Suggestions Before Installing Slackware?

[Furious]

Anybody have any suggestions, warnings, etc. before I start installing Slackware?

[Ergot]

You need a swap partition.

[rabbit]

Well, a bit "during" and some "after": make a bootdisk of bare.i.  The first thing you should do (it's what I did) after installing is to update the kernel (from Slack disc 2).

[Ergot]

Don't put too much on it at first. Play around, fuck the system up, reinstall a couple times. Great learning experience.

[iago]

Don't put too much on it at first. Play around, fuck the system up, reinstall a couple times. Great learning experience.

Agreed.  The first time you install it, be completely ready to install it again.  Play with it, and when you get yourself into a corner re-install it. 

Also, read the instructions.  You boot off Slackware Disk 1, then, if you follow the instructions, you should have no problem setting up your partitions and performing a full install.  Most people who ask me questions about how to do it do so because they don't read.  But really, the prompts all tell you what to do, and it should be fairly common sense. 

Also, the Linux slogan is "./configure, make, make install".  Those three commands are used to compile 99% of software.  You won't have to know that until after you've installed everything, but it's still good to know.

[deadly7]

Don't put too much on it at first. Play around, fuck the system up, reinstall a couple times. Great learning experience.

Agreed.  The first time you install it, be completely ready to install it again.  Play with it, and when you get yourself into a corner re-install it. 

Also, read the instructions.  You boot off Slackware Disk 1, then, if you follow the instructions, you should have no problem setting up your partitions and performing a full install.  Most people who ask me questions about how to do it do so because they don't read.  But really, the prompts all tell you what to do, and it should be fairly common sense. 

I resent you for that horridly true comment.

Also, the Linux slogan is "./configure, make, make install".  Those three commands are used to compile 99% of software.  You won't have to know that until after you've installed everything, but it's still good to know.

Don't forget #pkginstall for .tgz files!

[Ergot]

#installpkg
and
#upgradepkg

The # symbol means it's done as root.

[deadly7]

Why do I keep thinking it's #pkginstall?

[Warrior]

Well the first thing I did was really go through the install steps of slackware with someone experienced (iago) then purposely (okay not really it was an accident) mess up your system really bad. Now try to reinstall withought any help and try to remember the steps you took the first time around.

If anything keep rebooting into Windows and asking for help or using any hints in the installer itself. The key is to read everything but really once you get the hang of the partition manager it's all cake.

[Sidoh]

It never hurts to install it on a Virtual Machine before actually recreating your partition tables.  Sure, the experience isn't as rich or fullfilling, but it's definitely an awesome way to learn.

[Warrior]

Actually that's what I did when I said that iago helped over aim, forgot to elaborate.

[deadly7]

Actually that's what I did when I said that iago helped over aim, forgot to elaborate.

And I tried that and asked you for help and it didn't work with my computer.
IF YOU HAVE A COMPUTER MORE THAN FOUR YEARS OLD IT WON'T WORK I BET.

[iago]

All my computers are over 4 years old, except for my main laptop.  It works fine on all of them. 

You shouldn't need somebody to walk you through the first time, the instructions are all there. 

And you should never need installpkg or slapt-get, they just get you into lazy habits

[rabbit]

*cough*
You were the one who told me to mount disc 2 and #installpkg the 2.6.13 kernel.

[Ergot]

Confucius say kernel compile pain in ass.