Slackware 10: First Impressions
Linked by Michael Hall on Thu 15th Jul 2004 07:35 UTC
Slackware, Slax My first experience with Slackware Linux came with version 9.1, after 4 years of using various versions of Red Hat and SUSE Linux. I disliked the general direction these distributions were moving in and didn't see their increasing focus on the "big end of town" as auguring well for either myself or clients of my small one-person IT consultancy business. I quickly became a Slackware convert and have since used it exclusively for all my server deployments. Check in for more and 15 screenshots from Slackware 10.
E-mail Print r 0   · Read More · 112 Comment(s) http://osne.ws/5xq
Permalink for comment
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE: Some Installation Criticism Merited
by Slacker on Fri 16th Jul 2004 12:39 UTC

The jabs at Slackware's installation routine do have some credibility.

The setup routine assumes the user has already partitioned the disk. If a prospective Slackware user doesn't know how to do that, or does not want to run fdisk manually, then he will never install Slackware. No Linux distribution that I've seen has managed to completely eliminate the partitioning bump, but Slackware isn't even close.

This is true. The most difficult part of installing Slackware is that a user *must* have an understanding of how Linux partitions and filsystems work. In most respects, however, it's not too difficult to use FDISK or CFDISK to create a swap partition and linux native partition. It's part of the learning process. If a user is ready to take that step, then Slackware is a great choice.


If hardware is not detected, the user will be required to identify it. E.g., a network card. Anyone interested in seeing more Linux usage should cater to the needs of people who don't know what's inside their PC.

These days, practically all hardware is automatically detected by the kernel hotplug system. In fact, Slackware is more "plug and play" than even Windows is these days - and it actually works. Just power it up and it works, without having to modify the /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file (as was done in the past). The exception is, perhaps, ading the line to load the APM module if applicable. The only thing that a user might have to do in the way of hardware is installing the binary nVidia drivers, if they want 3D support. Even that's relatively simple on Slackware.


Finally, there is the lack of a handholding way to set up X. The tools provided by X are there, of course, but the install routine doesn't tell the user about them. (And they don't work all that well.) Like partioning, Slackware assumes the user brings with her the skills needed to get it running.

Most distributions have their own tool for setting up the X Windowing System. Slackware is no exception. While it is true that there is little information on this process, X will work out-of-the-box, on Slackware, utilizing a Vesa driver.

If you wish to have hardware accelleration, the best option is to use Slackware's "xorgsetup" (formerly "xfree86setup"), as root, and Slackware will detect your videocard and select the proper driver for the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.