Slackware

Slackware is a Linux distribution.
Slackware takes a different approach than other popular distributions such as Red Hat, Debian, Gentoo, SuSE, and Mandrake Linux. It might best be described as "UNIX-like", given its policy of incorporating only stable applications, and the absence of distribution-specific GUI configuration tools found in other varieties of Linux. Partisans have been known to say, "When you know Slackware, you know Linux... when you know Red Hat, all you know is Red Hat."

History and name

Slackware's latest stable version is 10.1 (as of February 2, 2005), which includes support for ALSA, GCC 3.3.4 (with 3.4.3 as an alternative in /testing), Linux kernel 2.4.29 (with Linux 2.6.10 as an alternate choice in /testing), GNOME 2.6.1, KDE 3.3.2, and all the usual utilities.

There is also a testing version of Slackware called 'Current' that can be used for a more bleeding edge distribution.

The first version, 1.00, was released on July 17, 1993 by Patrick Volkerding. The original 1.0 announcement can be found here [1]. It was based on the SLS Linux distribution and supplied as 3½" floppy disk images that were available by anonymous FTP. Slackware celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 17, 2003.

The name "Slackware" stems from the term "Slack," as defined by the Church of the SubGenius.

GNOME has been removed from -current, and turned over to community support and distribution. There are already good projects in place to provide Slackware GNOME for those who want it, and these are more complete than what Slackware has shipped in the past. So, if you're looking for GNOME for Slackware -current, look at these two projects for well-built packages that follow a policy of minimal interference with the base Slackware system:

• Dropline
• GNOME.SlackBuild
• GWARE

  Slackware design philosophies

  KISS

  KISS, which stands for "Keep it Simple, Stupid", is a concept that explains a lot of design choices in Slackware. In this context, 'simple' refers to the viewpoint of system design, rather than ease of use. This is the reason there are so few GUI tools to configure the system. GUI tools are (as the theory goes) more complex, and are therefore more prone to have problems than simple command line tools. The overall result of this principle is that Slackware is very fast, stable, and secure, at the cost of user-friendliness. Critics generally say that this makes things too time-consuming and difficult to learn. Advocates say that the flexibility and transparency as well as the experience gained from the process more than make up for it.
  

  Slackware startup scripts

  
  Slackware uses BSD style init scripts, while most other Linux distros use System V style init scripts. Basically, with System V style each runlevel is given a subdirectory for init scripts, whereas BSD style gives a single init script to each runlevel. BSD style advocates say that it is better because with this system it is much easier to find, read, edit, and maintain the scripts. System V advocates say that the System V structure for the scripts makes them more powerful and flexible.

Package management

The packages are gzipped tarballs whose filenames end with .tgz rather than .tar.gz. They are constructed such that, when extracted while in the root directory, their files go to their installed locations. It is therefore possible (if inadvisable) to install packages without Slackware's package tools, using only tar and gzip, and making sure to run the doinst.sh script, if one was included in the package.

In contrast, Red Hat's RPMss are cpio archives, and Debian's .debs are ar archives. They contain detailed dependency information and their package management utilities can use it to find and install the prerequisites. They will refuse to install unless their prerequisites can be found (though this can be overridden).

Debate on the relative merits of tracking or ignoring dependencies, while not as intense, is somewhat reminiscent of the "religious warfare" found in the longstanding UNIX "vi versus Emacs" text editor debate. Slackware's approach to the problem seems to be well accepted by its often technically adept user base.

Automated dependency resolution