“In the last episode, I explained that my Linux boxes run Slackware and XFCE and aren’t encumbered by KDE and GNOME. I’m happy to report that they all still run Slackware — and one of them now also has both KDE and GNOME, because I installed Slackware’s 8.1 release candidate 2.” Read the preview at LinuxPlanet.
Taking Up the Slack(ware)
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
[Deleted by the Admin: “Yes, it is censored, because such comments are not allowed over here.”]
that chemical imbalances are to blaim for people posting such filth (the comment, not the article).
The fact that it’s still beta software wasn’t pointed out very well by the author. I’d hate to see someone download it thinking it wasn’t. Sure there are few bugs but the ones that may lurk could be gotchas. This Release Client is designed so people can try it out and find any bugs.
The package names have been modified to mimic the RPM naming convention, and Slackare even ships with RPM 4.0.2, albeit unsupported.
Also why does everything have to have RPM. I don’t think that slackware packages now mimic RPM they mimic more modern tar balls.
OK, Slackware(or Debian) rulez, of course, if u are more a Unix-Like Admin, not a “desktop” admin like redhat, caldera, suse, mandrake…
I think RPM 4.x were added because this new slackware was designed for those people who want to try a “desktop Slackware”
<–
The fact that it’s still beta software wasn’t pointed out very well by the author. I’d hate to see someone download it thinking it wasn’t. Sure there are few bugs but the ones that may lurk could be gotchas. This Release Client is designed so people can try it out and find any bugs. …
–>
I thought RC mean Release Candidate. If no more changes/update require, it will be the *actual* release.
BETA is much *far* from RC.
I am not sure what does *Release Client* mean though…
Slack was the first linux distro, and it came from Fargo/Moorhead. I guess one of the originators still lives here. I don’t know what his connection was, but Linus used to have an MSU e-mail address. Maybe he lived in Moorhead?
Slack was the first linux distro
Nope, that was SLS. Slackware was based on the SLS distribution. You also had MCC. I still remember UUCP’ing
ftpmail parts over a 9600bps long distance line 🙂
-fooks
Okay, so slack is the oldest which is still distributed?
Whoa, ftpmail, man that’s oldskool. 🙂
As for who linux is for, it’s people who want to get away from Windows and/or for those who have an exploratory spirit. Yes there are many who take advantage of the source code, but a lot of people also use it because it can be very inexpensive monetarily.
If you take a look at this page
http://www.slackware.com/config/packages.php
you will see that Slackwares package managing system has this command;
rpm2targz
Converts an RPM (RedHat Package Manager) to a
Slackware-compatible package. In case you ever run across the
need to obtain something that is only in RPM format, this program
may come in handy. The syntax is:
rpm2targz [filename].rpm
NOTE: Running rpm2targz will create a .tar.gz file, while running
rpm2tgz will create a .tgz file. The files are exactly the same, the
only difference is the extension format (some people prefer one over
the other).
Does rpm2targz supports RPM 4.0.2 or 4.0.3, which is what is mostly used today?
sorry Eugenia its 4.0.2
http://telia.dl.sourceforge.net/mirrors/f17fc07d4f3dd1c1963ac0e9313…
PACKAGE NAME: rpm-4.0.2-i386-2.tgz
PACKAGE LOCATION: ./slackware/ap
PACKAGE SIZE (compressed): 1626 K
PACKAGE SIZE (uncompressed): 4260 K
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
rpm: rpm
rpm:
rpm: RPM is a tool from Red Hat Software used to install and remove
rpm: packages in the .rpm format. When installing RPM packages on
rpm: Slackware, you may need to use the –nodeps and –force options.
rpm: Before installing any binary package, it’s wise to examine it to
rpm: see what it’s going to do, and if it will overwrite any files. You
rpm: can use rpm2tgz to convert .rpm packages to .tgz packages so you
rpm: can look them over.
rpm:
Don’t forget Yggdrasil!
Man, I don’t miss UUCP, bangpaths or hosts files. When I was downloading Slackware, I did it using good old WS-FTP, which was pretty slick in those days. I remember the Netware admins getting mad at me because I had dozens of megabytes of .tgz files in my home directory, LOL…
Client and candidate mean the same thing. A client for being released. I shouldn’t of used Beta as that wasn’t what I meant. I meant the software is still in testing but the panel on the right side of the review makes out that it is released. It is not released of course otherwise you would be able to download slack 8.1 you can only get the release candidates so far.
The rpm tools have been in slack for quite a few versions. But I don’t know why I never use redhat packages just tarballs.