So I installed slackware.


Recommended Posts

and i have to say, im pretty impressed...

it installed on my p3 laptop in about 20 minutes

then i configured my desktop up and its running nicely, im currently compiling the newest GAIM. :D

i only have one question tho:

its starts up in text based login...is there a way to set kdm as the login manager or gdm maybe.

other than that its running nicely :D

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/139673-so-i-installed-slackware/
Share on other sites

how do i set it to kdm?

I have Knoppix installed on my hard drive which basically means that I run Debian.

It autodetected my scroll wheel on my logitech mouse.

It automatically gives me a boot menu with KDE as an option.

I used APT-GET (well actually I used Synaptic Package Manager which is an apt-get GUI frontend) to install GNOME and it automatically added it to my boot menu.

You shouldn't need to do all this work. Perhaps you should ditch Slackware.

as for your mouse with scroll what kind of mouse do you have..

i had to edit my XF86Config file and change the mouse PROTOCOL to IMPS/2 FROM PS/2, also added the Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" as well

since you are running slack and if you want to use gnome check out www.dropline.net/gnome

so hardcore:) and if you are compiling programs yourself make sure you install the checkinstall package on the slackware extras cd

so instead of make install you could do

./configure

make

checkinstall -S

it will install the package and create the .tgz file for it that way you will be able to manage all your packages with the slackware package manager

how do i set it to kdm?

You only need to default to run level 4 for graphical login.

My /etc/inittab reads:

id:4:initdefault:
Edit the file /etc/rc.d/rc.4

comment out the gdm and xdm lines and it'll default to kdm

# Try to use GNOME's gdm session manager:

#if [ -x /usr/bin/gdm ]; then

#  exec /usr/bin/gdm -nodaemon

#fi

Not there?  OK, try to use KDE's kdm session manager:

if [ -x /opt/kde/bin/kdm ]; then

  exec /opt/kde/bin/kdm -nodaemon

fi

I haven't tried slack-get but I bet it's pretty good...I use swaret as my package management.

to get your mouse working, either do what kemical said or reboot...most often slack will pick up your mouse and configure it automatically on reboot. If not then follow kemical's orders

how powerful is slack-get...does it have alot of apps?

not sure about the repository with slack-get, but check linuxpackages.net probably give you a good idea of the list.. for me though if i cant find a package i want ill just compile it and make a package myself that way i can keep up with it in slackwares package manager.

i dont understand the slackware package manager, it only allows tgz's...why is that?

It's not much bloody good that's what it is.

.tgz is a proprietary package system (if that is at all possible under Linux).

Well it's near-proprietary anyway.

I haven't tried slack-get but I bet it's pretty good...I use swaret as my package management.

to get your mouse working, either do what kemical said or reboot...most often slack will pick up your mouse and configure it automatically on reboot. If not then follow kemical's orders

is it called slapt-get? btw? i cant find anything called slack-get...

It's not much bloody good that's what it is.

.tgz is a proprietary package system (if that is at all possible under Linux).

Well it's near-proprietary anyway.

What on earth makes it any more or less proprietary than an rpm or a deb or even an ebuild? Stop being silly.

What on earth makes it any more or less proprietary than an rpm or a deb or even an ebuild? Stop being silly.

RPM is used by RedHat, Mandrake and others.

DEB isn't really used all that often even with Debian but it also works on Knoppix and the other debian-based systems (of which there are a lot).

Gentoo also has it's own system but it apparently works well.

TGZ is only used by Slackware (and I guess anything based on Slackware)

The APT-GET system is really the way to go. I haven't tried it but you can apparently get APT4RPM for RedHat and Mandrake.

Yes I've heard good things about Gentoo but it'd have to be a heck of a lot faster on a day-to-day basis to make up for all of that lost compile and/or installation time. I personally don't have the patience. It's also something that will prevent it from ever being mass-market (although most Linux users would probably still see this as a good thing).

Debian (and/or Knoppix as they are virtually synonymous once Knoppix is installed on the hard disk) does have the potential to be, some day, a mass market product. They have the easist to use system, good package management and, with Knoppix, the option to preview your configuration while running from CD-ROM. Debian is also completely free and owned by no one so unlike other distros they don't have to worry about going bankrupt.

TGZ is only used by Slackware (and I guess anything based on Slackware)

That's funny... I've downloaded and compliled .tar.gz source on my RedHat-based system before.. ;)

Anyone can use these, I think it is just the preferred method of "Slackers". :D

RPM is used by RedHat, Mandrake and others.

DEB isn't really used all that often even with Debian but it also works on Knoppix and the other debian-based systems (of which there are a lot).

Gentoo also has it's own system but it apparently works well.

TGZ is only used by Slackware (and I guess anything based on Slackware)

The APT-GET system is really the way to go. I haven't tried it but you can apparently get APT4RPM for RedHat and Mandrake.

Yes I've heard good things about Gentoo but it'd have to be a heck of a lot faster on a day-to-day basis to make up for all of that lost compile and/or installation time. I personally don't have the patience. It's also something that will prevent it from ever being mass-market (although most Linux users would probably still see this as a good thing).

Debian (and/or Knoppix as they are virtually synonymous once Knoppix is installed on the hard disk) does have the potential to be, some day, a mass market product. They have the easist to use system, good package management and, with Knoppix, the option to preview your configuration while running from CD-ROM. Debian is also completely free and owned by no one so unlike other distros they don't have to worry about going bankrupt.

we got it ok, you're pro- debian/knoppix..

but there is nothing wrong with slackware.. if you cant find a package you want just spend a little extra time compiling the source and create the package yourself then share with others.. that simple

we got it ok, you're pro- debian/knoppix..

but there is nothing wrong with slackware.. if you cant find a package you want just spend a little extra time compiling the source and create the package yourself then share with others.. that simple

I am really a fan of Debians APT-GET system. I also prefer that Debian is completely maintained by volunteer contributions. Nobody owns Debian. It's completely free.

This article is a bit dated but it comes down hard on RPM packages.

Is RPM Doomed?

While the RPM Package manager is not inherently flawed, the way it has been implemented on various RPM-based Linux distributions have created major inconveniences for the desktop end user:

1. An RPM-based distribution is risky to upgrade.

2. A more complex binary RPM package is often hard, if not impossible to install.

3. The incompatibilities between different versions of the RPM Package Manager added another layer of complexity.

4. The developers are forced to consider differences between distributions and create multiple binary packages.

well...installpkg cannot handle tar.gz...but it can handle tgz?

slapt-get seems like a nice idea..im gonna do that when i get home probably..but say if i installed KDE 3.2.0 with slapt-get, would it remove the old one first? like urpmi? or something..

slackware is really nice i like it alot...i dont even really need slapt-get because so far slackware can install any and every source tarball ive put in so far, i love that its "standardized" so everything works nicely.

but how do u uninstall a source tarball? (standard ./configure, make, make install kind)

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Yeah, when I saw that, I wanted to find the nearest nose. You can't find a good nose these days when you need one.
    • Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5, a state-of-the-art AI model that beats OpenAI's GPT-5.5 by Pradeep Viswanathan Back in April, Anthropic announced Claude Mythos Preview, a frontier model with state-of-the-art coding capabilities. Due to the cybersecurity implications that would occur due to the availability of such a powerful model, Anthropic made it available to only a select set of companies around the world. The company's plan was to prepare appropriate guardrails before releasing such a powerful model to everyone. Now, after nearly two months, Anthropic announced Claude Fable 5, its most capable AI model yet for general users. The company also announced Claude Mythos 5, the same underlying model as Fable 5, but with safeguards lifted, making it more suitable for selected cybersecurity and biology use cases. Claude Fable 5 sits a tier above its Opus models and it beats most other generally available models across areas including software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and long-running autonomous tasks. To prevent model misuse, when Claude Fable 5 detects certain requests related to cybersecurity, biology, chemistry, or model distillation, the request will be routed to the Claude Opus 4.8 model. Anthropic claims that these safeguards trigger in less than 5% of sessions on average. However, for large organizations working on critical software, Claude Mythos 5 can be availed through Project Glasswing. Later, Anthropic has plans to expand access through a broader trusted access program. As you can notice in the benchmarks above, Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are state-of-the-art on most key AI benchmarks and they are well ahead of OpenAI's frontier model, GPT-5.5. For example, Fable 5 is the new state-of-the-art model for vision tasks. Also, Mythos 5 has the strongest cybersecurity capabilities of any model in the world. Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 are priced at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, which is less than half the price of Claude Mythos Preview. Another big change is that Anthropic is making a change to the way they handle business customer data for both Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. The company will now require 30-day retention for all traffic on both first- and third-party surfaces. Anthropic promises that it won't use the data to train Claude models, instead it will use it against complex and novel attacks. Claude Fable 5 is available today on the Claude API and consumption-based Enterprise plans. It is also included at no extra cost for Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise customers from today through June 22. After that, users on those plans will need usage credits to continue using Fable 5, unless Anthropic extends the included access window based on capacity. Developers can access Fable 5 through the Claude API using the claude-fable-5 model name.
    • Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion to bring snowy region, new updates also coming by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Capcom had a surprise waiting for Dragon's Dogma fans today in the Nintendo Direct presentation. The company revealed an expansion for the second installment with a name that should be familiar to series veterans. Coming later this year, Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is promising a massive new region to explore, new monsters, fresh skills to learn, and more. The studio says players will be heading to the Northern region of the world, named Norgan, to find new secrets about an undying "Fallen Dragon." There will be forgotten relics that the protagonist can find to unlock fresh weapons and skills the expansion is introducing. Players will also be able to find mysterious equipment from a previous Arisen as a part of the expansion, all part of 12 Lost Rites Dungeon Challenges they must complete to gain access. In Neowin's own review, I found Dragon's Dogma 2 to be an impressive RPG when it launched back in 2024, giving the title an 8.5/10 for its class variants, companion system, and immersive exploration. "Once a prosperous region of the kingdom of Vermund, it was abandoned many years ago for reasons unknown," says Capcom about the new region. "Long has it been since any soul traveled its paths. Blanketed in heavy snow, these frigid lands are home to savage hordes and creatures of unbelievable power. Those who are capable of vanquishing such fearsome foes, or those who possess a keen eye for exploration, will find themselves rewarded with powerful relics." Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion launches on October 9, 2026, with a $29.99 price tag. Ahead of the expansion release, Capcom is also planning to release two free updates to the base game. The first will land tomorrow, June 10, bringing more accessible fast travel with an Eternal Ferrystone and other quality-of-life adjustments. The second update will land sometime in August, aiming to improve frame rates, add more save slots, and bring even more community-requested adjustments. This expanded Dark Arisen edition is also launching on the Nintendo Switch 2 on the same day the content comes to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      rubentuben8 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      ARaclen earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      jojodbn earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      jojodbn earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      jojodbn earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      525
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      231
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      124
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      87
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      83
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!