Slackware

The oldest still-active Linux distribution.

Slackware, founded by Patrick Volkerding in 1993, predates Debian and Red Hat and is the oldest still-active Linux distribution. It deliberately keeps things simple and Unix- traditional: BSD-style init scripts (runit and OpenRC patches exist as third-party options), no automatic dependency resolution by default in pkgtools, and conservative package selection.

The package format is a tar archive plus a handful of metadata files, which makes packaging straightforward but places more of the burden of dependency management on the administrator. SlackBuilds.org provides community-maintained build scripts for software that is not in the base distribution, and slackpkg+ adds repository management that approximates apt or dnf.

Slackware's release cadence is extremely conservative, with major versions sometimes years apart. Its reputation is for stability, deliberate decision-making, and an old-Unix sensibility that contrasts strongly with the rapid, distribution-led evolution of GNOME, systemd, and the rest of the modern Linux desktop.

License: Composite per package

Category: Distribution

Website: http://www.slackware.com/

Install

Download an ISO from http://www.slackware.com/getslack/

Authors

Patrick Volkerding (creator and BDFL)

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