GNOME 2.20.3 for Slackware

Steve writes "Originally based on the Freerock GNOME project, GNOME.SlackBuild (GSB) brings the latest GNOME Desktop, 2.20.3, to Slackware Linux. It provides both a binary distribution and a complete GNOME source build system. The GSB project has been revitalized by a new development team that has, over the past several months of hard work, re-engineered the GSB source build system and brought the project back to the forefront of the GNOME packaging projects for Slackware. This project also supports and provides binary packages for x86_64 ports of Slackware, such as Slamd64. Follow the link for information about the project, screenshots, and downloads."

Re:awesome!

[xenocide2]

But seriously, I'm glad people are finally, actually updating their distros with newer stuff. More people should do that.

Well, uh, Ubuntu's been running 2.20 since October. It's mostly a matter of timing releases; I think Shuttleworth tried to get KDE to make that sort of commitment at the last KDE meeting, but I think proposing it when everyone knew KDE 4 wasn't the sort of thing you can do on a six month schedule was a mistake. Now there's a bit of ill will from the KDE devs about Ubuntu leaning hard to make Ubuntu's job easier.

It's an interesting approach to the end of distro wars, where a set of slowly re-arranging releases on a universal schedule places distro that aren't with the schedule at a huge disadvantage. So far, I don't think anyone's tied their releases to KDE's schedule. Not sure if that invalidates the theory or simply slates KDE for destruction ^_^

Re:thank god for small miracles

[ledow]

./configure
make
sudo make install

What's hard? The fact that you don't have someone who's already done that for you? Then try LinuxPackages.net for just about any Slackware-compiled software you need. The fact that there's no dependency-resolution? Either a) get one of the many programs that does it for you or b) run the program, see what it's missing, download that, install that, rinse and repeat. Incidentally, method B was how I've built dozens, if not hundreds of Slackware installs from scratch and takes up less than about 10% of total build time over the life of the machine - and once you're past the "I've got most things now" barrier, you hardly touch dependant software at all except to update.

I use Slackware for anything from a blackbox router to a full desktop (not just for me, I might add). It's running transparent cache/proxy/filters in a 1000-student school I worked in, it's running a security system including CCTV motion capture, it's running web hosts in dedicated facilities, it's running on several (600Mhz or thereabouts) laptops in a full desktop enviroment with wireless connection.

How long does it take to set any of them up? An hour or two to install Slackware (mostly because of the old hardware), a few minutes on a broadband connection to download the "extras" like codecs, libdvdcss, madwifi etc. for the desktops and it's only the stuff that Slackware isn't "allowed" to bundle anyway. Everything else just compiles. No messing about. So I don't see why the troll is necessary. Things just build when you build them.

The problem was - GNOME was dropped because it was becoming an increasing nightmare to compile and package it for Slackware - not because of a Slackware shortcoming. The beauty of Slackware is that virtually EVERYTHING that the base install includes is patch-free and just original source with a handful of configure parameters to put things in the right place. The kernel is pure, the software is pure, the boot scripts are plain, easy, modular and readable. It's almost an "LFS" install done right. No fancy patches to add third-party functionality and cope with different schemes that break original-author-support (Red Hat's patches to cdrecord and the like spring to mind, although I can't stand the man), patched-to-the-hilt kernels that just cause problems for bug-fixing, etc.

Stop spending your money on companies that try to "recreate" every bit of software only to have it break in the next version and them having to pay people to re-do their work over and over again (because the original authors want nothing to do with those proprietry extensions that add little). Start using a distro that sucks in code from the authors in the way they intended it and makes everything "just work".