Slackware Linux 12.x

If you want to learn a Linux, start with Slackware. If you just want a replacement for your Windows box, use any other. Eventually, your Slackware system will run in the same way as your 'other' Linux, but at that point you will be more knowledgeable than the guy that started out with Ubuntu, Debian, Gentoo, SuSE, Knoppix, you name it.

Slackware is not difficult. It's just different. It uses a text based installer and you need to partition your disks manually. It ain't difficult. Perhaps you feel a little suspense the first time, but after that disk partitioning is a breeeze. Just like configuring your system. Maintaining a Slackware system is very easy. Occasionally you need to do something but in most cases the system takes care of all.

I run Bromine (Dell Latitude C600) with Slackware 12.1 and I just love it. This 1 GHz laptop is fast enough to get everything done. At present it runs with 256 MB of RAM. I wonder if doubling the RAM will make it a bit faster (in the mean time easing down on the disk activity).

For the rest, this is the kind of computer you would like to have. It starts fast and boots into textmode. If required I start X Windows and do my stuff. I leave X and return to the consolde. Just type 'exit' and afterwards press the power button (for the system to bring itself to a clean powerdown).

I installed Slackware 12.2 on Beryllium (new) and Hydrogen (new). Debian was getting hard to maintain after the debian guys shut down the Sarge repositories.So I switched to Slackware, version 12.2 (the latest). Never regretted it. As with Bromine, I boot into console mode and start X when needed.

When in X Windows, the machine runs as with any other Linux that boots right into KDM or GDM. It's just that I have a solid rockbottom when I press Alt-Crl-Backspace.

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