A Slackware 9.1 Review. By me :D

[psyjax]

Hey folks,

Let me start out by saying this distro made me really like Linux  

So far, the user experience has been a Joy. Call me supperficial, but I initially installd this Distro because it was reported to have the best anti-aliasing than all the others. And I hate webbrowsing in windows, simply because everything looks shitty. Slackware Linux 9.1 has very nice anti-aliasing on par with OSX.

Now, Slackware is a bit more painfull to setup and install than RedHat or Mandrake. The installer is all text, you have to manualy configure LILO, manually edit your XF86Config, etc/fstab, and so on. And it will be a headache to get everything nice and stable etc.

So, Linux still fails as a "for everyone desktop" when it comes to these issues. I spent half a day tweeking everything up the way I like it.

But now that it's all set up and working, I can say nothing but good things about it! Slakware is fast and responsive, no slow ass windows like in other distros, its also light and transparent.

The linux system is never far out fo reach. This is a good thing because it actually makes things easier! In distros like RedHat where they try to simplify things they usually do a half ass job of it, and when things go worng you are in the dark.

As Such Slack is customizable to every degree, and just about everything is easely installed (via the usal make BS). Normaly I would say the reliance on make is a bad thing, and in other distros your cringe when its not an RPM, yet in Slackware everything indeed does compile! I have yet to run into a programm that gave me long lists of errors. So this is good.

This is a fast distro, loaded with fetures, suited to productivity, and wonderfull for those wanting to learn the nitty gritty about linux and computers. This is now my distro of choice.

In no way am I saying its the easiest, or for newbs. Rather I'm saying this is well made, and its bare bones aproach actually makes it a better user experience than Newbie distros that do a half ass job of trying to make things user friendly.

Go try slackware 9.1 today!

[Master of Reality]

well... i believe i have one thing that will also greatly improve your opinion... Slapt-get. You install it and setup a depository and you can dl any of the packages you want from the source and it will install it for you. And i rarely install source anymore in Slackware, www.linuxpackages.net has almost every slack package possible.

[psyjax]

Hey, thanx MOR!

Good stuff.

Are your running Slackware 9.1? Whats your experience with it?

I would love to hear what others think of this fine OS.

[Master of Reality]

yea i got slackware 9.1 on 3 computers. Ive been using it for a while and i think its great. The slackware packages are extremely easy to install and remove.
And take a look at how good it.. looks... http://mor.servebeer.com:8000/images/slack9.1.jpg
http://mor.servebeer.com:8000/images/slack-twn.jpg
http://mor.servebeer.com:8000/images/slack-xfce.jpg

[shuiend]

i would also suggest slackware 9.1 to poeple. I have found the text based install not to be that bad actually. I rather enjoy it compared to red hats install. It is also alot faster install and only 2 cds.
I have been using slack completely once i got wireless wokring in it. Windows just isnt doin it ne more for me. Only thing i really miss is maybe itunes. Gamin is fine in Slack. Winex is perfrect for most games.
I am working on setting up slapt-get right now. Could any one point me to some links for adding depositories? I have it install but have yet to try it out.
The only quark i have with it was it not having the gnome 1.4 libraries installed. But once i got those i had no problem compiling grip.

[Master of Reality]

right now i only have a mirror from www.slackware.com 's list of mirrors.

actually... there should be mirrors already in the config file for slapt-get i think its /etc/slapt-getrc you just have to uncomment one.

[ November 19, 2003: Message edited by: The Master of Reality / Bob ]

[WMD]

Well I'm a newbie and I thought that installer was just fine!     And configuring X and fstab isn't that bad, provided that you have the Install-HOWTO printed out. \o/

KDE won't start, but it'd be too slow on my P166.      Luckily I like XFCE.

Oh, and wild_jester, you said you got wireless working on it...how?  And how good is the support?  :confused:

[Master of Reality]

XFCE is awesome

[Calum]

slack 9.1 is ready to take over some of the red hat 9.0 users. i really like it and yes xfce4 is the ultimate. hot tin roof, cat, elegant and stylish are all words which leap to mind.

http://calumnine.cjb.net/xfce4.jpg

PS and i upgraded to slack 9.1 from slack 9.0 with NO PROBLEMS at all! cool.

[ December 01, 2003: Message edited by: Calum ]

[WMD]

Here's my XFCE pic:

I found out that starting Nautilus while running XFCE replaces the desktop with the GNOME one.  Seeing as I like that, I've been running a combination as WM's, I guess.

[ December 03, 2003: Message edited by: WMD ]

[TuxLinux]

Would like to comment:

swaret is another great program to get  updates and offers dependent  check:

www.swaret.org

that page has some screenshots  

[ December 03, 2003: Message edited by: TuxLinux ]

[Master of Reality]

Swaret is pretty good i found it and slapt-get about equal. There is also slackpkg which isnt as good (theres a link to it from www.linuxpackages.net).

My xfce screenshot:
http://mor.servebeer.com:8000/images/screenshots/slack-xfce.jpg

[ December 05, 2003: Message edited by: The Master of Reality / Bob ]

[TuxLinux]

Thanks for the pic like your xfce look. I use gnome,  it is ok. Actually  tried  Xfce 1  day before you shared the pic with us. :-D Your not a  telepath are you? :-D anyway, because I need desktop icons stopped using it. Nautilus leaks memory with xfce. Another  icon  manager  just does not compiles on slackware instead with errors.

here is a link:


http://idesk.timmfin.net/screens.html


The error output  is so weird so just gave up on it.

  :rolleyes:

[WMD]

quote:Originally posted by TuxLinux:
Nautilus leaks memory with xfce.

Yeah I know, I discovered that a few days ago.  

Luckily, this can be repaired by just restarting the X server.  Doesn't require a full reboot.