, and welcome to the third and final release candidate for Slackware 15.0. We're 99% frozen at this point and are mostly looking for regression or other bug reports that might be able to be addressed before this goes stable. Of course, the management here reserves the right to make exceptions... that 5.15.15 kernel version has a nice ring to it. If your requests didn't make it into this iteration, perhaps we will revisit them for the next -current cycle. Some were just a little too late but will more than likely be needed next time (I'm looking at Didier's grubconfig), while others are just out of scope for the main tree where I like to abide by YAGNI as much as possible. Anyway, let's get some testing done and we'll be there soon. Enjoy!" People wishing to test the upcoming Slackware release can try out the unofficial install media (MD5): slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (3,489MB), slackware64-current-mini-install.iso (128MB). |
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| 2021-11-18 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC2 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that the development branch of Slackware Linux has reached "release candidate 2" status. As a result, the highly anticipated release of version 15.0 of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution is just around the corner: "Clearly we're going to have to trend more carefully for things to settle down, so consider this RC2 and a much harder freeze. A test mass rebuild was done here and there are no more 'fails to build from source' remaining." The most recent entry in the current changelog also includes a note on rebuilding Python Markdown to fix the Samba build: "The newer versions of Markdown require importlib_metadata and zipp, and adding these also fixes the build, but oddly the installed PKG-INFO shows version 0.0.0, which I suspect is more breakage going on with setuptools. I've tried rebuilding all other Python modules here to see if a more general breakage had crept in somehow, but those are the only two Python modules I've found that exhibit this issue, and I've found other similar reports (but no fixes). Markdown 3.3.4 seems to be the safe bet for now." Interested testers can download a recent (unofficial) installation DVD and installation mini CD built from Slackware's "Current" tree (MD5): slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (3,351MB), slackware64-current-mini-install.iso (127MB). |
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| 2021-08-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC1 |
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With Debian 11 freshly out of the bag, the next highly-anticipated release will undoubtedly be that of Slackware Linux 15.0, a major update of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution. Patrick Volkerding has just announced that Slackware's "Current" branch, which has received a long list of updates recently, has "most things frozen" in preparation for the final release: "Along with the usual suspects, I've been trying to clear out the list of things that needed to get done in order to reach the standard of excellence demanded from a Slackware release, and I think we've gotten it pretty close. GCC was bumped to version 11.2.0 (because we just can't send this out 2 versions behind), and everything was verified to build properly or fixed up so that it did. I don't see any benefit to another public mass rebuild, so we're not going to do one. Anyway, without further ado, here is Slackware 15.0 release candidate one. Consider most things frozen and the focus now to be any remaining blocker bugs. We'll more than likely take that next Plasma bug-fix release, but it's soon time to get off this treadmill." See the distribution's changelog for a list of recent changes. Here are the download links to Slackware's unofficial installation DVD and installation mini CD built from Slackware's "Current" tree (MD5): slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (3,259MB), slackware64-current-mini-install.iso (124MB). |
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| 2021-04-13 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 Beta |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that the development branch of Slackware Linux (known as "Current") has now reached "beta" status: "I'm going to go ahead and call this a beta even though there's still no fix for the illegal instruction issue with 32-bit MariaDB. But there should be soon. No build regressions noted with the official GCC 10.3 release. Please report any new (or old) issues on the LQ Slackware forum. Enjoy!" The latest entries in the changelog indicate various updates, including an upgrade to Linux kernel 5.10.29 (default; a newer 5.11.13 kernel is available in the "testing" repository) and GCC 10.3.0. It also lists a couple of security fixes to dnsmasq and irssi. All KDE packages have been recently upgraded, so KDE Plasma is now at version 5.21.4 and KDE Applications at 5.81.0. Thunderbird has also undergone an upgrade due to recent security issues. As always, Slackware does not provide any official testing images, but users interested in installing and testing the distribution are welcome to download Eric Hameleers' unofficial installation DVD or installation mini CD (built from Slackware's "Current" tree and updated daily): slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (3,166MB, MD5), slackware64-current-mini-install.iso (121MB). A mini-install CD image is also available for the i386 architecture. |
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| 2021-02-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 Alpha 1 |
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We haven't had any Slackware news since the release of Slackware Linux 14.2 in July 2016. Today we are happy to report about an approaching release of version 15.0 of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution as its "Current" development branch has now been declared "alpha 1": "Here we go again... upgraded to glibc 2.33 and one last mass rebuild for Slackware 15.0. The only packages upgraded in this batch are glibc and the kernels - everything else is just a rebuild against the new glibc. Not rebuilt in this batch: devs (best to just leave this alone), glibc-zoneinfo, kernel-firmware, rust, linux-faqs, linux-howtos, aspell-en, mozilla-firefox, mozilla-thunderbird, and seamonkey. There's a new Rust compiler but Firefox and Thunderbird will need to be patched to use it, so we'll hold off on those until they're ready for the new Rust either with patches or new upstream releases. Until we have that and a few more scheduled upgrades I'm not quite ready to call this beta yet, but you can call it 15.0-alpha1." Continue to the changelog for a full list of recent changes. Slackware does not provide any official testing images, but one of its developer, Eric Hameleers, regularly builds unofficial installation DVDs from Slackware's "Current" tree; here is a link to the most recent one: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (3,224MB, MD5). Happy testing! |
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| 2016-07-01 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 |
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The Slackware project has announced a new stable release of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution. The new version, Slackware Linux 14.2, ships with Linux kernel version 4.4, KDE 4.14, Xfce 4.12 and the 64-bit build of Slackware supports booting on UEFI-enabled hardware. "Slackware 14.2 brings many updates and enhancements, among which you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.12.1, a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment, and KDE 4.14.21 (KDE 4.14.3 with kdelibs 4.14.21) a stable release of the 4.14.x series of the award-winning KDE desktop environment. These desktops use eudev, udisks, and udisks2, and many of the specifications from freedesktop.org which allow the system administrator to grant use of various hardware devices according to users' group membership so that they will be able to use items such as USB flash sticks, USB cameras that appear like USB storage, portable hard drives, CD and DVD media, MP3 players, and more, all without requiring sudo, the mount or umount command." Additional information can be found in the project's detailed release announcement. Download: slackware64-14.2-install-dvd.iso (2,645MB, MD5, signature, torrent, pkglist). |
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| 2016-04-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 RC2 |
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With the release of Slackware 14.2 quickly approaching, the project has released a second (and probably final) release candidate. The new development snapshot, Slackware 14.2 Release Candidate 2, includes a number of kernel fixes as well as an update to the latest version of the Thunderbird e-mail client. "Finally got some fixes we were waiting for in this new kernel. It's been almost a month since 14.2-rc1 so we'll call this Slackware 14.2 Release Candidate 2. Almost there. Get in any last-minute bug reports quickly." This snapshot also features a keyboard layout fix provided by Jean-Philippe Guillemin. The full list of changes can be found in the changelog. There are no official ISO images to download, but Slackware developer Eric Hameleers continues to provide his builds of unofficial installation DVDs from Slackware's "Current" branch Download: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2642MB, MD5).
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| 2016-03-18 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 RC1 |
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In the world of Linux, no St Patrick's Day would be complete without an interesting note in the Slackware changelog and this year is no different as Patrick Volkerding announces the availability of the first release candidate for Slackware Linux 14.2: "Good hello, let's call this Slackware 14.2 release candidate 1. We still have a bit of work to do before this is fully ready to go, but we're done doing every little upgrade that comes along. Well, mostly. Have a great day, and beannachtai na Feile Padraig oraibh!" Other recent entries in the changelog include an upgrade to the Linux kernel 4.4.6 (with long-term support), upgrades to Firefox 45.0.1 and nmap 7.10, security fixes to SeaMonkey and OpenSSH, and upgrade of X.Org Server to version 1.18.2. As always, there are no official ISO images to download, but Slackware developer Eric Hameleers continues his weekly builds of unofficial installation DVDs from Slackware's "Current" branch; interested testers can download the most recent one for the x86_64 architecture from here: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,634MB, MD5). |
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| 2016-02-04 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 Beta 2 |
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The second beta release of Slackware 14.2 is ready for testing: "Welcome to Slackware 14.2 beta 2. Getting closer." The above was published in Slackware's changelog earlier today, together with a note on the upgraded Linux kernel 4.4.1 and security updates to OpenSSL, PHP, Mozilla Firefox and xine-lib, as well as some notes on SysVInit scripts and MPlayer: "rc.6 - change command variable to shutdown_command to avoid conflicting with a same-named variable in rc.networkmanager. Added new script rc.cpufreq to enable CPU frequency scaling. ... This is the latest MPlayer-1.2 branch, identical to the 1.2.1 stable release. The bundled FFmpeg has been upgraded to 2.8.5, which fixes two security issues by which a remote attacker may conduct a cross-origin attack and read arbitrary files on the system." Those readers interested in helping to test the new release should download Slackware developer Eric Hameleers' unofficial installation DVDs which are built weekly from Slackware's "Current" tree; here is the link to the x86_64 flavour: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,623MB, MD5). |
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| 2016-01-13 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 Beta 1 |
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Following a large number of recent updates, Slackware founder and lead developer Patrick Volkerding finally announced today that the distribution's development branch (called "Current") had reached beta status. The brand-new Linux kernel, version 4.4 LTS, is included too: "Enjoy a shiny new LTS 4.4.0 kernel and consider this 14.2 beta 1." The above line can be found in today's Slackware changelog which starts with a commentary on the state of Bluetooth audio in the distribution following some recent updates: "After upgrading to BlueZ 5 recently, everything seemed to be working great, but then it was pointed out that Bluetooth audio was no longer working. The reason was that the newer BlueZ branch had dropped ALSA support and now required PulseAudio. So with some trepidation, we began investigating adding PulseAudio to Slackware. After several iterations here refining the foundation packages and recompiling and tweaking other packages to use PulseAudio, it's working well." As always, there aren't any official beta images to download and test, although Slackware developer Eric Hameleers continues providing unofficial installation DVDs built from Slackware's "Current" tree; download from here: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,621MB, MD5). |
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| 2013-11-07 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 14.1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 14.1, a new version of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution: "After over a year of development (including the beta release and several release candidates to get everything polished up) we're proud to announce the availability of the new stable release. You'll find updates throughout the system, with the latest compilers and development tools, and recent versions of applications, window managers, desktop environments, and utilities. The Linux kernel is updated to version 3.10.17 (part of the 3.10.x kernel series that will be getting long-term support from the kernel developers). The x86_64 edition of Slackware also adds support for installing and booting on systems running UEFI firmware." The new versions ships with KDE 4.10.5 and Xfce 4.10.1 desktops. Please read the full release announcement and check out the release notes for further information. Download: slackware64-14.1-install-dvd.iso (2,326MB, MD5, torrent). |
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| 2013-10-15 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.1 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that the "Current" branch of Slackware Linux has reached release candidate status in preparation for the release of stable version 14.1: "And with this batch of updates and fixes (clearing the rest of the important stuff from the TODO list), we have arrived at Slackware 14.1 release candidate 1! Please test and report any remaining issues. UEFI (with the exception of Secure Boot, which will have to wait until we have real hardware) should be fully implemented in the installer now, which will detect and warn about common problems, set up the EFI System Partition under /boot/efi, and install ELILO and a UEFI boot entry automatically. Several useful netfilter and networking utilities have been added. With this batch of updates, everything should be considered frozen (including the kernel) unless there's a good reason to change something." See the full changelog for all the recent updates and fixes. Interested testers can download Eric Hameleers's unofficial installation DVD image built from Slackware's "Current" tree: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,018MB, MD5). |
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| 2013-09-18 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.1 Beta |
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Today Patrick Volkerding declared the "Current" branch beta which means that the upcoming stable Slackware Linux 14.1 is in the final stages of development. Quoting from the changelog: "Hey folks, I'm calling this a beta! Really, it's been better than beta quality for a while. There will probably still be a few more updates here and there (and certainly updates to the docs). Enjoy, and please test." Other important changes include update to Linux kernel 3.10.12, the introduction of GRUB into the main tree ("Welcome GRUB!"), and updates to the just-release Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird 24.0 (the extended support releases). This will be the first stable version of Slackware Linux in over a year. As always, there are no official installation DVD images during this development period, but interested testers can download the latest unofficial build of the "Current" tree provided by Slackware developer Eric Hameleers: slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,331MB, MD5). Pre-orders are also available. |
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| 2012-09-28 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 |
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After more than two months of testing, Patrick Volkerding has finally announced the release of Slackware Linux 14.0: "The long wait is finally over and a new stable release of Slackware has arrived! Since our last stable release, a lot has changed in the Linux and FOSS world. The kernel has moved on to major version 3 (we're using the long-term supported 3.2.29 kernel for this release), X.Org has released X11R7.7, and Firefox has had a whopping 11 major releases to arrive at version 15.0.1! We've brought together the best of these and other modern components and worked our magic on them. You'll find new compilers (including the LLVM/Clang compiler that's becoming a popular alternative to GCC), development tools, libraries, and applications throughout, all prepared with our careful and rigourous testing. If you've used Slackware before, you'll find the system feels like home." Consult the release announcement and release notes for further details. Download: slackware-14.0-install-dvd.iso (2,345MB, MD5, torrent), slackware64-14.0-install-dvd.iso (2,299MB, MD5, torrent). |
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| 2012-09-20 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 RC5 |
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Slackware Linux 14.0 is getting very close to being released, but Patrick Volkerding has decided to play it safe and offer one more release candidate for testing: "Here we go one more time with Slackware 14.0 release candidate 5. Really, this time it is not a drill! Everything is in place and ready to release at this point, and unless there's some kind of showstopper found, the release can be expected soon. After careful consideration and a considerable amount of internal testing I did relent to give the kernel one more bump to 3.2.29, so of course 3.2.30 was released a couple of hours ago. But that's not a showstopper, and it seems to be time to get off the never-ending kernel upgrade treadmill until the next cycle begins. Speaking of kernels, I added sample .configs for all the 3.x kernel branches in /testing." See the distribution's changelog for a full list of recent changes. If you'd like to give it one last round of testing then download Eric Hameleers' unofficial DVD images from here: slackware-current-install-dvd.iso (2,320MB, MD5), slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,275MB, MD5). |
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| 2012-09-01 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 RC4 |
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Release candidate four for Slackware Linux 14.0 is out: "Well, we fixed a lot of bugs and took some upgrades that we pretty much needed to take since they were important bug and/or security fixes, so it looks like we'll need to have a 14.0 release candidate 4 and another (last?) round of testing. Hopefully the fourth time is the charm!" One of the critical security patches were applied to glibc: "Patched multiple integer overflows in the strtod, strtof, strtold, and strtod_l functions in stdlib in the GNU C Library allow local users to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow." See the distribution's changelog for a full list of changes. Download links to the daily unofficial DVD installation images built by Eric Hameleers: slackware-current-install-dvd.iso (2,320MB, MD5), slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,274MB, MD5).
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| 2012-08-25 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 RC3 |
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The third (and probably last) release candidate for Slackware Linux 14.0 is ready for testing: "This is Slackware 14.0 release candidate 3 and it is hopefully the last stop on our long road to a stable Slackware release soon. After hearing that the 3.4.x kernel series will have long-term support, I tested 3.4.9 hoping that it would prove stable enough to use that as the release kernel, but there are problems with an oops in clocksource.c every few boots. Given that the 3.2.x series has been very stable, it seems prudent to stick with that for release, and 3.2.28 is going to be the release kernel. So, one more round of testing." See the distribution's changelog for this announcement and notes about recent updates and several security corrections. Download links to the daily unofficial DVD installation images built by Eric Hameleers: slackware-current-install-dvd.iso (2,319MB, MD5), slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso (2,274MB, MD5).
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| 2012-08-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 RC2 |
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The second release candidate for the upcoming Slackware Linux 14.0 is ready for testing. Patrick Volkerding in today's changelog: "Getting close! Hopefully we've cleared out most of the remaining issues and are nearly ready here. We'll call this release candidate 2. Unless there's a very good rationale, versions are frozen. Any reports of remaining bugs will be gladly taken, though." The changelog entry also includes a bug-fix rebuild of GNU grep, among other updates: "Merged upstream patches to fix problems with sparse or compressed files, and with file systems that store tiny files within the metadata. This should fix issues with compiling on file systems such as Btrfs and ZFS." Recent unofficial installation DVD images can be downloaded from here: slackware-current-14_Aug_2012-DVD.iso (2,329MB, MD5), slackware64-current-14_Aug_2012-DVD.iso (2,284MB, MD5).
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| 2012-08-10 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 RC1 |
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In the most recent changelog entry, Patrick Volkerding declares the Slackware "Current" tree, the distribution's development branch, release-candidate quality: "Good hello and happy Thursday! Mercury went direct early yesterday morning and it was like the bugs started to fix themselves. It's almost enough to get me believing in that hocus-pocus nonsense. So, here's a bunch of updates that fix all of the reported issues in the beta and we'll call this the 14.0 release candidate 1. Still some updates needed for the top-level documentation files, but we're clearly in the home stretch now (finally). Test away, and report any remaining bugs!" Today's changelog entry also includes a big update to KDE 4.8.5. Quick links to download recent unofficial installation DVD images: slackware-current-14_Aug_2012-DVD.iso (2,329MB, MD5), slackware64-current-14_Aug_2012-DVD.iso (2,284MB, MD5).
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| 2012-07-23 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.0 Beta |
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Slackware "Current" is now beta - that's according to Patrick Volkerding who wrote the following in today's changelog: "Howdy! Lots of shiny stuff here, including the long awaited Xfce 4.10. Thanks to Robby Workman for the initial set of build scripts, and lots of testing (plus some very helpful notes about things such as the proper build order). I'm calling this a beta (finally!), and it's really very close to what we expect to release. Test away." The changelog also includes a long note on udev: "Well, udev in this development cycle has certainly been interesting. A fair number of odd bug reports have been coming in, and we hadn't really been able to get a handle on the source of the issues. Quite some time ago we started testing udev-182, and noticed that it caused some issues with the persistent net and CD rules." As always, there are no official installation media, but recent builds of unofficial DVD images can be had from here: slackware-current-24_Jul_2012-DVD.iso (2,327MB, MD5), slackware64-current-24_Jul_2012-DVD.iso (2,281MB, MD5).
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| 2011-04-28 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 |
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Slackware Linux 13.37, a new version of the world's oldest surviving Linux-based operating system, has been released: "It's true! Slackware 13.37 has been released. Nearly a year in the making, you will appreciate the performance and stability that can only come with careful and rigorous testing. Slackware 13.37 uses the 2.6.37.6 Linux kernel and also ships with 2.6.38.4 kernels for those who want to run the latest. The long-awaited Firefox 4.0 web browser is included, the X Window System has been upgraded (and includes the open source nouveau driver for NVIDIA cards). The venerable Slackware installer has been improved as well, with support for installing to btrfs, a one-package-per-line display mode option, and an easy to set-up PXE install server that runs right off the DVD!" For full details please read the release announcement. Download: slackware-13.37-install-dvd.iso (4,334MB, MD5, torrent), slackware64-13.37-install-dvd.iso (4,402MB, MD5, torrent).
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| 2011-04-08 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 RC4.6692 |
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Patrick Volkerding has once again updated the Slackware "Current" changelog, announcing one last release candidate before the final release of Slackware Linux 13.37: "Hi folks, one more. We'll call this 13.37 RC 4.6692. Thanks to Nicola for suggesting the first Feigenbaum constant could be useful since we used pi, and it's too late for e. This is pretty much it, but last call for any show-stoppers." Other recent changes include upgrade to Linux kernel 2.6.37.6, a bug fix to pkgtools, upgrade to KDevelop 4.2.2, addition of Linux kernel 2.6.38.2 to the testing tree, and various security fixes to libtiff, DHCP and ProFTPD. See the detailed changelog for a complete list of changes. Recent unofficial installation DVD images (built 5 April) are available for download from here: slackware-current-05_Apr_2011-DVD.iso (1,976MB, MD5), slackware64-current-05_Apr_2011-DVD.iso (1,933MB, MD5).
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| 2011-03-27 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 RC 3.1415926535897932384626433832 |
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More fun with Slackware's version numbers as Patrick Volkerding announces the latest release candidate for the upcoming Slackware Linux 13.37: "There have been quite a few changes so we will have one more release candidate: Slackware 13.37 RC 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716. Very close now! But we'll likely hold out for 2.6.37.6." The above-mentioned changes include upgrade to Linux kernel 2.6.37.5 and associated rebuilds, upgrade to xfsprogs 3.1.4, a security fix in Qt 4.7.0, upgrade to rsync 3.0.8, addition of Memtest86+ and virtio kernel modules to usbboot.img, and a number of bug fix rebuilds (including GIMP 2.6.11, Firefox 4.0 and Thunderbird 3.1.9) and security patches. Read the full changelog for a detailed of all changes. Quick links to the most recent unofficial installation DVD images (dated 22 March): slackware-current-22_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (1,972MB, MD5), slackware64-current-22_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (1,929MB, MD5).
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| 2011-03-22 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 RC3 |
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The third release candidate of Slackware Linux 13.37 is ready for testing: "We'll call this Slackware 13.37 release candidate 3. It seems like most of the important pieces are in place now." The above message comes from the Current ChangeLog which was updated earlier today. Other interesting items found in the log include upgrade to Mozilla Firefox 4.0 ("Thanks to the Mozilla Foundation for all the hard work on Firefox 4.0!"), rebuild of sysvinit-scripts ("In rc.6 use -f when unmounting remote file systems to avoid getting stuck in the case of a dead server."), and addition of Google Chrome to the "extra" repository ("Added a Google Chrome SlackBuild to convert the Google Chrome DEB packages for Slackware. Also added GConf and ORBit2 packages for Google Chrome in this directory."). Quick links to the recent unofficial installation DVD images (built 22 March): slackware-current-22_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (1,972MB, MD5), slackware64-current-22_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (1,929MB, MD5).
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| 2011-03-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 RC2 |
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Patrick Volkerding, the founder and maintainer of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution, has updated the Slackware Linux "Current" changelog with the following words: "Slackware 13.37 release candidate 2 is ready for testing. Are we almost there?" This comes just one week after the first release candidate. During this time we have seen updates to the just-released Linux kernel 2.6.37.4, Subversion 1.6.16 (fixed a remotely triggerable NULL-pointer dereference in mod_dav_svn), Pidgin 2.7.11 (fixed denials of service caused by NULL pointer dereferences due to improper handling of malformed YMSG packets), Emacs 23.3, Audacious 2.4.4, various bug-fixes, library rebuilds and security updates. Please refer to the complete changelog for additional details. Quick links to recent unofficial installation DVD images (built on 15 March 2011): slackware-current-15_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (2,042MB), slackware64-current-15_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (2,001MB).
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| 2011-03-09 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.37 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that Slackware "Current", the distribution's development branch, has become release candidate 1 for the upcoming Slackware Linux 13.37: "Hey folks, I think it's time for Slackware 13.37 (hopefully this helps to make up for our lack of code names) release candidate 1! After a lot of testing and consideration, we've decided to go with the recently released 2.6.37.3 Linux kernel which seems to work best for X, contains support for Speakup, and looks like a better kernel branch to be using as we move forward. Please test so we can have a stable release soon." Other major components of the distribution include glibc 2.13, GCC 4.5.2, X.Org Server 1.9.4, KDE 4.5.5 and Xfce 4.6.2. Read the full changelog for further details. As always, there are no official installation CD or DVD images available for download, but recent unofficial builds (built on 8 March) can be downloaded from here (MD5): slackware-current-08_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (2,042MB), slackware64-current-08_Mar_2011-DVD.iso (2,001MB).
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| 2010-05-24 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 13.1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 13.1: "Yes, it's that time again! After many months of development and careful testing, we are proud to announce the release of Slackware version 13.1. Slackware 13.1 brings many updates and enhancements, among which you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.6.1, a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment, and KDE 4.4.3, a recent stable release of the new 4.4.x series of the award-winning KDE desktop environment. We continue to make use of HAL and udev, which allow the system administrator to grant use of various hardware devices according to users' group membership." See the release announcement and release notes for a detailed description of the release. Download (torrents): slackware-13.1-install-dvd.iso (4,118MB, MD5, torrent), slackware64-13.1-install-dvd.iso (4,169MB, MD5, torrent).
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| 2010-05-19 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.1 RC2 |
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The Slackware Linux development tree is moving rapidly towards the next stable release - it has now reached release candidate 2 status: "Slackware 13.1 RC2. Expect a stable release when it's ready." Among several recent updates there are a security update to Pidgin and a bug-fix update to CUPS: "Upgraded to Pidgin 2.7.0 and Pidgin Encryption 3.1. The msn_emoticon_msg function in slp.c in the MSN protocol plugin in libpurple in Pidgin before 2.7.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a custom emoticon in a malformed SLP message. ... Merged Till Kamppeter's patch to restore the ability to use usblp with the USB backend (in addition to the libusb method). This package will remove any cups.blacklist.usblp.conf from a previous installation." See the full changelog for a full list of changes since RC1. Unofficial installation DVD images of the Slackware "Current" tree, built on 18 May, are available from here: slackware-current-18_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,905MB, MD5), slackware64-current-18_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,852MB, MD5).
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| 2010-05-15 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.1 RC1 |
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Following a large number of updates, the Slackware "current" tree has now become release candidate 1 (RC1) for the upcoming Slackware Linux 13.1: "We will call this update Slackware 13.1 RC1. With this, the kernel, compiler, and glibc versions are 'golden', and everything is pretty much ready to release. Last call for bug reports..." Some of the recent updates include Linux kernel 2.6.33.4, GCC 4.4.4, CUPS 1.4.3, Emacs 23.2 and GNU Diffutils 3.0. Several security and bug fixes have also been added: "Fixed Apple USB keyboard support. Added missing BCM57* firmware. Scan /dev/sr0 first when looking for CD/DVD, not the old IDE device." For a detailed list of all changes please see the full changelog. Unofficial installation DVD images of Slackware "current" (built on 11 May) are available for download from here: slackware-current-11_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,906MB, MD5), slackware64-current-11_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,840MB, MD5).
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| 2010-05-06 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.1 Beta 1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that the Slackware development branch, called "Current", has now reach beta status: "Hi folks! We have some pretty big changes today, with an update to the latest KDE SC 4.4.3, and the addition of support for ConsoleKit and PolicyKit which have been enhanced to use shadow authentication. Thanks to Andrew Psaltis for doing some great work on polkit-1, and to Robby Workman for spending months following the sometimes random developments coming from the CK/PK camp. Thanks to Eric Hameleers for leading the KDE 4.4.x Slackware development and handling the out-of-tree testing. And with that, we're calling this Slackware 13.1 BETA1. A stable release should be just around the corner." See the changelog for a detailed list of all changes since the release of version 13.0. As always, there are no official ISO images of Slackware beta releases, but recent unofficial builds of Slackware "Current" can be downloaded from here (MD5): slackware-current-04_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,822MB), slackware64-current-04_May_2010-DVD.iso (1,758MB).
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| 2009-08-28 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 13.0 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 13.0, a major update of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution: "After one of the most intensive periods of development in Slackware's history, the long-awaited stable release of Slackware 13.0 is ready. This release brings with it many major changes since Slackware 12.2, including a completely reworked collection of X packages (a configuration file for X is no longer needed in most cases), major upgrades to the desktop environments (KDE 4.2.4 and Xfce 4.6.1), a new .txz package format with much better compression, and other upgrades all around -- to the development system, network services, libraries, and major applications like Firefox and Thunderbird. We think you'll agree that this version of Slackware was worth the wait. Also, this is the first release of Slackware with native support for the 64-bit x86_64 architecture!" See the release announcement and release notes for more information. Download (torrents) the installation DVD images from here: slackware-13.0-install-dvd.iso (3,739MB, MD5, torrent), slackware64-13.0-install-dvd.iso (3,762MB, MD5, torrent).
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| 2009-08-06 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.0 RC2 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that Slackware "current", the distribution's development branch, has reached release candidate 2 status: "Hi folks! We're going to call this set of updates RC2. There are still README files to be handled (that's the nature of documentation, I guess), as well as some other things remaining on the TODO list, but X seems pretty stable now, and it seems like a release soon would be in order so that we can march right back into development territory with -current again soon. Enjoy, and let us know about any problems you run into!" Find more information in the changelog. Slackware Linux 13.0 RC2 comes with Linux kernel 2.6.29.6, GCC 4.3.3, X.Org Server 1.6.3 and KDE 4.2.4. As always, there are no official ISO images to download, but those interested in helping with last-minute testing can get these unofficial installation DVDs and upgrade to RC2 with slackpkg: slackware-current-04_Aug_2009-DVD.iso (1,743MB, MD5), slackware64-current-04_Aug_2009-DVD.iso (1,678MB, MD5).
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| 2009-07-02 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 13.0 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that Slackware "Current", the distribution's development branch, has reached release candidate status: "The to-do isn't entirely empty here, but it's pretty much down to minor nits, and so we're going to call this release candidate 1 and (mostly) freeze further updates unless they happen to fix problems. Regarding the kernel, 2.6.29.x has been well tested with this userspace and seems like the best choice to ship for production use. Perhaps we can put something else (at least source and configurations) in /testing, though." See the complete changelog for further information regarding updates and changes. As always with Slackware, there are no official ISO images released for download, but unofficial weekly builds are available from slackware.no (MD5): slackware-current-30_Jun_2009-DVD.iso (1,747MB), slackware64-current-30_Jun_2009-DVD.iso (1,682MB).
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| 2008-12-11 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 12.2 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 12.2: "Well folks, it's that time to announce a new stable Slackware release again. Since we've moved to supporting the 2.6 kernel series exclusively (and fine-tuned the system to get the most out of it), we feel that Slackware 12.2 has many improvements over our last release (Slackware 12.1) and is a must-have upgrade for any Slackware user. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.4.3 and KDE 3.5.10. Slackware 12.2 uses the 2.6.27.7 kernel bringing you advanced performance features such as journaling file systems, SCSI and ATA RAID volume support, SATA support, Software RAID, LVM (the Logical Volume Manager), and encrypted file systems." Read the rest of the release announcement for more details. Download: slackware-12.2-install-dvd.iso (3,962MB, MD5, torrent).
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| 2008-12-03 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 12.2 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that the development branch of Slackware Linux has reached release candidate status: "While there are still some documents that need updating and probably a few more tweaks and updates here and there, everything is mostly in place for the next stable release, Slackware Linux 12.2. The versions of major components like X.Org and the kernel can be considered frozen. Anything major that we haven't done yet will probably wait for the release after this next one. As Slackware 12.2 is only a 0.1 version bump, we're trying to focus on making it better without causing instability or losing compatibility with Slackware 12.1 wherever possible. Invasive changes like the new X.Org (that will require changes to xorg.conf) and merging KDE 4 should probably wait for Slackware 13.0. We will call this batch Slackware 12.2 release candidate one." Read the updated Slackware current changelog for more information. As always, Slackware doesn't publish ISO images of release candidates, but unofficial DVD images, built weekly from the current tree, are available at ftp.slackware.no; download the latest one from here: slackware-current-02_Dec_2008-DVD.iso (3,616MB, MD5).
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| 2008-05-02 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 12.1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the release of Slackware Linux 12.1: "Well folks, it's that time to announce a new stable Slackware release again. So, without further ado, announcing Slackware version 12.1! Since we've moved to supporting the 2.6 kernel series exclusively (and fine-tuned the system to get the most out of it), we feel that Slackware 12.1 has many improvements over our last release (Slackware 12.0) and is a must-have upgrade for any Slackware user. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find better support for RAID, LVM, and cryptsetup; a network capable (FTP and HTTP, not only NFS) installer; and two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.4.2, a fast, lightweight, and visually appealing desktop environment, and KDE 3.5.9, the latest 3.x version of the full-featured K Desktop Environment." More details in the release announcement. Order the official installation DVD from Slackware store (US$49.95) or download it via BitTorrent: slackware-12.1-install-dvd.iso (3,862MB). Happy slacking!
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| 2008-04-22 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 12.1 RC2 |
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A stable Slackware Linux 12.1 is just behind the corner: "We have now reached the Slackware 12.1 RC2 milestone. We're beyond updating packages or fixing minor cosmetic bugs at this point (actually, we had hoped to be past that with RC1, but there were still items in need of attention). What we have here now has proven to be stable for our testers, so unless some real showstoppers are found we'll be releasing this as Slackware 12.1-final soon." In other changelog items, the Linux kernel has been updated to version 2.6.24.5, glibc recompiled for the new kernel and xine-libs fixed due to a possible security issue. Please see the detailed changelog for further information. As always, no official installation media have been released, but unofficial CD and DVD images should be available from this mirror shortly.
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| 2008-04-03 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 12.1 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding announced today that the Slackware development tree had reached release candidate status: "OK, we're going to call this Slackware 12.1-rc1, though there is still some more minor work to do. Please help test! And if we're missing anything major, please let me know. Thanks." The most recent changelog entry includes a security fix for CUPS and other minor updates. Slackware "current" is based on Linux kernel 2.6.24.4, with glibc 2.7 and GCC 4.2.3; it also includes KDE 3.5.9 as the default desktop, a development build of xorg-server 1.5, Firefox 2.0.0.13, Apache web server 2.2.8 and other popular applications. As always, Slackware release candidates are not provided in the form of installable ISO images, but recent unofficial installation CDs and DVD are available from this mirror. Alternatively, create your own Slackware DVD from the current tree by following these instructions. Happy testing!
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| 2007-07-02 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 12.0 |
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Slackware Linux 12.0 has been released: "Well folks, it's that time to announce a new stable Slackware release again. So, without further ado, announcing Slackware version 12.0! Since we've moved to supporting the 2.6 kernel series exclusively (and fine-tuned the system to get the most out of it), we feel that Slackware 12.0 has many improvements over our last release and is a must-have upgrade for any Slackware user. Here are some of the advanced features of Slackware 12.0: runs the 2.6.21.5 version of the Linux kernel; system binaries are linked with the GNU C Library, version 2.5; X11 7.2.0; Apache 2.2.4 web server with Dynamic Shared Object support, SSL, and PHP 5.2.3; the udev dynamic device management system; updated versions of the Slackware package management tools...." Read the rest of the release announcement for full details. The CD and DVD images should be available from Slackware's FTP/HTTP mirrors in a few days; in the meantime get the new Slack via BitTorrent: slackware-12.0-install-dvd.iso (3,714MB).
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| 2007-06-26 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 12.0 RC2 |
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The development of Slackware Linux 12.0 has reached a release candidate 2 state - that's according to this message found in the latest ChangeLog: "This might as well be called 12.0 RC2 so that we're not accused on skimping on release candidates. ;-) Still going through various reports, and (especially) looking into getting the php.ini defaults reasonable (as well as figuring out which features can be safely built as extensions). But, we're getting there." Some of the changes since RC1 include: kernel (and glibc) recompile with a slightly modified configuration file, upgrade to K3b 1.0.2 and Amarok 1.4.6, miscellaneous minor changes to udev, pkgtools, kernel drivers, etc. As usual, Slackware does not provide official development CDs or DVDs, but interested beta testers can download the entire Slackware current tree from one of these mirrors and create an ISO images by following these instructions. Happy testing!
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| 2007-06-15 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 12.0 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the first release candidate of Slackware Linux 12.0: "It's that time again, and here we have Slackware 12.0 release candidate 1! If we're lucky, we got it all right the first time. Big thanks to the crew." This message has been posted on the distribution's current changelog, together with a large number of package updates. The upcoming Slackware Linux 12.0 is a major new version; this is the first time a Slackware release will default to a 2.6 kernel (version 2.6.21.5), now compiled with GCC 4 (version 4.1.2). Many other packages also come in their latest versions: the modular X.Org 7.2 with Xgl and Compiz support, KDE 3.5.7, Xfce 4.4.1 and, at long last, Apache 2.2 with PHP 5. As usual, there is no ISO image available for download, but interested beta testers should keep an eye on this FTP server which periodically publishes unofficial ISO images built from the current tree; alternatively, you can build your own DVD image by following these instructions. Happy testing!
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| 2006-10-03 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 |
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A great day for all fans of the oldest surviving Linux distribution - after an unusually long testing and debugging period, Slackware Linux 11.0 has been released: "The first Slackware release more than a year in the making, this edition of Slackware combines Slackware's legendary simplicity, stability, and security with some of the latest advances in Linux technology. Here are some of the advanced features of Slackware 11.0: runs the 2.4.33.3 version of the Linux kernel; as an alternate choice, Slackware 11.0 includes Linux 2.6.17.13 and 2.6.18 kernel source, kernel modules, and binary packages; system binaries are linked with the GNU C Library, version 2.3.6; X.Org 6.9.0; installs GCC 3.4.6 as the default C, C++; support for fully encrypted network connections; Apache 1.3.37 web server...." Read the full release announcement for more details. The Slackware Linux 11.0 ISO images will take a few days to appear on these Slackware mirrors; in the meantime you can download the complete DVD image via BitTorrent: slackware-11.0-iso (3,732MB). Happy slacking!
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| 2006-09-18 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 RC5 |
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An unexpected fifth release candidate of Slackware Linux 11.0 has been announced in the current changelog: "Slackware 11.0 release candidate 5. This is the last one, scout's honor." Last week has brought a fairly large number of updates, including a new Subversion 1.4.0 ("After a couple convincing assurances that this was a safe and ABI/API compatible upgrade, I decided to allow this upgrade."), an svn release of espgs 8.15.3 ("Building from svn fixes two critical problems: missing support for CJK, and not correctly printing umlauts with certain fonts."), security updates to Firefox, Thunderbird and SeaMonkey, as well as many rebuilds of existing package versions to fix bugs or add new functionality. As usual, there are no official ISO images released for download, but a good list of Slackware mirrors can be found here, while a recent unofficial CD image set built from the current tree is available here.
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| 2006-09-03 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 RC4 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that "current" branch of Slackware Linux has reached release candidate 4 status: "I wasn't planning a Slackware 11.0 release candidate 4, but here we go." The new -- and unusually verbose -- entry in the changelog tell us that: udev's log level has been changed from "crit" to "err"; K3b now writes to /dev/writer; permissions on input events have been relaxed from 600 to 640; a number of software packages have been upgraded, including Linux kernel to version 2.4.33.3, MySQL to 5.0.24a and Samba to 3.0.23c; all necessary applications have been recompiled against the new kernel and MySQL. As usual, there are no official CD images to download, but experienced beta testers are welcome to upgrade their Slackware systems to the current branch; a good list of up-to-date mirrors is available here. It shouldn't be long now....
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| 2006-08-25 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 RC3 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced the third release candidate of Slackware Linux 11.0: "Here is Slackware 11.0 release candidate 3. I think most of the irresistible upgrades are in here now, and the bug reports have been mostly handled. There may still be a few changes, and possibly another release candidate, but this is pretty close to final with the exception of updating documentation and building ZipSlack. Thanks very much to everyone who is helping to test these release candidates -- I think this is going to be a very up to date and stable release." See the current changelog for details about all the recent changes. A good list of mirror sites carrying the Slackware current branch is available here.
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| 2006-08-21 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 RC2 |
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It seems that the development process of Slackware Linux 11.0 is almost finished: "This is mostly frozen now unless bugs (or irresistible upgrades) come up, so I'll call this update Slackware 11.0 release candidate 2." Recent changes include update to stable kernel 2.4.33 (instead of upgrade to kernel 2.4.33.1), upgrade to the latest kernel 2.6.17.9, updates to most of the binaries on the installer, and some bug and security fixes. For more detailed information please read the Current (pre-release) ChangeLog. As usual, there are no official ISO images available, but interested testers can upgrade to the "current" branch and thus follow the development; alternatively, recent unofficial CD/DVD images can be downloaded here.
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| 2006-08-14 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 11.0 RC1 |
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The long development process of Slackware Linux 11.0 is about to conclude - that's according to Patrick Volkerding who has declared the "current" tree as RC1: "There are still a few changes yet to happen, but let's call this Slackware 11.0 release candidate 1." Other recent changes include upgrade to stable kernel 2.4.33; upgrade to udev 097, and rebuild of glibc 2.3.6 for both 2.4.33 and 2.6.16.27 kernels. The new release will ship with X.Org 6.9.0 and KDE 3.5.4, and will provide SeaMonkey instead of Mozilla. For more detailed information please see the Current ChangeLog. As has become customary with Slackware, there are no official ISO images, but interested testers can upgrade to the "current" branch and follow the development; alternatively you can obtain recent unofficial CD/DVD images from this download server. A good list of Slackware mirrors is available here.
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| 2005-10-26 |
NEW • Reviews: An Old Hacker Slaps Up Slackware |
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Joe Barr, after having played with dozens of distributions over the years, tries Slackware 10.2 for the first time. His conclusions? "Slackware is not for everyone. Many of us are too lazy to give up the dependency resolution of RPM and apt-get, for one thing. But it is a distribution that nearly everyone should try some day, for several reasons. Slackware's stability is renowned, and trying it may be your only chance -- short of doing it yourself -- of running one man's vision of 'how things should be.' With other distributions, it is more of a vision by committee. With Slackware, you get Patrick Volkerding's vision. And finally, Slackware is primarily an OS for servers and high-end workstations, as opposed to the business or home desktop." Read the complete 2-page review at Linux.com.
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| 2005-09-15 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 10.2 |
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Slackware Linux 10.2 has been released: "Announcing Slackware Linux 10.2! The second Slackware release of 2005, Slackware Linux 10.2 continues the long Slackware tradition of simplicity, stability, and security. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: XFce 4.2.2, a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment, and KDE 3.4.2, the latest version of the award-winning K Desktop Environment. Slackware uses the 2.4.31 kernel bringing you advanced performance features such as the ReiserFS journaling filesystem...." Read the rest of the release announcement and release notes for more details. The two binary ISO images are available for download via BitTorrent: slackware-10.2-install-d1.iso (638MB) and slackware-10.2-install-d2.iso (645MB), while the official 4-CD set can be ordered from The Slackware Store (US$39.95). Happy slacking!
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| 2005-09-09 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 10.2 Beta |
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The current changelog of Slackware Linux informs us that the release of a new version, Slackware Linux 10.2, is imminent: "OK folks, this is just about ready to go. Consider nearly everything to be set in stone at this point, especially the kernels. Zipslack has yet to be built, and some of the documentation needs minor updating, but for the most part this is how Slackware 10.2 is going to look. Expect a release to happen sometime within the next week or so." The changelog lists a large number of package updates, including OpenSSH 4.2p1 and Samba 3.0.20. As always, there are no official ISO images, but a list of mirror sites carrying Slackware's current tree can be found on this page.
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| 2005-08-03 |
NEW • Beta Testing for Slackware 10.2 to Begin |
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The development work of Slackware Linux has recently been fairly active and good news is that a beta version of 10.2 may be available soon: "Hi folks, I think it's time to consider this to be mostly frozen and concentrate on beta testing in preparation for the Slackware 10.2 release, so there won't be too many more upgrades and additions. Things are going to be pretty busy for me over the next couple of weeks besides working on getting 10.2 finalised, but let me know about any issues that need fixing before the release and I'll get to them just as soon as I can. Have fun!" Read here for the full changelog and stay tuned!
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| 2005-07-18 |
NEW • Reviews: Life Is Good When You're a Slacker |
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Mad Penguin has published a new review of Slackware Linux 10.1: "Slackware Linux is the oldest Linux distribution on the planet that's still in development and there's a reason for that (well, actually there are many). It's stable, fast, and has a reputation for the most excellent quality control in the business. Patrick Volkerding is no slouch when it comes to ensuring that no matter how new or old a package may be, it needs to be proven solid or it's just not going to be part of Slackware Linux. Period. With this kind of leadership, you simply can't go wrong." The 3-page review with screenshots starts here.
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| 2005-03-27 |
NEW • Slackware Linux: GNOME Removed from Current |
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News is a bit slow this weekend and just about the only interesting thing worth reporting is a very long new entry added to the Slackware Current ChangeLog earlier today. The most controversial part is that Patrick Volkerding has finally decided to remove GNOME from the distribution: "gnome/*: Removed from -current, and turned over to community support and distribution. I'm not going to rehash all the reasons behind this, but it's been under consideration for more than four years. There are already good projects in place to provide Slackware GNOME for those who want it, and these are more complete than what Slackware has shipped in the past." Also in the ChangeLog, KDE has been upgraded to 3.4.0 together with a huge number of other packages, and Mozilla has been re-instated into the distribution after several months of absence. Read here for further details.
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| 2005-02-15 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slack/390 10.0 |
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Slack/390 is the official port of Slackware Linux to the IBM mainframe platform. This is from the release announcement: "The newest release of Slack/390, version 10.0, is ready to go. Highlights of the release include the Linux 2.4.29 kernel, with Linux 2.6.7 as an alternate choice in /testing, glibc 2.3.2, gcc 3.3.4, and apache 1.3.33. For a complete list of changes since Slack/390 9.1, check out the Slack/390 10.0 ChangeLog. Read the official announcement here." There are no ISO images to download; users who wish to install the port will need to download the entire slack390-10.0 directory from one of the mirrors and follow these installation instructions.
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| 2005-02-07 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 10.1 |
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Slackware Linux 10.1 has been released: "That's right, the newest release of Slackware, version 10.1, is ready to go. My sincere thanks go out to everyone who helped out this time around when I really needed it. Highlights of the 10.1 release include the Linux 2.4.29 kernel (with Linux 2.6.10 as an alternate choice in /testing), X11R6.8.1 from X.Org, Mozilla 1.7.5, KDE 3.3.2, and Xfce 4.2.0. For a complete list of changes since Slackware 10.0, check out the Slackware 10.1 ChangeLog. Read the official announcement here. To order the official release of Slackware or other Slackware products (and help support the Slackware project), visit the Slackware store. This support is also especially appreciated this time to help offset the costs of my unexpected medical 'vacation'." The Slackware mirrors are still in the process of being updated, but you can download the two binary ISO images via BitTorrent: slackware-10.1-install-d1.torrent (634MB) and slackware-10.1-install-d2.torrent (644MB).
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| 2005-01-29 |
NEW • Announcing The Slackware Handbook Project |
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Mad Penguin has announced a new initiative to produce comprehensive documentation for Slackware Linux: "Mad Penguin announced today that they have launched the Slackware Handbook Project, promised to be the most complete documentation ever created for the oldest Linux distribution in active development. The handbook will be a very close cousin to the FreeBSD Handbook, which is a document noted for its thorough approach to documenting the operating system. According to sources at Mad Penguin, there is a void in the current offerings of technical documents available for the popular open source operating system." The full announcement. The Slackware Handbook Project pages can be found at SlackersBible.org.
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| 2005-01-23 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 10.1 Beta 1 |
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The current branch of Slackware Linux has been declared "10.1 beta 1": "Hi folks! I'm going to call this Slackware 10.1 beta 1, because we're at a state where things are relatively stable. There have been a great deal of improvements over Slackware 10.0, and it would be best to get this out before trying to tackle the major changes for Slackware 11. As far as I know, there are no serious security issues remaining in the -current tree at this time. There may still be a few image decoder bugs, but these seem to be crash bugs at worst, if even that. I've yet to hear of any of them allowing remote access, or privilege escalation. I do not think they are worth delaying a Slackware release over." Read more in the changelog which also includes an update on the state of health of Patrick Volkerding, the Slackware maintainer. As always, there are no official ISO images for Slackware betas.
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| 2004-12-19 |
NEW • Slackware Linux Current Updates |
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There is a new entry on the Slackware's Current ChangeLog and it's good news - Patrick Volkerding is back, feeling much better: "Hi folks. Well, I'm back in California and I'm happy to let you all know that I'm feeling much better. :-) Here are a few updates so you can see that I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Hopefully 10.1 won't be too far off (I'm still trying to figure out just how far behind we are, and what other fixes need to get merged in), and then we can look at what exactly needs to be done to try to switch over to the new kernel series for 11, or sometime later on. I still don't think it's time for that yet (it will be best to wait until 2.4 can be abandoned)." Some of the updates include kernel (2.4.28), KDE (3.3.2) and ALSA (1.0.7). Find out more in the Current ChangeLog.
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| 2004-11-26 |
NEW • Update on Slackware Linux |
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Slackware's current changelog has been updated with information about Slackware maintainer Patrick Volkerding's state of health. As many of you know, he has been suffering from a mysterious disease that made him seek medical treatment and put the development of Slackware Linux on hold. While Patrick's health has not improved much, users of the distribution can now at least get security updates for recent Slackware releases: "Bruno H Collovini and Piter Punk in Brazil have been helping to build security updates for Slackware while I'm (mostly) out of commission. They've helped with Slackware for many years and I trust and authorize their patches. These can be found here. Thanks to everyone who has offered to help, and sent get well soon and other kind emails." The only other entry in the changelog is a newly built KOffice package, version 1.3.5. See the full changelog for further information.
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| 2004-11-16 |
NEW • Slackware Linux in Danger? |
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As has been reported on Slashdot and elsewhere, it seems that Patrick Volkerding, the creator and sole maintainer of Slackware Linux, has fallen seriously ill with a mysterious disease. He published a detailed account of his symptoms, concluded with a plea for help: "If anyone out there is familiar with this and is able to help, please let me know. ... Say prayers, knock on wood, whatever. I need all the help I can get. I also hope if I'm off the job for a couple more weeks that the Slackware community will still support me when I can return to the job, which I'm really itching to do ASAP (I'm not looking for donations though). This experience has changed my perspective on a lot of things, and I think the future will be different (and better)." If anyone is familiar with the disease and is willing to help, please read Patrick's message for contact details and other information.
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| 2004-07-19 |
NEW • Slackware 10: A Breathtaking Performer |
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Here comes the third review of Slackware within only a few days, which is published by the Kolkata chapter of the Indian GNU/Linux Users Group. The author, Sumeet Madhukar Moghe, recently installed Slackware 10 on his notebook, and was pretty impressed by the latest avatar of the venerable Slack: "I have been using Slackware 10 on my notebook for almost a week now, and I have literally resisted the temptation to write a review about it, now that almost everyone that knows me, knows that I am a confirmed Slacker. But well as it turns out I couldn't resist the itch of crooning to the wired world, the many ways that Slack 10 is beautiful! Beautiful? Maybe that's not the right word. Efficient, yes. And that's for lack of a better word. How does the latest release from Patrick Volkerding's stable fare up? Read on..." The full review with screenshots.
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| 2004-07-18 |
NEW • The Stealth Desktop Part II: Sight and Sound |
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Half a month after the first part of his series about using Slackware as a desktop, the contributing editor of Open for Business now follows up with comments on sight and sound with the stealth desktop: "In Part II we will focus on the hardest part: making sound and video work. Sound is not especially difficult; but video is. Fortunately, after this step, it is an easy ride. Now, do not despair: I said that this part is hard, not that it is arcane, difficult to understand, or for "Unix wizards" only. It is hard because it differs so much from other distros which have, for the most part, better tools to do the task. But you can certainly do it and you have a very good chance to succeed." The full story with screenshots.
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| 2004-07-15 |
NEW • Slackware 10.0 First Impressions |
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OSNews has published a review of the recently released Slackware Linux 10.0: "Slackware 10 is a well-rounded distribution that will continue to make a first-class Linux server platform. Changes in the new release are incremental, not radical, and Slackware remains one of the most stable, reliable and flexible distributions available today. True to tradition, Slackware 10 is refreshingly free of the convoluted and confusing 'enhancements' often added by other Linux vendors that can make straightforward system administration tasks a real pain if you don't use their GUI tools. If you build and manage Linux server systems, I certainly recommend trying a Slackware solution!" The full review with screenshots.
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| 2004-07-02 |
NEW • The Stealth Desktop Part I: Finding a New Distro |
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A contributing editor of Open for Business has finally found his perfect distribution - Slackware Linux: "For over six months now, I've switched from Mandrake to Slackware and since then I used it every day as my desktop; not only as my home desktop but also as my primary workstation at office and as a desktop for my boss, my dad and my wife. During the next few weeks, I would like to share with you the story of my switch to Slackware, giving some suggestions for using Slackware as a desktop system along the way. Come along for a good ride!" The full story with screenshots.
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| 2004-06-20 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 10.0 RC 2 |
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The development of Slackware Linux 10.0 is gaining speed with the announcement of its second release candidate. These are some excerpts from the latest changelog: "This is Slackware 10.0 release candidate 2. Upgraded to mkinitrd-1.0.1; upgraded to syslinux-2.10; upgraded to quota-3.12; upgraded to epiphany-1.2.6; upgraded to epiphany-extensions-0.9.1; upgraded to gail-1.6.6; galeon-1.3.15 - patched and recompiled for Mozilla 1.7. Thanks very much to Philip Langdale for the patch (which made it possible to squeeze Mozilla 1.7 into this Slackware release at the last minute).". It shouldn't be long before we see the final release - if you'd like to help with testing, upgrade to slackware-current from one of the mirrors listed here or get the unofficial ISO images to perform a clean install.
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| 2004-06-16 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 10.0 RC 1 |
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The first release candidate of Slackware Linux 10.0 has been announced as part of the Slackware Current ChangeLog: "This is Slackware 10.0 release candidate 1. Upgraded to gimp-2.0.2; upgraded to bash-completion-20040526; added k3b-0.11.11; upgraded to slackpkg-1.2.2-noarch-2; rebuilt ZipSlack for the upcoming release." As always, there are no official ISO images for Slackware's development releases, but you can find links to unofficial ISOs on userlocal.com. If you wish to upgrade an existing Slackware installation to 10.0 RC 1, this page provides a comprehensive list of Slackware mirrors.
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| 2004-04-12 |
NEW • Confessions of a Slacker |
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OSNews has published a new review of Slackware Linux 9.1: "It took me a long time to get to where I am today, but the journey has been full of learning and geeking and general fun computer stuff. Slackware 9.1 is a perfect desktop system for my current needs and is also a great web server. The problems I had were almost all resolved quickly and I've had nothing but positive experiences with the Slackware community. I have a lot of suggestions that I hope the Slackware team will take seriously. If you are searching for that perfect Linux distribution, I would suggest you spend a month or two with Slackware and really take the time to learn it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised." The five-page story starts here.
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| 2004-02-24 |
NEW • A Week with Slackware 9.1 |
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LinuxBeginner.org continues its series of distribution reviews with a look at Slackware Linux 9.1: "Slackware presents a standard install boot menu with a boot: prompt. Slackware has multiple kernels to choose from for the install depending on the system you have, pressing F3 displays the choices available, they range from standard IDE (bare.i, default) to multiple SCSI and raid enabled kernels. Since we have a standard IDE based machine I hit enter to load the default kernel. Once booted I logged in as root and entered setup at the prompt to get rolling. The setup program Slackware uses for its installer is laid out in logical steps and very easy to use." The full review with screenshots.
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| 2003-12-12 |
NEW • Review: Slackware Linux - Back to Basics |
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Slackware Linux is not your ordinary Linux distribution. For starters, it rarely figures in news headlines, preferring to keep a low profile instead. Its developers have stubbornly resisted any attempts to make their users' lives easier: the distribution provides no graphical configuration utilities, it's package management does not resolve dependencies and its simple, text-mode installer has undergone very few changes in years. Yet, Slackare Linux remains one of the top 5 Linux distributions in use today. What is the reason for its tight hold on many users? Surely, in the absence of any convenient features found in other modern distributions, the only explanation is that Slackware holds supernatural powers - try it once and you will never be able to leave it again for any other product. Or is it something else?
Robert Storey has set out to investigate...
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| 2003-12-04 |
NEW • Three Months with Slackware Linux |
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OSNews has published a brief summary of their experiences of using Slackware Linux 9.1 for three months: "I think I have used more than 25 Linux distribution versions in the last 4-5 years (more than 12 unique ones). Slackware is the first one that 'stuck' on me. Not because it fixes long term problems with the Unix/X usability or doing anything so different from the rest, but because it is simple, it is easy to understand its 'way', it's stable, and it's easy to install applications. In general, Slackware wins on the edges, it is not that different from the rest, but different enough on the places that count to offer a consistent experience." The full story.
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| 2003-09-24 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.1 RC2 |
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Let the Slackware's current changelog speak for itself: "In record time, this is Slackware 9.1 release candidate 2. :-)" This is mostly a security fix with new patches for OpenSSH, ProFTPd and wu-ftpd. An interesting note about PAM authentication: "If you see a security problem reported which depends on PAM, you can be glad you run Slackware. I think a better name for PAM might be SCAM, for Swiss Cheese Authentication Modules, and have never felt that the small amount of convenience it provides is worth the great loss of system security. We miss out on half a dozen security problems a year by not using PAM, but you can always install it yourself if you feel that you're missing out on the fun. (No, don't do that.) OK, I'm done ranting here. :-)" Two good lists of up-to-date Slackware mirrors are available here and here.
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| 2003-09-24 |
NEW • Get to Know Slackware 9.1 |
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OSNews takes a look at the latest beta release of Slackware Linux and the reviewer seems very pleased with what she sees: "Slackware is my new favorite operating system along with FreeBSD, Windows Server 2003 and Mac OS X. It works great as a workstation and a desktop system and I have no doubt that it would do a great server as well. If you are an intermediate/advanced user, you really need to have a look at Slackware's simple way of doing things. Simplicity and speed is all I am after and while a Unix can never be too simple (as in let's say, BeOS or Syllable-OS), with Slackware I found a solid Linux OS that just works the way I want it." The full review with screenshots.
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| 2003-09-23 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.1 RC1 |
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Patrick Volkerding has announced that Slackware's current branch has reached release candidate status: "This is Slackware 9.1 release candidate 1. isolinux/initrd.img, rootdisks/install.*: Added reiserfsck. a/pkgtools-9.1.0-i486-4.tgz: Fixed setup.services to test to see if init scripts are present before trying to chmod them...." See the rest of the current changelog. Other recent updates include automake 1.7.7, swaret 1.3.1, xchat 2.0.5, xfce 4.0rc4 and many other packages. Visit your nearest mirror if you wish to help with testing.
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| 2003-09-17 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.1 Beta 2 |
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From the Slackware current changelog: "Slackware 9.1-beta2 is ready for testing..." The second beta includes all the recent security fixes for OpenSSH and Sendmail as well as updates to GNOME 2.4.0, inclusive of GNOME Office, KDE 3.1.4, Galeon 1.3.9 an many other package upgrades. XFree86 was also updated: "Upgraded to freetype-2.1.5 and fontconfig-2.2.1. Updated Savage driver to work with new laptop chipsets. Patch integer overflows in the font libraries (thanks to Gerardo Exequiel Pozzi for sending in a cleaned-up patch). These packages will also work on Slackware 9.0 with the glibc update in /patches." See the changelog for a complete list of changes. Visit your favourite mirror if you'd like to do some beta testing.
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| 2003-09-12 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.1 Beta 1 |
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Expect a new Slackware release soon as the first beta is announced in the changelog: "Here comes Slackware 9.1 beta-1! (things are looking good, so expect a very short beta cycle. :-) ZipSlack still to come." Some other interesting notes further down: "gnome/galeon-1.3.8-i486-1.tgz: Welcome back galeon! :-) ... xap/mozilla-1.4-i486-2.tgz: Rebuilt with --enable-default-toolkit=gtk2. I'm not going to wait forever for this to be declared ready (like the old days when everyone was using glibc betas and we refused), because more and more I get the feeling it will never get official approval. Everyone else is doing it! ;-)" As always, there are no beta ISO images, but an existing Slackware installation can be easily upgraded to the latest beta via the Internet; check the slackware-current directory on one of the mirrors for instructions. Alternatively monitor the previous link for any unofficial ISO images which might appear within the next few days.
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| 2003-07-17 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 1.0 |
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"The Slackware Linux distribution (v. 1.00) is now available for anonymous FTP. This is a complete installation system designed for systems with a 3.5" boot floppy. It has been tested extensively with a 386/IDE system. The standard kernel included does not support SCSI, but if there's a great demand, I might be persuaded to compile a few custom kernels to put up for FTP. This release is based largely on the SLS system, but has been enhanced and modified substantially. There are two main disk series, A (13 disks) and X (11 disks)." Yes folks, it is exactly 10 years today since the release of Slackware Linux 1.0, complete with a brand new Linux kernel 0.99pl11 Alpha, XFree86 1.3 and even a PS/2 mouse support! Read the full release announcement; then check out this 1994 Linux Journal interview with Slackware's creator Patrick Volkerding. Even better, visit the Slackware store to show your support for the oldest surviving Linux distribution on the market today and send a quick "thank you" to Patrick. Happy birthday, Slackware! And to all the Slackware fans out there - happy "slacking" for many more years to come!
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| 2003-06-13 |
NEW • A First Sight Review of Slackware 9.0 |
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The Indian Linux Users' Group takes a quick look at Slackware Linux 9.0: "Slackware has a unique set of startup scripts and needs getting used to, if you have been using RH/Mandrake recently. System Administration on Slack is pretty much a "complete control" job, with no unnecessary interfaces to complete the job. Rarely would a mainstream distro give more control, to the end user, than Slackware. As I iterated earlier, Slackware's power is in its simplicity and that is where it just rocks. All in all, I have had an relatively pleasant experience with Slackware 9 and I find it, fast, rock solid, and stable. There have been newbies who have often asked me how to optimize their Linux boxes. I would just tell them now, to go install Slackware 9. Why? Because 'simplicity is divine'!!" Read the rest of this brief review here.
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| 2003-05-22 |
NEW • Slackware 9.1 Branches, Says Good-bye to i386 |
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Several interesting comments have been noted on the Slackware's current changelog, which announced a 9.1 branch last month. One of them is that Slackware 9.1 will be compiled for a minimum CPU target of i486: "It is time to say goodbye to i386 support in Slackware. I've surveyed 386 usage online, and the most common thing I see people say when someone asks about running Linux on a 386 is to 'run Slackware', but then they also usually go on to say 'be sure to get an OLD version, like 4.0, before glibc, because it'll be more efficient.' Now, if that's the general advice, then I see no reason to continue 386 support in the latest Slackware (and indeed it's no longer easily possible). People with 386 machines aren't going to have the hard drive space for Slackware 9.1 in any case." The changelog also sports a long list of updated packages - details at the usual place.
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| 2003-04-21 |
NEW • Slackware: Myths and Clichés |
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OSNews has published a nice article, which debunks some common misconception about Slackware Linux: "So, my point of view is that Slackware is definitely a very good distribution. Is it right for you? Maybe not. But if you can afford yourself to spend a couple of hours on weekends to look 'inside' Slackware then in a month or so you may find that you enjoy using Linux more than ever -- as this happened to me." Read the rest of the story here.
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| 2003-03-31 |
NEW • Mini Review of Slackware Linux 9.0 |
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OSNews has published a review of Slackware Linux 9.0: " Slackware 9.0 is overall a very up to date release, rock solid and damn stable. Out of the box it comes pretty 'vanilla' configured, and the package management system and install system could be improved. I recommend it to the intermediate Linux users who want to learn Linux to the bone. I also recommend it to the advanced users who want to have a good development environment with the latest development tools. It is also very suitable for servers, especially due the fact that Slackware 9.0 performs pretty well on older hardware. Configuration files and init scripts are simple to reconfigure because there are explanations inside these files. All in one this is another great release from Slackware and it follows the same development path as it always did." The review starts here.
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| 2003-03-21 |
NEW • Official Slackware Linux 9.0 ISO Images |
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This is just a quick note to say that the official Slackware Linux 9.0 installation ISO image is now available from Slackware's main FTP server (extremely hard to access) and mirrors. Try this one: slackware-9.0-install.iso (663MB) or check some of the updated mirrors listed here. Some packages are missing from the installation CD: "Note that for space reasons, the KDEI (KDE i18n) series, and the K (Linux kernel source) series could not be included on this ISO, and I apologize for the inconvenience. If you need KDE translations or the pre-patched (with ext3 and ptrace fixes) kernel source package, you can pick them up separately. Other things that aren't on this disc that you might need to pick up 'a la carte' include the boot floppy images and rootdisks (if you can boot this CD-ROM, you won't need these), ZipSlack, and the source code. All of these extras are available from our FTP site." Finally, a link where you can show your appreciation of the developers' effort: the Slackware Store.
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| 2003-03-18 |
NEW • Announcing Slackware Linux 9.0! |
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"The first major Slackware release based on the GCC 3.2.2 compiler, Slackware Linux 9.0 continues the ten-year Slackware tradition of simplicity, stability, and security. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: GNOME 2.2 (with a large collection of pre-compiled GNOME applications), and KDE 3.1, the latest version of the award-winning K Desktop Environment. Slackware now uses the 2.4.20 kernel bringing you advanced performance features." Needn't we say more? See the announcement, release notes and upgrade instructions, then order the official 4-CD set from the Slackware Store (US$39.95). And while waiting for the ISO images to get ready, perhaps it's a good opportunity to get a bottle of Champaign and celebrate the new release of the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution. Cheers and a big thanks to Patrick and all the contributors!
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| 2003-03-14 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.0 RC 3 |
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Slackware's 9.0 release is getting very close. From its changelog: "Slackware 9.0-rc3 is released for testing... third time's the charm?" Updates include automake 1.7.3, Nautilus 2.2.2 and Mozilla 1.3, but the qt library was kept at 3.1.1: "This [qt-3.1.2] was recommended by several people as an important fix for Opera, but installing it causes all kinds of display problems with KDE (particularly with fixed fonts such as the one used by Konsole). If you care more about Opera than KDE, you might want to install this, otherwise it's probably a bad idea." The usual links: Slackware's current branch and an up-to-date list of mirrors.
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| 2003-03-10 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.0-rc2 |
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One week after announcing the first release candidate of Slackware Linux 9.0, the second one is now also available. From the Slackware changelog: "Slackware 9.0-rc2 is released for testing." Some of the changes since rc1 include Sendmail security fix, ProFTPD 1.2.8 and BIND 9.2.2 among many others. The glibc library will remain at 2.3.1: "I'm sure many of you were hoping to see an update to glibc-2.3.2 here, but I don't see anything to be gained by switching to 2.3.2 at the last minute. I've been testing it here, and although the ctype patch applies cleanly the result does not compile. Without the patch, most existing static binaries will again be broken under glibc-2.3.2." Get the updates from Slackware's FTP server or its many mirrors.
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| 2003-03-03 |
NEW • Development Release: Slackware Linux 9.0-rc1 |
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From the changelog of the Slackware's current branch: "This is Slackware 9.0-rc1, and is now (mostly) frozen to be prepared for release. If you find any remaining issues, let me know soon!" So a new Slackware Linux 9.0 is fast approaching a point of release. See the complete changelog for the long list of changes, which includes all the latest goodies such as XFree86 4.3.0 and KDE 3.1. There is no ISO image to download, but you can rsync the current branch with one of the Slackware mirrors or, if you are lucky, with the main Slackware FTP server.
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| 2003-01-07 |
NEW • The Unofficial Revised Slackware Book Project |
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The userlocal.com web site reports about the initiative to rewrite "Slackware Linux Essentials - The Official Guide To Slackware Linux", originally created by David Cantrell, Logan Johnson and Chris Lumens: "People started volunteering to modify sections, a request was made for webspace to allow people to put revised pages up for peer review and a mailing list for co-ordinating who was doing what. This website is the result of that request." The book is a work in progress, but many chapters have already been completed and are available for your viewing pleasure. A great new Slackware resource.
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| 2002-12-19 |
NEW • User Review of Slacware Linux 8.1 |
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Slackware Linux is the oldest surviving Linux distribution; its beginnings precede even the Linux Kernel 1.0. With the advent of newer, flashier and more commercialised distributions, all vying for media attention, it is easy to forget why Slackware is here and why it has been around for such a long time. Let us revisit the simple principles which make up the Slackware distribution and take a look at how ten years of development have changed it.
The review...
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| 2002-12-04 |
NEW • Review: Slackware Linux 8.1 |
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UnixReview has taken a look at the latest version of Slackware Linux: "If you're looking for a distro that will do everything for you, with wizards to configure everything, you might want to look elsewhere. If you're looking for a solid Linux distro to run a server or to make use of an older machine or machines, give Slackware a try first. The setup and install are pretty easy, so if you're comfortable with text-based administration tools and configuration files, you'll probably like Slackware. Overall, Slackware is very easy to install and use, even without the GUI tools for installation and maintenance. I give Slack a big thumbs up for anyone who wants a rock-solid Linux distro without all the cruft." The complete review.
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| 2002-10-04 |
NEW • The Linux Distribution that's Always in the Black |
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A rare interview with Patrick Volkerding, the creator and maintainer of the oldest surviving Linux distribution - Slackware Linux, found in The Age: "The plan is to keep as much of the traditional structure and simplicity of Slackware as possible while following the ongoing evolution of Linux and keeping everything up to date. It would be easy to let things bloat out of control and become unmaintainable, so keeping things as small as possible is a major focus. There's a lot of good free software out there, but it can't all be added to Slackware, and in my opinion Slackware wouldn't be better if it was. For example, it's convenient to have the entire installation fit on a single disc, and it would be nice to keep it that way for a while." Great interview, read it.
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| 2002-08-30 |
NEW • Announcing Initial Slackware 9.0 Beta |
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If you thought that Slackware developers were going to take a long break after the 8.1 release, you were wrong: "We're happy to announce the initial Slackware-9.0-beta based on gcc-3.2. :-) Please test it and report any bugs that you find. The above message is from the current ChangeLog. See the pre-release notes and the complete package list for further information. Apart from GCC, many other packages have also been upgraded, including Linux Kernel (2.4.19), KDE (3.0.3), Perl (5.8.0) and Netscape (7.0), but GNOME packages were left at versions found in Slackware 8.1. Our Slackware page will keep you up-to-date with the latest developments.
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| 2002-06-20 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware 8.1.01 |
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A bug/security fix of yesterday's release, as explained in the ChangeLog: "CERT Advisory CA-2002-17 Apache Web Server Chunk Handling Vulnerability. While the impact of this issue is minimal on 32-bit Linux systems, we felt it was important enough to stop the presses and get these fixes in before sending the Slackware 8.1 discs in for replication." More details on userlocal.com.
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| 2002-06-19 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware 8.1 |
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After nearly a year of rumours and denials, Patrick's marriage and a rapidly evolving ChangeLog - here it is: Slackware Linux 8.1: "Highlights of this release include KDE 3.0.1, GNOME 1.4.1 (with new additions like Evolution), the long-awaited Mozilla 1.0 browser, support for many new file systems like ext3, ReiserFS, JFS, and XFS, and support for several new SCSI and ATA RAID controllers. Thanks to everyone who helped made this release possible. Enjoy! :-)" No prizes for guessing whether the Slackware's FTP server is accepting connections :-(. The installation ISO is here: slackware-8.1-install.iso (689MB), but save yourself that click and return in a day or two once all Slackware mirrors are synchronised. The official Slackware CD set, shipment of which will start on 28 June, is now available for pre-order (US$39.95).
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| 2002-06-07 |
NEW • Distribution Review: Slackware |
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LinuxPlanet takes a look at the upcoming Slackware 8.1 release: "For my money, Slackware 8.1 is, without a doubt, the best Slackware yet. It's fast, new, shiny, has that wonderful new car smell, and is coming soon to a mirror site near you!" The review can be accessed here, just remember that this is Slackware 8.1 Release Candidate 2. Many packages have been updated since this release so be sure to keep up with all the new developments on our Slackware page!
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| 2002-05-26 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware 8.1RC1 |
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Slackware 8.1 is firmly on its way as the first release candidate has been announced: "Well folks, we are now at Slackware 8.1-rc1. :-) Please test and report any problems you might find." The above was found in the current changelog. The latest round of updates includes KDE, Mozilla, Galeon, fetchmail and a few Gnome packages; visit our Slackware page for more on the current status. Surely, not too long before before the final version ships!
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| 2002-04-28 |
NEW • Slackware Users Use Linux |
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"No, really?!" In the absence of any major distribution-related news this weekend, I took the time to look at some statistics of visitors accessing DistroWatch. The Apache web log tells me that just over a quarter of all visitors use Linux to view the site, around 3% of them are Mac users and the rest of you use various flavours of Windows. But how about the individual web pages on this site? Which distribution specific web page is accessed by the highest percentage of Linux users? The winner is Slackware - 33% of users visiting the Slackware page were visiting with Linux OS. On the other end of the spectrum is, not surprisingly Lindows - only 16% of visitors viewing the page were using a Linux OS. The complete list of the top 10: Slackware 33%, Gentoo 31%, Red Hat 28%, Beehive 24%, Debian 24%, Sorcerer 24%, Lycoris 23%, SuSE 22%, Mandrake 17%, Lindows 16%.
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| 2002-04-12 |
NEW • Distribution Release: Slackware 8.1 Beta 2 |
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Slackware's second 8.1beta. This comes from the ChangeLog in the current branch: "We'll call this Slackware 8.1-beta2. :-)" And further down the file: "Hey folks, here is the long awaited update to GNOME. I think you'll find it was worth the wait while these were tweaked (and retweaked :) to get everything just exactly perfect. This GNOME build is based on stable GNOME 1.4.1, and nearly every package has been recently updated. There are also several new packages that have not appeared in Slackware before, such as Evolution." To test this release, fire up rsync and head for the nearest official or unofficial mirror. Our Slackware page is of course up-to-date too.
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| 2002-04-02 |
NEW • Slackware 8.1 Beta? |
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There are so many April Fool's news items running around so it's hard to know what is true and what is not, but this was found in the Slackware's current directory: "ISO downloads are temporarily disabled to help the mirror sites download the 'April Fools beta'. :-)" Most likely a legitimate news item, because a huge ChangeLog has also been produced and this includes many updates; head for our Slackware page for more details. There is also an "extra" directory which contains KDE 3.0rc3, GCC 3.0.4 and other interesting goodies. Gnome packages are surprisingly absent from the current directory. Slackware's FTP server is already quite busy, but this mirror is fast and up-to-date. The complete package list is available here.
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| 2002-01-07 |
NEW • Slackware Updates |
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A few Slackware updates. The mutt e-mail client has been updated to version 1.2.5.1 in the "current" branch to fix a security issue. "Mutt users are urged to upgrade as soon as possible" This is the first update since the middle of December and here is the reason - Patrick Volkerding, the founder and currently the sole maintainer of the Slackware project was too busy getting married over the holiday season. "PS: thanks for all the email, and it's good to be back. :)", declares Patrick as part of the ChangeLog. We would like to extend our congratulations to Patrick and wish him all the best for both his personal and professional life!
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| 2001-11-27 |
NEW • Slackware Web Site Updates |
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I believe this is pretty newsworthy: The Slackware web site has been updated - for the first time in nearly 5 months! New " current" updates to KDE, OpenSSH and other packages have been released. The links to Slackware forums have been removed, the reason is that "the increasing level of trolling and childish antics by a few people have made maintaining the forum a very unpleasant and time consuming job". And Patrick Volkerding has the following message, as quoted by userlocal.com, to all those who have expressed doubts about the future of Slackware: "In spite of the spouting off of trolls, Slackware development continues, and I've got absolutely no plans to ever discontinue *that*." Clear and simple. So visit our Slackware page for links, reviews and other related information. Also head over to lockergnome.com and subscribe to PenguinShell - it's "Slackware Week" over there, complete with guides to installation, troubleshooting, tips and plenty of useful stuff!
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| 2001-09-21 |
NEW • New Slackware Current Branch |
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From the ChangeLog in Slackware's newly branched current directory: "Started new -current directory. For now, this will be used to hold upgrades to Slackware 8.0, starting with KDE-2.2.1. I used the long package name format that's been used in the Slackware ports (name-version-arch-build.tgz) and which will be the default format in slackware-next. Have fun!" So this is it - another new Slackware version in the making! Visitors to DistroWatch can off course look forward to daily updates of this development on our Slackware page.
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| 2001-06-06 |
NEW • DistroWatch Expands - New Slackware Page |
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I started with the expansion of the site. Each distribution will now get its own page with more detailed information, while the main page will simply contain the latest news and the main distribution comparison table. This table will compare the latest official releases. In case of Slackware, this means version 7.1 as can be found it the boxed version shipped in June 2000. For the so called "current" release and previous releases, please go the Slackware page. All distribution hyperlinks now point to their pages on this website, rather than to their respective home pages. Slackware page is the first one up (thanks to all Slackware users who were the most active in contributing the corrections and suggestions) and other pages will follow soon. Have fun!
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| 2001-06-05 |
NEW • Slackware Users Submit Most Feedback |
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As a matter of interest, I counted the number of comments received by each distribution in the feedback. The breakdown is as follows: Slackware - 9; SuSE - 4; RedHat, Debian - 3; Mandrake, Caldera, CLE - 1; Linpus, Turbolinux, Corel - 0. I also received some requests to include other distributions (Progeny, RedFlag) and features (update method, compliance with standards, etc.). I will evaluate all comments and make decisions based on them. I am also considering expanding the webpage to a website providing a more complete picture about each distribution. So please keep comming back and let me know what you would like to see! And thanks for all the (mostly very positive) feedback.
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