Announcing Slackware Linux 11!
The first Slackware release more than a year in the making, this edition of Slackware combines Slackware's legendary simplicity, stability, and security with some of the latest advances in Linux technology. Expect no less than the best Slackware yet.
Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.2.3.2, a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment, and KDE 3.5.4, the latest version of the award-winning K Desktop Environment.
Slackware uses the 2.4.33.3 kernel bringing you advanced performance features such as the ReiserFS journaling filesystem, SCSI and ATA RAID volume support, SATA support, and kernel support for X DRI (the Direct Rendering Interface) that brings high-speed hardware accelerated 3D graphics to Linux. Additional kernels allow installing Slackware using any of the journaling filesystems available for Linux, including ext3, ReiserFS, IBM's JFS, and SGI's XFS. Slackware 11.0 also fully supports the 2.6 kernel series, with your choice of the well-tested 2.6.17.13 kernel in /extra (including a version of this kernel that supports multiple processors, multi-core CPUs, HyperThreading, and about every other optimization available), or the recently released 2.6.18 kernel in /testing. This kernel also spent a long time in development and in our own testing has proven to be fast, stable, and reliable.
All of these kernels may be used with Slackware's CD/DVD based installation system, and NFS network installs may be done using the 2.6.17.13 (huge26.s) kernel.
From the beginning, Slackware has offered a stable and secure Linux distribution for UNIX veterans as well as an easy-to-use system for beginners. Slackware includes everything you'll need to run a powerful server or workstation. Each Slackware package follows the setup and installation instructions from its author(s) as closely as possible, offering you the most stable and easily expandable setup.
Here are some of the advanced features of Slackware 11.0:
- Runs the 2.4.33.3 version of the Linux kernel from ftp.kernel.org.
Special kernels were prepared to support hardware such as SCSI
controllers, SATA controllers, USB keyboards and mice, parallel-port
IDE devices, IBM PS/2 machines with the Microchannel bus, and even
speech synthesizers providing access to Linux for the visually
impaired community. The performance of the 2.4.x kernel series
along with Slackware's track record of careful attention to system
security make it the perfect choice for running your production
servers.
- As an alternate choice, Slackware 11.0 includes Linux 2.6.17.13
and 2.6.18 kernel source, kernel modules, and binary packages,
along with the mkinitrd tool and instructions on using it to
install the new kernel (see /boot/README.initrd). When running a
2.6 kernel, Slackware supports udev. This is a system for
creating devices in /dev dynamically, greatly reducing device
clutter and making it easy to see what devices are actually
present in the system. Udev probes for and enables hardware on
the system, much like the hotplug system does for a 2.4 kernel.
- System binaries are linked with the GNU C Library, version 2.3.6.
This version of glibc also has excellent compatibility with
existing binaries.
- X11R6.9.0 (same codebase as Modular X.Org 7.0.0)
This is the X.Org Foundation's X Window System. The 6.9.0 version
includes additional hardware support, functional enhancements, and
bug fixes compared with the 6.8.2 release that shipped in Slackware
10.2, and we're added additional support for some recent popular
Intel graphics chipsets.
- Installs gcc-3.4.6 as the default C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran-77,
and Ada 95 compiler.
- Support for fully encrypted network connections with OpenSSL,
OpenSSH, and GnuPG.
- Apache 1.3.37 web server with Dynamic Shared Object (DSO) support,
SSL, and PHP.
- PCMCIA, CardBus, and APM support for laptops. (pcmcia-cs-3.2.8
and pcmciautils-014). Slackware also now includes hotplug and
udev support. This locates and configures most hardware
automatically as it is added (or removed) from the system.
It also loads the kernel modules required by sound cards and
other hardware at boot time.
- New development tools, including Perl 5.8.8, Python 2.4.3,
Ruby 1.8.4, Subversion 1.4.0, and graphical tools like
Qt designer and KDevelop.
- Updated versions of the Slackware package management tools make it
easy to add, remove, upgrade, and make your own Slackware packages.
Package tracking makes it easy to upgrade from Slackware 10.2 to
Slackware 11.0 (see UPGRADE.TXT). The slackpkg tool in /extra can
also help update from an older version of Slackware to a newer one,
and keep your Slackware system up to date. In addition, the
slacktrack utility (in extra/) will help you build and maintain
your own packages.
- Web browsers galore! Includes KDE's Konqueror 3.5.4,
SeaMonkey 1.0.5 (this is the new replacement for the Mozilla
Suite), and the immensely popular Firefox 1.5.0.7, as well as
the Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 email and news client with advanced
junk mail filtering.
- The complete K Desktop Environment (KDE) version 3.5.4, including
the KOffice productivity suite, networking tools, GUI development
with KDevelop, multimedia tools (including the amazing Amarok
music player), the Konqueror web browser and file manager, dozens
of games and utilities, international language support, and more.
- A collection of GTK+ based applications including gaim-1.5.0,
gimp-2.2.13, gkrellm-2.2.9, gxine-0.5.7, xchat-2.6.6, xsane-0.991,
and pan-0.14.2.91.
- Large repository of extra software packages compiled and ready to
run. This includes various window managers, the K3b CD burning
application for KDE, the Java(TM) 2 Software Development Kit
Standard Edition, libsafe (advanced buffer overflow protection for
additional security), ISDN support, additional 802.11 drivers, and
much more (see the /extra directory).
- Many more improved and upgraded packages than we can list here. For
a complete list of core packages in Slackware 11.0, see this file:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-11.0/PACKAGES.TXT
- Another Slackware exclusive: Slackware's ZipSlack installation
option is the fastest, _easiest_ Linux installation ever. ZipSlack
provides a basic text-based Linux system as a 70 megabyte ZIP archive.
Simply unzip on any FAT or FAT32 partition, edit your boot partition
in the LINUX.BAT batch file, and you can be running Linux in less
than five minutes. The ZipSlack installation includes everything you
need to network with Linux (including Ethernet, token ring, and
PPP), and extend the system with additional software packages such as
X. A ZipSlack system will even fit on a 250MB Zip(TM) disk, so you
can carry a personal Linux system with you to run on any PC with a
250MB Zip(TM) drive.
Downloading Slackware 11.0:
---------------------------
The full version of Slackware Linux 11.0 is available for download from the central Slackware FTP sites hosted by our friends at www.cwo.com and osuosl.org:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-11.0/
ftp://slackware.osuosl.org/pub/slackware/slackware-11.0/
The ZipSlack version of Slackware can be downloaded from:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-11.0/zipslack/
ftp://slackware.osuosl.org/pub/slackware/slackware-11.0/zipslack/
If the sites are busy, see the list of official mirror sites here:
http://slackware.com/getslack/
We will be setting up BitTorrent downloads for the official ISO images. Stay tuned to http://slackware.com for the latest updates.
Purchasing Slackware on CD-ROM:
-------------------------------
Or, purchase the Slackware Linux 11.0 six CD-ROM set directly from Slackware Linux, and you'll be helping to support the continued development of Slackware Linux! :-)
This is the official release of Slackware on CD-ROM, and has many enhanced features, including:
- Easy bootable CD-ROM installation. If your machine can boot a
CD-ROM, just boot the first disc to begin the installation process.
- The ZipSlack edition of Slackware Linux 11.0.
- The source code used to build Slackware Linux 11.0.
The price for the Slackware Linux CD-ROM set is $39.95 plus shipping.
Slackware Linux is also available by subscription. When we release a new version of Slackware (which is normally once or twice a year) we ship it to you and bill your credit card $24.95 plus shipping. Shipping is $5 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico for First Class. Overseas is $9 PER ORDER. There is an additional $3 COD charge (USA Only). UPS Blue Label (2nd day) [USA Only] is $10 PER ORDER, UPS Red Label (next day) [USA Only] is $15 PER ORDER.
Ordering Information:
---------------------
You can order online at the Slackware Linux store:
http://store.slackware.com
Order inquiries (including questions about becoming a Slackware
reseller) may be directed to this address:
info@slackware.com
Or, send a check or money order to:
Slackware Linux, Inc.
1164 Claremont Drive
Brentwood, CA 94513
USA
Have fun! :^)
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Patrick J. Volkerding
Visit us on the web at: http://slackware.com