Has the problems concerning WiFi been solved for Slackware on ARM?
 

Hello!
I recall that when I started observing the ability to make use of Slackware on ARM the only issue was one of that WiFI was not as yet working, as opposed to the Debian construct on the Raspberry Pi does indeed use WiFi successfully.

Has that been fixed? That is to use internal WiFi devices and not make use of an external one instead.

This question is one that is device, kernel and firmware specific. To answer broadly, Slackware ARM supports everything that the linux kernel supports (currently shipping 6.1 series) provided the firmware is available (and linux-firmware package installed) and the wifi device supports the arm64 platform.

That said, I've used wifi on every device I've installed the aarch64 port on. Including: rpi3, rpi5 (with use of sarpi packages) & pinebook pro. Except for the brand new rpi5 (this required the external sarpi projects packages), they all worked out of the box after install.

Is there a specific device you have a question about? It'd be much easier for someone to advise with some more information to diagnose with.

The RPi4's WiFi works fine in Slackware. Slackware does not support the RPi5 yet, but if someone wants to step up and maintain Slackware Raspberry Pi support, let us know on the forum and we can help get you started.

Hello!
I was thinking more of the Pi Zero with WiFi included, which is a 32 bit platform. I do have a Pi Zero2 which does support 64 bit but that's not the point of the discussion.

Ah. Slackware 32bit ARM does not support any Raspberry Pi Hardware Models.

Hello!
:rolleyes: It does not? Then why do I see several examples available on one member's site, which is of course, https://sarpi.penthux.net/index.php?p=home there it has several downloads available. All of which include the models that interest me. Currently the 4 and 5 ones are not here. I was asked by someone at a LUG meeting just before we mothballed things back in February of that many years ago to prove that Slackware does run on things that are not Intel or AMD based, and chose the Raspberry Pi because those bounders at Debian still think they got there first.

SARPi is a Slackware derivative specifically tailored to run on the Raspberry Pi (RPi). While it shares some similarities with Slackware, it is important to note that SARPi is not Slackware itself. SARPi is designed for 32-bit ARM architecture, and if it supports your Hardware Model, it can be a suitable choice.

On the other hand, for 64-bit ARM architecture, Slackware has undergone a redesign to facilitate easier community support for various Hardware Models. This redesign aims to streamline the installation process, particularly on devices like the Raspberry Pi, making it more user-friendly. It's worth noting that SARPi has not adopted these changes and remains technically distinct from Slackware, potentially leading to differences in design and goals, which affect the troubleshooting and management of the OS.

In summary, SARPi is a specialized derivative of Slackware optimized for the Raspberry Pi, primarily on 32-bit ARM architecture. Slackware's redesign for 64-bit ARM aims to enhance community support and ease of installation, which SARPi has not incorporated.

Slackware's ARM variant has been thriving for an impressive 22 years. However, it's noteworthy that Debian on ARM has an even longer history, predating Slackware ARM by an estimated 3-4 years. A testament to the collaborative spirit in the open-source realm, as one of the Debian ARM contributors played a pivotal role in assisting with RISC OS matters and generously shared Debian Kernel patches in the early days (I stayed at his place in Cambridge for a few days with my RiscPC and his Netwinder and Iyonix), long before the era of public source repositories. It's a compelling narrative of shared knowledge and collaboration that has shaped the landscape of ARM-based Linux distributions.

That should have said "Ah. Slackware 32bit ARM does not officially support any Raspberry Pi Hardware Models."

The SARPi Project is a community effort by Penthux.NET and is not officially endorsed by Slackware Linux Inc. or Raspberry Pi Ltd. As is stated throughout the website multiple times. I guess that shows that people need to read more. :study:

Any official websites usually carry the "slackware.com" domain. ;)