[Axl_Rose]

Alright, first distro I tried was Gentoo. I like it alot, it's just that installation takes forever, compiling program's takes forever, and there so many things to screw up on installation that it makes in unappealing. It took takes me 11 seconds to open firefox, so I obvioulsy did something wrong.

Next I try debian. I hate it. I hate the way you search for and install programs. emerge owns apt-get.

So I need some suggestions. Please nothing debian based. So that mean no ubuntu. I don't know about slackware...it seems so outdated with the 2.4 kernel. But if someone can talk me into it I'll try it. If all else fails I'll go back to gentoo, and try to tweak my system.

[Sparky]

So I guess somebody here was right about Gentoo. :P

Slackware. I'll never find anything I like better. So easy and straightforward without those damned graphic installers. Modifying everything by had like Gentoo is quite easy and the package management is pretty good as well.

Edit: Slackware outdated? The creator was really sick at one point, so the RC didn't make it to final for awhile. There are tons of current isos out there. Just grab one of those. Slackware is fast, easy, and supports a lot of hardware. There isn't a thing about it that I can really say is bad. Don't like the kernel? Just roll your own, it's simple

[Axl_Rose]

Don't get me wrong, gentoo is great. If it weren't so easy to screw stuff up, I wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Is it possible to use the latest KDE build in Slackware. 3.4. Because it seems like most distros are stuck at 3.3 and 3.4 is leaps and bounds better.

I was reading a review of slackware and it said something about not being able to manage the dependencies on it's own? Is that true, or did I read it wrong.

What app does slackware use to install programs?

[tictac]

Arch is decent. Not debian based, and has decent package managment.
http://www.archlinux.org

[Sparky]

Is it possible to use the latest KDE build in Slackware. 3.4. Because it seems like most distros are stuck at 3.3 and 3.4 is leaps and bounds better.

There are no real software limits for different distros. If you want KDE 3.4 then just download the packages and install the new packages. I don't know if the latest official release has 3.4 because I'm stuck in windows right now, but I'm sure the current directory has it. Just grab a custom current-iso from a Slackware site.

I was reading a review of slackware and it said something about not being able to manage the dependencies on it's own? Is that true, or did I read it wrong.

By default, Slackware installs .tgz files with a program called pkgtool. It's really easy to use, you can even just say "installpkg /home/Axl_Rose/k3b.4.5.6.tgz" and it will install just like that. The downside is that you manually have to resolve dependencies yourself. It usually isn't as big of a problem as it sounds.

There is a program called Slapt-get, but I don't have a whole lot of experience with it. I used to use a similar program which is no longer being maintained. From what I understand, this program is pretty much like apt-get. It connects to official slackware servers to get the package you need along with it's dependencies.

A few resources you'll need:
www.slackware.com - Main site
www.linuxpackages.net - HUGE slackware package site
http://mirrors.unixsol.org/slackware/current-isos - Slackware-Current isos. These are very stable and the packages here will eventually be added to the next official release.

[Axl_Rose]

Well in debian I could only get 3.3. They didn't have the 3.4 packages built yet. Resolving dependies sounds like a huge bother. Programs like KDE have a ton of them. So you have install all the shared libraries and stuff too?

Slapt-get = boo. I hated apt-get that's why I stopped using debian.

If I want to try slackware, I need to download 2 CD's?

[Sparky]

If you want KDE, then yes you need the second cd. It comes with KDE and some extra X apps. You could always download the KDE packages from KDE's site if you have to.

And what do you mean there were no 3.4 packages? The KDE site didn't have them? Why not build from source in that case?

[Axl_Rose]

Debian uses apt-get. So if you apt-get install kde, it gets debian packages from various debian mirrors. and kde.org doesn't have an debian packages.

I suppose I could have compiled it from source but I don't know how to do that in debian.

How come the only KDE 3.4.x packages for slackware are for i486?

[Sparky]

Because Slackware packages are usually optimized for older systems. Don't worry, it will still run perfectly fine.

[Axl_Rose]

I think I might try it. I might just download the first CD and then install KDE on my own as a learning experience.

Do I need to install Xfree before I install KDE? And where do I see dependencies and what not?

[Sparky]

Xorg is on CD1. If you just install the first cd, you can use Blackbox, Fluxbox, XFCE, and other window managers. Most of the dependencies should be fine, but I'd just double check them if I were you. Use pkgtool to see what's installed.

[Axl_Rose]

But where do I see what dependencies things need. I didn't see a list on that linux packages site.

[Sparky]

Check the KDE site or the .tgz files?

[Axl_Rose]

Well how did you know what dependencies you needed when you installed various progs?

[Sparky]

Most of the time, I had already met dependencies, but on the rare occasion I didn't, I would check through the program's site to see what it needed.

[Axl_Rose]

so when you do pkgtool xmms.tgz....it will tell you if you have the dependencies?

[Axl_Rose]

Wow that link for Current ISO's is insanley slow. 4kb a sec. No thank you. I can't find the ISO's anywhere else. Would 10.1 work just as well?

[Cartman]

Originally Posted by Axl_Rose

Alright, first distro I tried was Gentoo. I like it alot, it's just that installation takes forever, compiling program's takes forever, and there so many things to screw up on installation that it makes in unappealing. It took takes me 11 seconds to open firefox, so I obvioulsy did something wrong.

Next I try debian. I hate it. I hate the way you search for and install programs. emerge owns apt-get.

So I need some suggestions. Please nothing debian based. So that mean no ubuntu. I don't know about slackware...it seems so outdated with the 2.4 kernel. But if someone can talk me into it I'll try it. If all else fails I'll go back to gentoo, and try to tweak my system.

Ok Look, dont take this the wrong way but, learning a new oporating system is going to just be as easy as click click click... the problem isnt with your distro :\ i think your gonna be required to do a little reading... try RedHat =|

[Cartman]

yo i'm downloading at 600k/sec
ftp://slackware.mirrors.tds.net/pub/...ware-10.1-iso/

[Axl_Rose]

What....I never said I didn't try to use it. I have been using Gentoo for the past couple of months. I didn't use Debian long, but from what I've used it I KNOW Gentoo is better. So I'm gonna give slackware a chance. If I don't like it, it's back to ol' Gentoo.

[super_Chris]

Cartman, you are an idiot for suggesting redhat. I would suggest Fedora (new free redhat) to anybody that has never touched Linux, but this man obviously knows a thing or two.

Axl, Did you use any extra repositories? like the 'community' or 'restricted' ones? Community should have the newest software (KDE 3.4). The reason that you didn't like it(apt) is becouse the default repository is usualy insanely old, only contains only non-beta and to my knowledge only when theres a major update (ver 1.0 -> 2.0)

Adding the community and restricted repositories made Ubuntu 100x better.

Also, I planned on suggesting Ubuntu instead of Debian, but you allready had it and it seemed that you wanted to try it. Just try Ubuntu, the actual number of(dekstop) users is much higher, or at least more active than Debian.

This is all coming from a pretty hardcore Slackware fan.

[Stephen]

Debian does have KDE 3.4, you just have to use unofficial apt sources http://www1.apt-get.org/search.php?q...arch%5B%5D=all

[Axl_Rose]

Ok I'll try that. Ubuntu or Kubuntu?