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Slackware Linux


Last Update: 2024-02-04 16:50 UTC


The Official Release of Slackware Linux by Patrick Volkerding is an advanced Linux operating system, designed with the twin goals of ease of use and stability as top priorities. Including the latest popular software while retaining a sense of tradition, providing simplicity and ease of use alongside flexibility and power, Slackware brings the best of all worlds to the table. Originally developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991, the UNIX-like Linux operating system now benefits from the contributions of millions of users and developers around the world. Slackware Linux provides new and experienced users alike with a fully-featured system, equipped to serve in any capacity from desktop workstation to machine-room server. Web, ftp, and email servers are ready to go out of the box, as are a wide selection of popular desktop environments. A full range of development tools, editors, and current libraries is included for users who wish to develop or compile additional software.



Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 43 (231), 6 months: 43 (224), 3 months: 40 (231), 4 weeks: 44 (234), 1 week: 51 (235)

Average visitor rating: 9.02/10 from 116 review(s).


Slackware Summary
Distribution The Slackware Linux Project
Home Page http://www.slackware.com/
Mailing Lists http://www.slackware.com/lists/
http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/slackware (unofficial)
User Forums --
Alternative User Forums LinuxQuestions
Documentation http://docs.slackware.com/
The Revised Slackware Book Project
Screenshots DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors http://www.slackware.com/getslack/http://mirrors.slackware.com/mirrorlist/DistroWatch Torrent Archive
Bug Tracker --
Related Websites SlackBuildsrworkman's Slackware PackagesAlien's Slackware PackagesAlien Live SlackwareblogSlackBlogsSbopkgSlackbookDropline GNOMESlackE17MATE SlackBuildsCinnamon SlackBuildsSlintWikipediaSlackware FranceSlackware IndonesiaSlackware ItalySlackware ItalySlackware PolandSlackware SerbiaSlackware Sweden
Reviews 15.0: DedoimedoDistroWatch
14.x: Pro-Linux (German) • DistroWatchPro-Linux (German) • DistroWatchGenbeta (Spanish)
13.x: BlogspotDistroWatchLinux.comLinux Review (Persian) • LWNLinux JournalOpen Your Mind (Romanian) • It's A Binary WorldDistroWatchLWN
12.x: It's A Binary WorldLinux.comLinux.comLinuxoid (Russian) • Linux.comTuxmachinesLinMagazine (Hebrew)
11.x: aboutLinuxLinux.com
10.x: LWNTuxmachinesOSNewsLWNOSNews
9.x: OSNewsOSNewsOSNews
8.x: DistroWatch
Where To Donate, Buy, or Try

Recent Related News and Releases
  Releases announcements with download links and checksums:
 • 2022-02-03: Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 15.0
 • 2022-01-13: Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC3
 • 2021-11-18: Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC2
 • 2021-08-16: Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 RC1
 • 2021-04-13: Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 Beta
 • 2021-02-16: Development Release: Slackware Linux 15.0 Alpha 1
 • 2016-07-01: Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 14.2
 • 2016-04-16: Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 RC2
 • 2016-03-18: Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 RC1
 • 2016-02-04: Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 Beta 2
 • 2016-01-13: Development Release: Slackware Linux 14.2 Beta 1
 • 2013-11-07: Distribution Release: Slackware Linux 14.1
 • More Slackware releases...

  Headlines:
 • 2023-11-21 Slackware streamlines 32-bit kernels
 • 2023-07-17 Slackware turns 30 years old
 • 2023-03-09 Slackware phasing out unsupported older packages
 • 2022-12-26 Slackware testing 6.x kernel versions
 • 2022-09-07 Slackware patches around GNU grep changes
 • 2021-06-08 Slackware moves from LTS kernel to latest
 • 2021-02-16 Slackware prepares for 15.0 release
 • 2021-01-26 Slackware and other distros patch sudo vulnerability
 • 2021-01-19 Slackware testing new glibc package
 • 2020-05-19 Slackware merges PAM
 • More Slackware headlines...

Table Notes and Explanations
  • Select view:
  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
Feature current 15.0 14.2
Release Date 2024-02-04 2022-02-03 2016-07-01
End Of Life      
Price (US$) -- -- 50
Image Size (MB)   3700-3800 30-2400
Free Download TGZ ISO ISO
Installation Text mode Text mode Text mode
Default Desktop KDE KDE KDE
Package Management TXZ TXZ TXZ
Release Model Rolling Fixed Fixed
Office Suite Calligra Calligra Calligra
Processor Architecture arm, i486, x86_64 arm, i486, x86_64 arm, i486, x86_64
Init Software SysV SysV SysV
Journaled File Systems Btrfs, ext3, ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS Btrfs, ext3, ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS Btrfs, ext3, ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS
Multilingual -- -- --
Asian Language Support -- -- --
Full Package List current 15.0 14.2
abiword (3.0.5) -- -- --
alsa-lib (1.2.11) 1.2.11 1.2.5.1 1.1.1
amdgpu (23.0.0) -- -- --
bash (5.2.21) 5.2 5.1 4.3
bind (9.18.21) 9.18.21 9.16.25 9.10.4-P1
chromium (121.0.6167.139) -- -- --
cups (2.4.7) 2.4.7 2.3.3 2.1.4
dhcp (4.4.3-P1) 4.4.3-P1 4.4.2-P1 4.3.4
e2fsprogs (1.47.0) 1.47.0 1.46.5 1.43.1
firefox (122.0) 115.7.0 91.5.1 45.2.0
freetype (2.13.2) 2.13.2 2.11.1 2.6.3
gcc (13.2.0) 13.2.0 11.2.0 5.3.0
gimp (2.10.36) 2.10.36 2.10.30 2.8.16
glibc (2.39) 2.39 2.33 2.23
gnome-shell (45.3) -- -- --
gnucash (5.5) -- -- --
gnumeric (1.12.56) -- -- --
grub (2.12) 2.06 2.06 2.00
gtk (4.12.5) 3.24.41 3.24.31 3.18.9
httpd (2.4.58) 2.4.58 2.4.52 2.4.20
inkscape (1.3.1) -- -- --
k3b (23.08.4) 23.08.4 21.12.1 2.0.3
kmod (31) 31 29 22
krita (5.2.2) 5.2.2 5.0.2 --
LibreOffice (24.2.0) -- -- --
linux (6.7.3) 6.6.15 5.15.19 4.4.14
lxpanel (0.10.1) -- -- --
mariadb (11.1.3) 10.11.6 10.5.13 10.0.26
mate-desktop (1.26.2) -- -- --
mesa (24.0.0) 24.0.0 21.3.5 11.2.2
mysql (8.3.0) -- -- --
nautilus (45.2.1) -- -- --
NVIDIA (545.29.06) -- -- --
openbox (3.6.1) -- -- --
openjdk (21.0.2) -- -- --
openssh (9.6p1) 9.6p1 8.8p1 7.2p2
openssl (3.2.1) 3.2.1 1.1.1m 1.0.2h
perl (5.38.2) 5.38.2 5.34.0 5.22.2
php (8.3.2) 8.3.2 7.4.27 5.6.23
plasma-desktop (5.27.10) 5.27.10 5.23.5 --
postfix (3.8.5) 3.8.5 3.6.4 --
postgresql (16.1) -- -- --
Python (3.12.1) 3.9.18 3.9.10 2.7.11
qt (6.6.1) 5.15.12 5.15.3 4.8.7
samba (4.19.4) 4.19.4 4.15.5 4.4.4
systemd (255.3) -- -- --
thunderbird (115.7.0) 115.7.0 91.5.1 45.1.1
vim (9.1) 9.1 8.2 7.4
vlc (3.0.20) -- -- --
wayland (1.22.0) 1.22.0 1.20.0 --
xfdesktop (4.18.1) 4.18.1 4.16.0 4.12.3
xorg-server (21.1.11) 21.1.11 1.20.14 1.18.3


Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for Slackware Linux

Average rating
9.0
from 116 review(s)



What are your thoughts on Slackware Linux?
Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system.
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Version:

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Past reviews - sort by:

Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-01-06
Votes: 25


Have 4 intel/AMD 64-bit servers plus 2 64-bit servers VMs.
Except for the occasional pkg that I need to do a SlackBuild for, it is perfect for my servers and laptops.
Have KDE on 1 VM, XFCE on 3 servers and 1 VM, and 1 server without any X-windows nonsense at all.
Easy to install and configure, easy to maintain. Patrick and Co. do a great job. If you are looking for a simple, no nonsense distro and are not afraid of the command line Slackware is a great distro.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-29
Votes: 12


Slackware Linux works great out of the box. Hint: Slackware should probably not be your first distro in my opinion. Once you have your "Linux ropes" around you and are comfortable, this is the time to break out your Slackware DVD. Yes, you have tweaks here and there, but a lot less than other distros.
With the software supplied and the great documentation, the user has many configuration options available to set up the Slackware Linux box as individually required. It just is the one distro I rely on to get work done.
I have tried many, many different distros, but being a Slackware Linux user since 1996, I have found no other distro that I would change to for my daily tasks and adventures. Slackware in 1996 was equipped with a 2.X kernel (2.0 I think). Slackware keeps to it's K.I.S.S. principle Keep It Simple Stupid. This principle has worked for me very well. After you get it set up, do yourself a favor and read the /etc directory. You will learn a great deal and things will be much more clearer to you.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-15
Votes: 18


Slackware is not designed to be your next distro hop. It is designed so that after all your hopping, you can make Slackware the distro you need yourself. Its one of the few.
The only con I find...It really is work to get into Slackware truly, and I should write a "slackware for dummies like me" -book to help new users not give up on it so easily.

The curve of learning.
To get started with it is relatively easy for anyone who has even a little patience. You will break it a few times when you don't follow the "keep it simple stupid"- philosophy and by that meaning you wont do it the way you were told to do it.

After 4 years Im still slacking.
Anyone can learn to use it.


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See all 116 reader reviews of Slackware Linux...


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