Just wanted to say I just installed slackware 9.1 and i have to say i love it.
i only had a few problems but was able to get threw that. I was switch from mandrake
wanted to try something different. Slackware is so much quicker still getting use to the way slackware installs things use to the rpms.

Always check Slackware.com.....under packages/current. All the latest stuff in .tgz format. run "installpkg ***.tgz" or "upgradepkg ***.tgz" and your on your way. Not only that but, Slack is the only distro I've ever used that installs tarballs just like the readme says it will. SLACKWARE ROCKS !!!

I installed slackware 9.1 the day after it came out and I haven't used another OS since. It's easy to use, stable and fast. Mandrake used to take upto 2 minutes to load on a standard install slackware takes about a quarter of that.

I haven't really used the package system though. I tend to use the standard tar.gz archives and ./configure, make, make install. Is there any advantage to using the packages except not having to type configure.... everytime?

I feel like I'm getting to know linux using slackware, at first I was nervous about editing files by hand and had to write everything down but now I know I could happily go to any linux distro and setup auto-mounts for cds, windows partitions. I couldn't do that before unless I had a gui to help me.

All the editing of config files even inspired me to compile my own kernel which has to be a good thing.

thanks Patrick

Slackware does rock.

As far as package management, Chang, there is a definite advantage over ./configure make make install etc.

A coupel things -- using pkgtool you can easily add, remove, upgrade, etc without problems. But it gets better -- you can still compile from source, and do it this way to utilize pkgtool to easily uninstall things later or upgrade later if you like --
And checkinstall will build a package from the compiled source, and install it as a slack package --- so it's easy to upgrade and keep track of what's installed!

I love it :-p

-Shade

ps - checkinstall is a third party package, you can pick up from freshmeat.net

Thanks Shade. I had a look at the checkinstall page on freshmeat http://checkinstall.izto.org/ it sounds excellent. I've installed it here and I'll use it the next time I build something. I'm gradually learning about building stuff from source, at first I was building everything in my home directory and wondering why ~ was filling up so much. Live and learn.....

also checkout swaret. One of the coolest things to automatically upgrade or install without having to search and download from the internet. A combination of checkinstall and pkgtool in slack is the coolest thing I have ever seen. Slack runs too fast on my p2 400 mHz 128 MB laptop. I jumped from redhat to mandrake and finally got stuck to slack. FEEL PROUD TO BE SLACKER !

I agree. I have installed/played with more distros than I care to admit, and I must say I'm glad I decided to try Slack. Looks like I'll be here awhile. It's a nice mix between getting up and running and letting you learn more at your own pace. It seems like a lot of distros either do everything for you so you don't learn, some you just follow the instructions and get it running but you still don't know how it works, or it's too difficult for less experienced people to get up.

Slack fits me.

Mark