Slackware

[Tyr-7BE]

The "advanced" distro world seems to consist of 2 distros: Debian and Slackware. Everyone loves Debian because of apt and because of how "smooth" it is. Why do people like Slackware so much?

[Whipping Boy]

It's well-maintained, has a lot of experience behind it (it's the oldest major distro, so the people know what they're doing), default setup is extremely stable, you know right where the config files are (/etc, as opposed to some distros which scatter them all over creation), has BSD init, and Pat is a really hoopy frood who knows where his towel is.

[Harvey]

Slack is sexy.

[Tyr-7BE]

Originally posted by Whipping Boy:
has BSD init

BSD init? What's that? Admittedly, I'm no *nix guru, but I'm gaining experience. It sure sounds cool...anything that will mix BSD and linux is a-ok with me :)

[Helical Cynic]

BSD init style is (as I understand it) where the init scripts and stuff in rc.d are all in rc.d (called from rc.runlevel scripts in the rc.d folder) whereas the other init (Red Hat-style?) has separate subfolders in rc.d called rcrunlevel.d with scripts that are named S##name or K##name (not sure what S/K mean, possibly Start/Kill?), the ## is a 2 digit number that controls run order, then name tells what the script starts/ends)

Hope this makes sense!

BTBGuy

[element-x]

I've also noticed, slackware is one of the distro's with the least amount of security problems. I might be wrong, but I've heard Debian mentioned a few times more than I have with Slackware when involving security problems. Guess it depends on the maintainer of the system though, so I guess me saying this doesn't really matter ;op But I simply like Slackware over Debian because the packages aren't updated on the ftp until it has been said that a stable release of any certain package that they include, has been released. (Hope that made sense)

:cool: Slackware :cool:

[TheGimp]

Originally posted by JAdrock:
I've also noticed, slackware is one of the distro's with the least amount of security problems. I might be wrong, but I've heard Debian mentioned a few times more than I have with Slackware when involving security problems.

it's probably got something to do with the fact that Slackware is maintained by 4 people and Debian is by 500?

:cool: Slackware :cool:

[mangeli]

Originally posted by Whipping Boy:
Pat is a really hoopy frood who knows where his towel is.

This is what did it for me.

Zarnwhoop also recomended it. :D

Actually, I like it cause its more challenging. I started with Mandrake last June and I am now running two slackware boxes. One is a webserver for the company I work for. The install on it has been perfect since About July. The only reason it has been rebooted is because the IT Director here has this thing about rebooting the servers once a week regardless of whether or not it needs it (But he is my father so I let it slide... it was enough to get a Linux box in here....)

:D

[ph34r]

:cool: Slackware :cool:

[ifred]

In my short time with Linux I have found that Slackware is simply the easiest, trouble free install and, for whatever reason, simply seems to perform without developing inexplicable glitches which require searching all over your system to diagnose. Upgrading Slackware packages also seems less problematic than is the case with rpm based distros. Lastly, Slackware's "Bob Dobbs"(?) version of Tux is pretty cool. There are other reasons but this should do for now.

[ 26 February 2001: Message edited by: ifred ]

[ifred]

Oh I almost forgot . . .
:cool: Slackware :cool:

[Daedra]

also people seem to forget that Apt-Get is great but slack .tgz packages are very very nice to, i mean

:cool: installpkg packagename.tgz :cool:

thats pretty damn easy to :cool:

[Cloak|56k]

I just moved from mandrake 7.2 to slack.....from what im seing now slack is sweet!

:cool: Slackware 7.1 :cool:

[binary_boy]

Made the move from Redhat to Slack. Running Slackware with Blackbox and 2.4.2 kernel. Smooth as ice. :cool:

[jbstew32]

:cool: Slackware :cool:
:D Debian :D
:) BSD :)

[n2linux]

When is Slack 7.2 comming out?

[Aikidoka]

:cool: Debian :cool:

But I've run Slack 7.1 before and if I wasn't running Debian I would be running Slack :)

[ph34r]

Apt is only the majik bullet if you have a high speed 'net connect.

:cool: Slackware :cool:

And Slack 7.2 will be out when it is done. Remember - a marketing-decided release date is what fscked RH 7.0...

[Daedra]

Good Point :)

Besides you can always use SlackUp or autoslack and update all your packages to slackware-current which is basically what will be in slack 7.2

[rafen]

I use slack because I like the directory structure, and Patrick wrote an excellent book for beginners on setting it up. They also have a very stable distrib, easiest glitch free install. I also like FreeBSD 4.4, which is an interesting distrib, but beyond my humble needs. RH is just garbage to me; wouldn't go neat it again if they paid me to run it.

[Tyr-7BE]

RH ain't bad. Linux is linux. RH just comes with a lot of bloat. RH and Mandrake are great distros to start with, and they're also wonderful for people who think they know what they're doing. I could have done all my config on my old Drake system by pointing-and-clicking, but what fun would that be? :p

[Whipping Boy]

Incidentally, I have made adding dependency support to pkgtool my summer project (just so the Debian bigots have one less thing to complain about wrt Slackware).