From DistroWatch: “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.”
Slackware Linux 9.0-RC1 Released
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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… played around a lot with lastest currents and I must say, it will be a very very nice update from 8.1
Gnome 2.2, KDE 3.1 and XFree 4.3.0 with Xft2 🙂
Maybe Pat can replace/add Postfix, Postgresql, Sleepycat DB 4, Spamassassin, Netsnmp, Apache2 and integrate Cups as default and into KDE too in near future releases…
… and replace the BSD initstyle with SysV init as default.
So he has the best LFS compilant distribution with best apps in town 🙂
is so much better, in my opininion that SysV. It is so much easier to edit what happens on startup. I hope that doesn’t change, that’s one of the reasons I use slackware.
BSD inits are the best…no nonsense they do exactly what you want them to do, and they arent cryptic as all get up.
Slackware Current is AWESOME, very fast, of course stable, very easy to customize. Cant beat it.
I just with there was a ports like system for it (binary or source)
“People want slower release cycles — IS managers don’t want to install a new version every 5 months”.
This may be true in Corporate IS departments, but I find people installing betas and release candidates to get at the new features. . . And the news sources _covering_ them like they are releases.
Maybe people are more willing to upgrade more often when the differences between versions are more than cosmetic (unlike Microsoft’s pseudo-upgrades).
Eric and Lukett:
I would like to second (or rather third) my agreement that BSD style inits are the best. They are one of the reasons that I run BSD. I like Slackware and have used it off and on since their first release; whatever it was called. I’m old now and can’t remember that far back.
Wing:
That definitely would be nice. As far as Linux goes, I probably use Debian the most because I like apt. I would use Gentoo, but it takes too long to install. If Slackware had a ports system (and install time was measured in hours and not days as Gentoo is), I would use Slackware exclusively.
By the way, before anyone else brings it up, I know that you can trim down the time needed to install Gentoo by using stage 2 or 3 images.
I’m glad to see Slackware 9 in the works. I look forward to trying the release version when it’s done.
the only reason I’m not using slackware is because of no proper package management system…I would be very happy to see one made for slackware.
> is so much better, in my opininion that SysV.
No, i don’t think it’s ‘better’
> It is so much easier to edit what happens on startup.
Yes, it was easier for me for the first time I don’t know much about Linux at all.
But now, I like to SysV initstyle more because I only add/delete symlinks and don’t must touch ‘complex’ startup files.
All my daemons are located in /etc/init.d
Now, I can symlink all files to /usr/bin/rc<daemon> and to /etc/rc.d/rc<x>.d with a S/K<x> and voila, my system start/shutdown fine.
with rc<daemon> in /usr/bin I can control every single daemon at a running system with a correct startup/shutdown of the daemon with parameter start/stop/restart/status/reload
I’m very pleased to SysV once I learn the positive effect of it.
But I love my Slackware-Current Box too.
I wrote for every daemon my own SysV style 😉
If now all distributions had the SAME sysv-init… SuSE has /etc/init.d and /etc/init.d/rc.*, but Debian has /etc/rc.* instead…
And I fully agree with Wing – I use Debian now because it’s package management works so good, never one dependency problem or missing library.
Slackware has a good package management system.
http://www.slackware.com/book/index.php?source=c3984.html
Are there any gui administrative tools included in Slackware 9. I haven’t used it since 7.?
I’ve used RedHat, Mandrake, and Debian (just a wee bit).
Debian is hopelessly out of date, Mandrake reminds me of elementary school (and isn’t terribly stable on my set up), and every time I’ve gone back to RedHat they do something dumb. The last time I left RedHat was over their gcc stunt, now with their survey-ware I don’t know where I stand update wise. No, I don’t think spending $60 USD a year is a good thing. I dual boot between RedHat 8 and Win 2000 via grub.
The biggest problem I’ve had with Slackware is the seeming lack of documentation. Am I missing something, or will Slackware 9.0 suffer from the same lack of printable/readable docs (read .ps or .pdf) as all of the previous versions?
If they do exist, (besides the dated versions of “Slackware Linux Essentials” that are floating around the web) can someone point me to them.
The only good doc I know is:
http://www.slackware.com/book/
And the most important problem I know is: lack of package dependency..
postfix should be added yeah i agree but BSD SysV. should stay, simple is beautiful guys, remember that, thats why the peple who use slack love it so much
n yeah, slackware’ current rox
XFree 4.3 was just release last week, and now it’s already in Slack? Ditto for Gnome 2.2, as it was only released a few weeks ago. This really surprises me, considering that although not as strict as Debian, Slackware has always been quite conservative with the packages sice I’ve been playing with it.
Now if they could only keep the docs updated!
I meant something like apt…
I always wanted something like the optional bleeding edge packages from gentoo but in binary form…
I meant something like apt…
Swaret
and
dropline-installer
Package management tools
How about
pkgtool, installpkg, explodepkg, etc……
Gee, when do you people learn that once any Linux distro has a good solution, it get intergrated into other distros.
That’s the power of GPL; you take a good thing and try to make it better. Where would Windows be if it was GPLed?
So, you want BSD script and ease of Slackware,
and, you want the roll-your-own port style of Gentoo
but dont fell like taking a weekend to install it.
Try CRUX at
http://www.crux.nu
What about me, as a Linux user, I sort of grew up on Slackware. Sure I started with RH, and Mandrake like everyone else. But 75% of everything I know about linux came from using Slackware. As someone that like to tinker, and never happy with the “grass on the this side of the fence” I searched high and low for somthing better OS then
Slackware. FreeBSD(was using linux emulation 99% of the time, so whats the point), Beehive(basicly a 686 slack) Gentoo( nice idea but took for ever to install ), Lunar (Same as Gentoo, just worked better in my opinion) Then Crux,( 686 binary install, ports, ease of use and pretty much slackware on steriods) Nice!
So, what do I use now? lol Debian!!!!
Why, once you get over the novilty of having to have the latest and greatest customized to 686 power so you can squeeze out that 2% extra performance gain, YOU JUST WANT SOMTHING THATS JUST WORKS, and is fast, and has a port system( well apt-get ) that has no headacks and no compile times. Just download and run. I have no longer the need to tinker. Some of the software may be outdated, with Debian, but its not like you cant easily update it. I use debian With KDE 3.1 and most every thing else stock, CAUSE IT WORKS and its stable. After all, isnt that what you really want.
P.S. There are seven Disk to debian, but you really only need a mini install, or disk one and auto download anything you need. (The thing to keep in mind is there is nothing to compile) I spent to many years compileing stuff, I just want it to work.
To install Debian check this osnews artical out.
helped ease the pain of installing debian, (my only gripe, but not any more after i understood the process)
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016
And try for compiling your kernel the Debian way.
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2949
sys v init isn’t difficult to use at all and it is very easy to manage. just go see what scripts you have linked, remove and add links appropriately… easy enough right?
Wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all to see a sys v style init system become part of slack, or atleast the option to chose between the bsd style init system or a sys v style init system. also wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see a nice package system developed for slackware that did handle dependancies, a package system that people actualy made up-to-date packages for. i know i’ve spent long nights trying to upgrade big software sets manualy and been disapointed with the outcome. yeah, it was my fault it was disapointing, but it would still be nice to be able avoid situations like that.
more packages available at:
http://www.linuxpackages.net/
i think linuxmafia is gone?
Well, damnit, I finally got a decent CRUX Linux 1.0 system going after three weeks of customization, when my favorite distribution (Slackware) releases a NEW version series. :p I had left it only because 8.1 was starting to get old… Shall I go back to the beautiful quintessence of Slackware or remain with my sexy CRUX system?
I’ve never managed to get an rsync to happen.
Anybody for a quick how to?
Thanks,
Mutiny
I think I’m going to install slack, I’m interested again.
Paul Mekhedjian:
WOW! My thoughts Almost EXACTLY. I just started messing with Crux. A simple distro with a “Ports” type mentality appealed to me. I will ALWAYS be a Slacky, but was just looking. That Crux install is a bitch though, huh? Experts only!
But anyway, Scary you wrote out what I was getting ready write. Now, do I trash my two week old Crux and reinstall Slackware and help out with testing??
Hmm…
Posters from the alt.os.linux.slackware newsgroup have undertaken The Unofficial Revised Slackware Book Project
http://slackbook.yoshiwara.org.uk/
The unnofical revised slackware book is at
http://slackbook.yoshiwara.org.uk/
it is not yet complete though but it is a rewrite to cope with the changes from the 8.3 naming conventions and other changes.
Hopefully when it is finished it will be ready for slackware 9.0
I am new to Slackware: I am running 8.1 for less than
two months. In my opinion, the greatest thing that
Slack lacks is a lack of overall concept. Who is this
distro aimed at? Rank and file desktop users —
definitely not. System administrators? Dunno…
I’ve read that Slack is good for those who wants to
learn Linux. IMO, sounds as nonsense since one can
study Linux in dozens ways without having to chmod to
make sound available not only for root but also for all
other users. (At least half a dozen of similar “tricks”
exist.)
In fact, I enjoy running Slack. A good thing in 9.0 RC1
is that latex doesn’t date back to 1999 any more :-))
rsync -azv –delete –exclude “source”
–exclude “kde”
–exclude “pasture”
rsync://ftp.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-current
/home/mutiny
you’ll have better luck (and faster download) by using a mirror. Find one here for slack:
http://alphageek.dyndns.org/linux/slackware-current.shtml
good luck.
I just put on Slackware from 3/3/03 nightly build. It destroys all other distros I have used before. For a screenshot check out http://www.darkambient.org/os-images/slackware.png
That’s Slackware from 3/3/03, gnome 2.2, and a little tweaking. I read a message on here before someone said “Don’t fear the slack” and since I started with Slack several years ago I decided to go back. I went back to the slack.
Thanks in.johnnyd.
That will rsync a directory, but what about an iso?
What I was doing last night was to “mount -o loop” the iso and then rsync the mounted iso, but it was read only no matter if I mounted it -w or not.
I thought you could do this, but I guess not. The workaround would be to copy the files from the iso to another folder, but it seems like such a waste.
Oh well, iso mirrors are available now. I’ll figure the rsync thing out eventually.
Mutiny
I just finished the Slackware install and it was dead easy.
The text install is bland, but I used the enter key more than anything else. The directions were really good.
Choosing your kernel is a little odd and non-intuitive (sp?) though.
Fixing the kernel issue and having an easier partition tool would really help the distro.
Mutiny