Slackware/Salix/Slackel Distros Suck
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2026 9:57 am
When you have more polished and powerful distros like Debian/Devuan or Arch/Artix to play with, why even the need for Slackware?
Slackware 15.0 came out in 2022, and it's still the "latest" stable release. A lot of stuff coming out today simply won't run on it because of GLIBC version conflicts. Hell, even Python3.9 has been EOL and you should now try to at least get on Python3.11 at minimum. The fact the yt-dlp-bin SlackBuild is using the yt-dlp_linux to dodge the Python problem is telling that this distro is simply for those who like to scratch their own itch. Current is a terrible idea unless you are a software developer willing to help Volkerding test out new builds (they just pushed 1927 upgrades/additions the other day!).
But besides all that, why even use Slackware of its (infinitely inferior) derivatives like Salix or Slackel? Slapt-get is pure crap and only has a fraction of the features that APT has. Slapt-src is even worse because sometimes dependencies aren't resolvable, even if you combed through the repositories for whatever sounded familiar. Slackware is also really bad at handling multiple kernels or making them fully work with a GRUB update. In Debian, you can have multiple kernels that stay out of the way, and all you have to do after installing a new kernel is make sure update-grub ran (which APT will do so for you automatically).
Arch's AUR has infinitely more packages than SBo, and they get updated routinely. Forget about the "insecure" meme, just read the PKGBUILD and don't be a retard when compiling. Has never been an issue for me (I use Artix BTW). Oh, and Pacman absolutely CRUSHES any other package manager, and Slackware doesn't even have one themselves. They have to LARP as another distro's entirely (slapt-get) to justify their existence in today's Linux world. The only "official" forum for Slackware users is LinuxQuestions, which has CF at every opportunity, and their IRC channels are full of snobby pricks that thrive on the smell of their own farts. Gentoo has more users and is more minimal and customizable by far.
Slackware just isn't a realistic choice anymore. It sucks even for being a "security-focused" server. Debian has patches and can stay relevant for years up to a decade to come without jumping between major releases. Even when stuff goes EOL, it will still be supported in some form via ELTS, whereas Slackware will immediately kill off three releases in a row when they do a major point release. They basically tell you to fuck off, instead of giving you an interim release as time goes by. If we had a Slackware 15.00001 in 2024 or 2025, featuring newer Python3 and GLIBC versions, that wouldn't have been so bad, but you're just going to have to deal with a broken system as the "official" release, or risk it and go to Current, where you'll get KDE and PipeWire shoved up your ass.
I don't doubt that Slackware was important in the '90s, but users moved on from it when they saw how much better APT, Pacman, or even Portage were for package management, whereas Slackware barely ever had one to begin with. It's a "boomer" distro in which they are clueless and trying to jump on trends to stay "cool" with the kids, but it isn't working.
If you must use Linux, just stick with Debian/Devuan, Arch/Artix, or Gentoo. Let Slackware rot.
Slackware 15.0 came out in 2022, and it's still the "latest" stable release. A lot of stuff coming out today simply won't run on it because of GLIBC version conflicts. Hell, even Python3.9 has been EOL and you should now try to at least get on Python3.11 at minimum. The fact the yt-dlp-bin SlackBuild is using the yt-dlp_linux to dodge the Python problem is telling that this distro is simply for those who like to scratch their own itch. Current is a terrible idea unless you are a software developer willing to help Volkerding test out new builds (they just pushed 1927 upgrades/additions the other day!).
But besides all that, why even use Slackware of its (infinitely inferior) derivatives like Salix or Slackel? Slapt-get is pure crap and only has a fraction of the features that APT has. Slapt-src is even worse because sometimes dependencies aren't resolvable, even if you combed through the repositories for whatever sounded familiar. Slackware is also really bad at handling multiple kernels or making them fully work with a GRUB update. In Debian, you can have multiple kernels that stay out of the way, and all you have to do after installing a new kernel is make sure update-grub ran (which APT will do so for you automatically).
Arch's AUR has infinitely more packages than SBo, and they get updated routinely. Forget about the "insecure" meme, just read the PKGBUILD and don't be a retard when compiling. Has never been an issue for me (I use Artix BTW). Oh, and Pacman absolutely CRUSHES any other package manager, and Slackware doesn't even have one themselves. They have to LARP as another distro's entirely (slapt-get) to justify their existence in today's Linux world. The only "official" forum for Slackware users is LinuxQuestions, which has CF at every opportunity, and their IRC channels are full of snobby pricks that thrive on the smell of their own farts. Gentoo has more users and is more minimal and customizable by far.
Slackware just isn't a realistic choice anymore. It sucks even for being a "security-focused" server. Debian has patches and can stay relevant for years up to a decade to come without jumping between major releases. Even when stuff goes EOL, it will still be supported in some form via ELTS, whereas Slackware will immediately kill off three releases in a row when they do a major point release. They basically tell you to fuck off, instead of giving you an interim release as time goes by. If we had a Slackware 15.00001 in 2024 or 2025, featuring newer Python3 and GLIBC versions, that wouldn't have been so bad, but you're just going to have to deal with a broken system as the "official" release, or risk it and go to Current, where you'll get KDE and PipeWire shoved up your ass.
I don't doubt that Slackware was important in the '90s, but users moved on from it when they saw how much better APT, Pacman, or even Portage were for package management, whereas Slackware barely ever had one to begin with. It's a "boomer" distro in which they are clueless and trying to jump on trends to stay "cool" with the kids, but it isn't working.
If you must use Linux, just stick with Debian/Devuan, Arch/Artix, or Gentoo. Let Slackware rot.