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Slackware-logo.png Slackware logo Slackware is a Linux distribution. Slackware takes a different approach than other popular distributions such as Red Hat, Debian, Gentoo, SuSE, and Mandrake Linux. It might best be described as "UNIX-like", given its policy of incorporating only stable applications, and the absence of distribution-specific GUI configuration tools found in other varieties of Linux. Partisans have been known to say, "When you know Slackware, you know Linux... when you know Red Hat, all you know is Red Hat." Missing image
Slackware-mascot.jpeg Slackware mascot
History and name
There is also a testing version of Slackware called 'Current' that can be used for a more bleeding edge distribution. The first version, 1.00, was released on July 17, 1993 by Patrick Volkerding. The original 1.0 announcement can be found here [1] (http://www.slackware.com/announce/1.0.php). It was based on the SLS Linux distribution and supplied as 3½" floppy disk images that were available by anonymous FTP. Slackware celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 17, 2003. The name "Slackware" stems from the term "Slack," as defined by the Church of the SubGenius. Slackware design philosophiesKISSKISS, which stands for "Keep it Simple, Stupid", is a concept that explains a lot of design choices in Slackware. In this context, 'simple' refers to the viewpoint of system design, rather than ease of use. This is the reason there are so few GUI tools to configure the system. GUI tools are (as the theory goes) more complex, and are therefore more prone to have problems than simple command line tools. The overall result of this principle is that Slackware is very fast, stable, and secure, at the cost of user-friendliness. Critics generally say that this makes things too time-consuming and difficult to learn. Advocates say that the flexibility and transparency as well as the experience gained from the process more than make up for it. Slackware startup scriptsSlackware uses BSD style init scripts, while most other Linux distros use System V style init scripts. Basically, with System V style each runlevel is given a subdirectory for init scripts, whereas BSD style gives a single init script to each runlevel. BSD style advocates say that it is better because with this system it is much easier to find, read, edit, and maintain the scripts. System V advocates say that the System V structure for the scripts makes them more powerful and flexible. It is worth noting that System V init [2] (http://www.bilbos-stekkie.com/slack_init/en/) compatibility has been incorporated into Slackware, starting with version 7.0. Package managementSlackware's approach to package management is unique. Its package management system can install, upgrade, and remove packages as easily as other distributions. But it makes no attempt to track or manage what are referred to as "dependencies" (i.e. ensuring that the system has all the supporting system libraries and programs that the new package "expects" to be present on the system). If required prerequisite(s) are missing, there may be no indication of this until a program is executed. The packages are gzipped tarballs whose filenames end with .tgz<tt> rather than <tt>.tar.gz. They are constructed such that, when extracted while in the root directory, their files go to their installed locations. It is therefore possible (if inadvisable) to install packages without Slackware's package tools, using only tar and gzip, and making sure to run the doinst.sh script, if one was included in the package. In contrast, Red Hat's RPMs are cpio archives, and Debian's .debs are ar archives. They contain detailed dependency information and their package management utilities can use it to find and install the prerequisites. They will refuse to install unless their prerequisites can be found (though this can be overridden). Debate on the relative merits of tracking or ignoring dependencies, while not as intense, is somewhat reminiscent of the "religious warfare" found in the longstanding UNIX "vi versus Emacs" text editor debate. Slackware's approach to the problem seems to be well accepted by its often technically adept user base. Automated dependency resolutionWhile Slackware itself does not incorporate tools to resolve dependencies for the user by automatically downloading and installing them, some 3rd-party software tools exist that can provide this function similar to the way APT does for Debian GNU/Linux. Some of these tools determine dependencies by analyzing installed packages, determining what libraries are needed, and then discovering what packages are available that provide them. This automatic process is time-consuming, and more primitive than APT's hand-tuned method. However, it generally produces satisfactory results.
Slackware 9.1 included Swaret as an extra on its second CD, but did not install it by default. Swaret was removed from the distribution as of Slackware 10.0 but is still available as a 3rd party package. SlackPkg is included in /extra starting with Slackware 9.1. slapt-get does not provide dependency resolution for packages included within the Slackware distribution. It does, however, provide a framework for dependency resolution in Slackware compatible packages similar in fashion to the hand-tuned method APT utilizes. Several package sources and Slackware based distributions take advantage of this functionality. LiveCDsSlaxSlax is the Slackware LiveCD that uses the KDE desktop environment and consists of only 190 MB, so it can be installed in a USB keydrive too. It is possible to save/restore settings by using a floppy, HDD, or USB keydrive by running "configsave" and/or "configrestore" and then select the desired location. Slax has a community following, who occasionally upload extra modules for consideration for Slax. This has lead to several spin-off versions, such as Slax Kill-Bill (Slax with WINE), Slax Professional (includes Gnu Compiler Collection) and Slax Popcorn. StuxSTUX is a Linux system that runs from a LiveCD. STUX can automatically load and save main configuration and personal files on a writable partition. When STUX boots up, it looks for a configuration files archive (named stuxconf.zip):
GoblinXGoblinX is a 300MB Brazilian distribution, yet another LiveCD based on Slackware. Includes 3 window managers: KDE, WindowMaker and Xfce. MutagenixMutagenix consists of a number of LiveCDs, each with a different build. Expanding on the strengths of SLAX, it adds a Dropline-Gnome build, a powerful base slackware build, a base slackware GNOME build, a base slackware KDE build and a base X11 build which consists of numerous different window managers (FVWM, Blackbox, XFCE, Windowmaker, etc). Mutagenix provides the ability to automatically mount an ext2 formatted usb-key as the user's home directory for saving config files. Usenet newsgroupSlackware is the topic of discussion on the Usenet newsgroup alt.os.linux.slackware (news://alt.os.linux.slackware). See alsoExternal linksSlackware distribution
Slackware discussions and software assistance
Slackware-based distros
Other
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