Robert Snyder wrote:
>
>
> On 3/3/06, *Paul M Foster* <paulf@quillandmouse.com
> <mailto:paulf@quillandmouse.com>> wrote:
>
> Robert Snyder wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > But the core problem that people have with slackware is that it is
> > controlled by one man ( Patrick ) and Ian just did not like the way
> > Patrick ran the distro. Hence why Slackware is still very much a
> closed
> > nit operation and why debian is the complete oposite with community
> > controlled distrobution.
>
> I couldn't care less if one guy controls it, as long as I agree with the
> guy. My problems with Slack are 1) it's based on BSD instead of System V
> (making it difficult to alter the init sequence when adding or
> subtracting packages), and 2) it has what is commonly considered *no*
> [official] package management infrastructure, compared to RH, SuSE and
> Debian. (Tarballs don't really count as package management.)
>
> No offense to those who like Slackware. The pool's big enough for
> everyone. Those are just *my* beefs.
>
>
> There is a package management. it called pkgtools Deb files are
> tarballs with .deb on them. .deb files rpm files and slackware tgz all
> share similar structions
>
Tarballs, .debs and .rpms are "similar" only in the barest sense. And
.deb files are "ar" archive files which may *contain* tarballs. RPM
files use a format which can only be unpacked using several tools at
once (assuming you're not using rpm itself to unpack them).
But I should have been more clear. "Package management" as I define it
must include dependency checking and control. Slackware tarballs do not
routinely include this information, though you could probably code it
into the installation script contained in the tarball. Patrick does not
do this, and he is the primary originator of packages for Slackware.
Patrick primarily builds Slackware as a "point-release" system. That is,
Slackware is designed to be installed all-at-once according to the
latest release. "Upgrading" is tricky at best, considering the problem
with dependency checking.
That said, Slackware is widely acknowledged as a very conservative,
rock-solid distro, good primarily for server platforms. Though it can be
used on desktops, its installation and configuration is comparatively
user-hostile, compared to the other major distros. If you're already a
slackware geek, then this isn't an issue for you, because you're used to
doing this kind of hacking. But as a result of this, I never recommend
slack for newbies.
But *again* if you use and like Slackware, more power to you. I use
Debian, which has its own set of perceived "deficiencies". People I
respect use Gentoo, and I've tried it. I absolutely couldn't stand it.
Nor could I get it to fully work on my machine. But if you use it and
like it, more power to you, too. You're a more accomplished hacker than
I am.
Like I said, there's plenty of room in the pool for everyone.
Paul
-- Paul M. Foster ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.
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