DS Slackware 15 released. How many use Slackware?

[GreyGeek]

The YT vlogger DT has a video showing how to install Slackware's new release, 15.0, after six years of development.
As I watched the video it reminded me so much of my first Linux experience: installing RH 5.0 on May 1, 1998.
Slackware is still using the NCURSES "gui" from 22 years ago. I must say that installing RH5 22 years ago required less Linux foo than Slackware requires today.
I suspect that less than a fraction of 1% of all Linux users use Slackware, if it is even that high.

[jglen490]

My first Linux was Slackware - ages ago. A stack of floppies, and a very unsatisfactory result even after a successful install. It was almost my last. And the attitude of most Slackware "experts" was abysmal. Like GG, I found a boxed set of RedHat 5.2, installed it, and never looked back. I will NEVER use Slackware again.

[claydoh]

Agreed. I did try Slack many years back (2000 to 2004ish?), though not on floppies. Plus a derivative or three. I don't remember it being terribly hard to install, with instruction manuals. Then again, I can't recall much about it in general.

I do think their community may be where the whole RTFM bs originated

[jglen490]

Amen, claydoh

[vinnywright]

Why yes slackware was my first as well ,,,,, then a custom derivative called Ultima linux back at slackware ver8-9 or so .

the Ultima even ran as a liveCD I think , the developer was a college student that did it all his self and even wrote me a bash script 1 time to upgrade the system in place off the new cd ,,,,and it worked

If I remember correctly I came to Kubuntu right after that

slackware is rock solid once installed properly all though you must RTFM ,,,,, lol yes I remember that from their , I would get that a lot since I was so new and could not ask questions properly , which is strange as the newest of us are the ones that need questions answered the most

VINNY

[jglen490]

And therein lies the sin of "better than you" smugness that way too many Slackware users fell into.

[kc1di]

As with some others here my first linux distro was Slackware and remember using 20 or so floppies to install it that first time on and old i386 computer. Ran slack for long time, but Got lazy over the years and like Kubuntu and others better now. Slack still has a found spot in my memory though. And do give each new edition a spin when time permits. I used Vector for awhile also Vector was a good Slack clone I even did some packaging for them but alas they went belly up a number of year ago. Never took to Zenwalk well so moved on. But Slack is still a good solid choice if you want long term stability and have the time for the original setup.

[verndog]

...Slackware is still using the NCURSES "gui" from 22 years ago. ...

So does CloneZilla today.

I tried Slackware in the beginning as well as Caldera. Caldera left the planet, Slackware stayed in low orbit. I pulled up the slack and left.

[GreyGeek]

Of all those visiting Distrowatch Ubuntu comprises only 7%.
Debian is fairly popular but it's 18,062 unique IP visitors comprises only 0.06% off all visitors.
Fedora is more popular than Slackware but ...
I suspect that visitors using Slackware amount to even a fraction of 0.06% Debian users.
https://distrowatch.com/awstats/awst....osdetail.html

	Ubuntu	557,385	6.4 %	5,045,099	7.2 %
	Suse	27	0 %	27	0 %
	Red Hat	12	0 %	12	0 %
	Mandriva (or Mandrake)	2	0 %	2	0 %
	Gentoo	20	0 %	127	0 %
	Fedora	64	0 %	69	0 %
	Debian	191	0 %	18,062	0 %
	Centos	7	0 %	8	0 %

[Qqmike]

From Slackware, I learned a lesson about patience ... I learned I didn't have THAT kind of patience! 🤣 What did it? should be clear to many: ask a beginner question or three, and get back an abrupt RTFM! What got me into Kubuntu? I was an XP 'expert' of sorts. A friend told me for a similar look-and-feel, try Kubuntu. I did. I loved it.

[MoonRise]

Have to say, Ubuntu here, unless better now, why I moved to Kubuntu and this forum. Ubuntu forums were no better IMO in the responses I received then.

[arsivci]

I used Slackware for about 10 years, it was my 3rd distro. Suse 1st (did not like it), Redhat 2nd (did not like it), both lasted for a couple of days. Been with Slackware until Ubuntu, around 2004-ish, I guess. Used Ubuntu until they dropped Unity. FF 7 years I bought new laptop and had to use windows for a couple of months due to shaky linux wireless driver. I did manage to install Slackware to dual boot so that I could check the driver but I really do not recommend the experience: had to read 10s of pages about UEFI, had to use a boot manager called Refind, and I remember I had to use an Ubuntu USB to install Slackware but why (and how) I had to do that beats memory. When the driver matured, wiped the disk (UEFI to MBR) and switched to Kubuntu, bought another laptop along the way and sticking to it since.

I do not know the current level UEFI support in Slackware but DT used MBR in his video, which may not reflect how Slackware will cope with UEFI (It does, apparently but my last experience was not fun). The installer is usually a breeze in spite of its looks if you have MBR or GPT, though.

[jglen490]

RTFM was a common answer. The real problem was that no one was interested in pointing the rookie in the direction of the alleged "F" manual. There are a whole bunch of better Linuxes available (even then), with a whole bunch more support without the self-congratulatory, and ignorant attitude.

[Snowhog]

The problem with the RTFM crowd, is they believe that if you aren't smart enough to figure it out, you aren't smart enough to be using 'their' OS.

[jglen490]

Snowhog Precisely