Slackware
For a long time, Slackware seemed to be synonymous with commercial distributions of Linux.
This was the first version of Linux I had. It, along with most subsequent versions I received from
Walnut Creek CD-ROM
(www.cdrom.com), provides regular updates. Aside from the various versions of Slackware,
Walnut Creek also has a plethora of other CD-ROMs. I used several in the course of this projectGNU,
Perl, X11R6, and their Internet Info CD-ROM, all of which fit well with my Linux system.
Slackware provides these various Linux programs in several sets. Most of the books that I have seen on
Linux describe Slackware as being the
distribution and these sets being the only way that programs are
distributed. One advantage this has is when you want to install from floppies,
particularly if you decide to install these sets after the initial installation. Some products
I have seen enable you to create installation floppies, but you need to install them all at once.
With the Slackware sets, it is easy to create floppy sets (although a couple of sets require a
large handful of floppies).
The Slackware 96 package that I got from Walnut Creek CD-ROM
is a four-CD-ROM set that contains a couple of different Linux archives. In addition, there is a 36-page
installation guide, but this contains just the minimal amount of information for you to install system. If you
have nonstandard hardware or trouble installing, you have to look elsewhere.
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