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Yes, Pat does make all the decisions for Slackware, which I think is generally a good thing. Slackware doesn't attempt to cater towards everybody like Debian or Fedora does. It knows exactly what it is and doesn't try to be anything it isn't. Atleast Slackware isn't mired by politics like Debian is. Patrick actually puts out a release once or twice a year.Slackware is one of the oldest (arguably *the* oldest) Linux distributions still around today. It is the pet project of one Patrick Volkerding who, love him or hate him, has ruled his distribution with an iron fist since the beginning. This is fine if you agree with his choices, but like all dictators, Patrick doesn't always make decisions based on the good of the populace, but rather sheer unmitigated ego. Here is my experience with his latest iteration, Slackware 11
Again, this guy doesn't understand what Slackware is. Slackware isn't trying to cater towards noobies. Anyone with some basic understanding of Linux can install Slackware with minimal effort. I happen to prefer a rock solid, stable installation program that is fast and simple to use. It may be ugly, but atleast it doesn't cough up blood and die during installation like Fedora's Anaconda does. Yes, I think Anaconda is a piece of shit.The installer has no graphical interface nor any automated partitioning utility, so if you're not comfortable creating your own partitions with cfdisk from the command line and navigating ncurses text menus, leave now. Slackware is an advanced distro and makes no bones about it. The maintainer also suffers from a terrible genetic ailment known as Ubergeekus Pretensis, which means he's allergic to anything that would make the life of the end user easier. Don't expect any automated tasks whatsoever.
Patrick has included a 2.6 option ever since 10.0, or 10.1. It's always been there if you need it. Obviously 2.4 is still more stable than 2.6, so 2.4 is the default option.If you don't do anything special, the default is to install the Linux 2.4.x kernel. This is a pet peeve of mine that dates back 3 years. Kernel 2.6 is absolutely superior for my hardware and I actually *need* the features (such as USB support) that it offers over 2.4. Kernel 2.6 has been in development for 3 years, so Patrick's constant "it's not stable yet" mantra has gotten very old. Wake up, Patrick. Quit being such a stubborn asshole. More on that later.
You *can* install the 2.6.18 kernel when the installer gets to the "kernel" screen. Insert the first disc and scroll down to the "test26" kernel image. This is something that to my knowledge wasn't possible in previous Slackware versions, so I at least give Patrick props for supporting it, however grudgingly he did it.
Idiot! If you had actually done some research, you would know that the kernel modules package is needed for a 2.6 series kernel. After installation, you install the modules package off the DVD, reboot, and all your standard devices will work.After adding my user I was pleasantly surprised to find that X Windows actually worked. I was unpleasantly disappointed to find that my mouse did not. I figured it was probably because I had chosen the wrong mouse driver during the install. I tried to quit back to BASH by hitting CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE and the screen froze. I sincerely hope this was due to my VM software and not an instability in Slackware.
I fiddled with my xorg.conf over and over trying to get the proper protocol for my mouse. I tried every driver and option available and none seemed to work. Before the apologists out there accuse my VM, let me remind you that every other distribution I've tried has worked just fine with this VM software including full mouse support.
I tried all my usual configuration tricks and was unable to get my mouse to work, so I decided to try reinstalling with the stock 2.4.x kernel just out of curiosity. The install seemed to work but when I tried to start X Windows, I got a strange black screen with a very faint pair of mirrored blinking cursors. At this point I gave up.
Good, we don't need users like you. Go install Linspire.My biggest complaint with Slackware is still the maintainer himself. Patrick *is* Slackware. There is no democracy in this distribution. It is in every way *his* project, and he runs it as such. He has every right to do so, but I also reserve every right to lambast him and use a different distribution when I don't agree with the choices he makes. He doesn't include any scripts that might make using his system easier for those of us not interested in dicking around with text files every hour of every day, nor does he seem to understand the idea of NEW kernels. These two make Slackware a distro I not so much despise, but still avoid at all costs.
Bite your tongue heathen!Like kernel 2.4? Still play music on LPs? Don't mind having to do everything manually? Try Slackware. Everyone else should stay away, and I dare say encourage everyone you know to do so as well. Perhaps one day we can de-program the Slackware faithful and this grandfather will get taken off life support for good.