Slackware
Why Slackware?
What Makes Slackware Different?
BDFL Model: Patrick Volkerding is still the main decision-maker. Slackware doesn't follow a strict release cycle; releases happen when they're ready.
Conservative Software Choices: Slackware favors well-tested software over the latest trends. Example: PAM and elogind were adopted only in version 15.0.
Simplicity Over Ease:
- Not necessarily user-friendly, but internally simple.
- Avoids unnecessary complexity, making it robust and reliable.
No Automatic Dependency Management:
- Installs the whole system by default to satisfy dependencies.
- Avoids problems common with dependency-resolution tools in other distros.
Plain Bash-Based Package Management:
- Uses simple tools like installpkg, removepkg, etc.
- Packages are .txz tarballs.
- Information about installed/removed packages is kept in plain text under /var/lib/pkgtools.
Vanilla Packages:
- Software is built as-is from upstream, with headers and documentation intact.
Customization and Community
SlackBuilds:
- Every Slackware package comes with a build script (.SlackBuild) that users can modify.
- Encourages local compilation and customization.
- Third-party SlackBuilds are available from slackbuilds.org.
Minimalism and User Responsibility:
- Puts power and responsibility in the hands of the system administrator.
- Assumes knowledge of /etc config files and CLI usage.
No systemd:
- Maintains traditional init systems.
- Avoids opaque management layers.
EOF
Slackware sbotools fzf
fails to build
If the fzf-package fails ensure that you have go-lang and relog to make sure that /etc/profile.d/go.sh
gets loaded.