Slackware 14.0 64bit install - 1

Let's start with whining. Getting Slackware installed took me approximately 15 hours - 90% of that went for preparatory reading. At least 70% of reading was useless waste of time.
That's because Slackware docs and wikis are mostly outdated. There isn't one place with properly updated tutorials. I can't be bothered with analysing why it's like that, but it is bloody frustrating to dig through old (and irrelevant) crap.
So, I will be kind and caring in my attempts to make it easier for you, means, even more verbose in my report than usual.

-- I wrote iso to USB, using plain simple Unetbootin (in windows xp, too). And it worked. Means, with ver 14 it's not really neccessary to play around with mini-images or hybridize your iso before dd.
Though - the start menu was a bit funny: memtest, default, huge.s and speakup.s ... last three did the same thing - booted huge kernel. Why the hell is there something called 'speakup' ...?

-- There isn't anything essentially difficult in Slackwares' install process. It's different, alright, but at the same time logical and it has quite a lot of explanatory text.
If your favourite is not fdisk, it's easier to prepare your partition(s) beforehand.
Combination of usb and full iso means that your source is on HDD. Open the list and and pick your usb (mine was /dev/sdd1). Then pick the folder - it's /slackware64.
Setup need to be started with 'setup'.
Select sets you want installed. I left out only Kde and Kdei (and you still get qt-4 installed, a good thing); pick full install in next menu (less dependency problems afterwards).
Configuring: Lilo - as I have Grub2 as my master-bootloader, then I installed Lilo to root (just for creating editable entry for Grub to find). Then I picked usb mouse; for network hostname=takeyourpick, domain=local, ip=dhcp. Then came startup services (You can later change them with pkgtool > setup > services). Then clock; what WM or DE will be default - I chose Xfce (later changeable with xwmconfig); finish with root passwd and boot with ctrl+alt+del.
I booted, did update-grub.
Now, despite generic kernel being also installed, there isn't any initrd created for it - means, booting generic kernel ends in panic. No worry - boot with huge kernel and continue with install.

-- When landing into login prompt, login as a root and then run 'adduser'. It will create your normal user. Creating new user is quite simple, read and respond. Only thing I changed, was to add 'wheel' group to my user (not sure if this gives something additional, but it made me feel good).
Edit | Good that I did. Wheel can be used for sudoing. See here. |

-- Update system: Open /etc/slackpkg/mirrors file with editor (nano is alright for me), and pick only one mirror and uncomment it. Save.
slackpkg update gpg
slackpkg update
slackpkg upgrade-all
# the last one gives you a list of choices, including minor kernel upgrade (dangerous). I bit the bullet and did them all. And it worked.

-- Then I installed slackpkg+. It's an addon script for slackpkg and gives you multi-mirror capability (ordinary slackpkg knows only slackware repos, nothing else).
Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Whatever I did, I got a reply that I should update before doing it. And update said that there is no packages list available. I removed slackpkg+ through pkgtool and package management worked again. I have no clue...

-- Creating initrd for generic kernel. Run:
/usr/share/mkinitrd/mkinitrd_command_generator.sh -l /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.2.45
This gives you a) a mkinitrd command to run, b) lines to put into /etc/lilo.conf
a) My command was like this (I changed initrd file name to be more specific):
mkinitrd -c -k 3.2.45 -f ext4 -r /dev/sdb4 -m mbcache:jbd2:ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd-generic-3.2.45.gz
b) And my lines for lilo.conf:
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.2.45
initrd = /boot/initrd-generic-3.2.45.gz
root = /dev/sdb4
label = Slackware 14.0 Generic 3.2.45
read-only
# And do not forget to update-grub too. By the way, no need to write 'on /dev/sdbx' into label - Grub2 does that automatically.

-- Multilib thing - to add 32bit app running capability. I didn't do it. With slackpkg+ it would have been easy-peasy. Without - a bit hassle. I do it when I need it.

-- NVIDIA, one might take a look here - if binary solution doesn't work.
Again, there are quite a few different ways of doing it. Confusing. So I decided to start with the simplest - Nvidia binary.
Downloaded it from Nvidias' page, made it executable, ran it (from console, no X running!).
chmod +x NVIDIAxxx.run
sh NVIDIAxxx.run
After a while installer finds nouveau driver, blacklists it and wants to reboot. Do it.
Also - if you didn't already, update your Grub2, and boot to generic kernel.
Run Nvidia installer again. It does its thing and asks to write xconfig. Yes, let it.
Video driver should be installed now, and time to visit desktop.
Got a picture? Good, then you can change default runlevel (3) in /etc/initab to id:4:initdefault, and your next boot should go to default desktop.
Well, I did that after I installed gdm as display manager. It's probably also wise to run 'xwmconfig' as a user - for creating your own .xinitrc file (there was said somewhere that gdm kinda needs it... not sure).
... to be continued in part 2, 'Installing apps'.
I like Slackware a lot.

2. Installation of Mint KDE

Springy action
I booted Linux Mint 12 KDE Live DVD from USB stick (and I can’t be bothered to explain how to convince your BIOS to do that. It depends on your machines' bloody BIOS. Google!).

Boot was successful. The thing looked mighty exciting. Why not - it was My First Real Linux Desktop hanging there, blueishly. I clicked around in Live a bit and then promptly installed (icon for that hangs on desktop).

Install was a breeze (but watch what you are doing!) and took maybe 15-20 minutes.More detailed account of behaviour of Ubuntu installer, see post 'Linux Mint 1.41 Mate x 2'.

Reboot.

And it failed to boot from my lovingly crafted /boot partition. Nothing. Black screen and cursor hanging in left upper corner. No googled-up shortcut brought up any usable CLI.

Second attempt gave exactly the same result.

After some thinking I decided that culprit might be /boot partition. It was then that I came up with aforementioned (previous post) 'second-hdd-trick' and decided to install into MBR. This installation was a success (and, no, I do not know why it hated /boot). Boot-up didn't take long at all (the same, in fact, that my XP takes in the same machine) and I landed onto my fresh KDE desktop.

It was shiny. Wow. Click. Clickety-click...

It had myriad of settings. Wow. ...

It had disgusting crap-cluttered main menu (which is thankfully changeable to 'classic' version) and oh-so-modern-looking panel-launchbar-activities … errr... thingy. KDE whined like a Windows, and it had apply-buttons everywhere (doh!). Whole desktop felt somehow overwhelming. Maybe not a proper choice for a Linux-noob? Or too Windows-like (what for you need another one - which is also a fake?)

But playing with settings was a fun. A lot of fun.

Though, telling from future experience – changing settings is probably not permanent fun. In fact, it might be short-lived one. You find what you like and then that's that. With occasional sophisticated changes – you know, like another wallpaper or some coloring twist.

Fortunately or unfortunately, my new exciting experience lasted a bit less than 24 hours.

Next day, system announced of some new updates, including several xserver files. Xserver, by the way, is the Creator of Colorful Picture and Makes All Windowses Possible. In my deep wisdom I decided that I don't need some of those files … and that 'completely remove' refers to 'remove from update list'.

It's good moment now to invent a new saying: 'A Fool always finds a hole to fall in.' Remember this when you feel like ' I clicked so much that I am Pro for sure and I can click even more'.

My shiny system didn't start again, of course.

But - fuck with it, begone thy evil Bling. Let's replace it with other fiendly Linux!

Back to Winxp, format USB,

TIP: Always use HP USB formatter (usb_format_HPU_v2.2.3.exe is what I have)– or you might have grave troubles with your next installation... like no installation because there is no 'bootable media'.

Unetbootin, write ISO. Change boot order in BIOS, and forward to boot next 'Live' ISO:

- Linux Mint 12 (probably was Cinnamon) – live boot hangs somewhere middle. Start all over.

- CentOs – kernel panic at the beginning of installation. Panic sounds funny but it isn't. Start all over.

- OpenSuse, maybe it was 12.1 – installed OK, then hung on boot. No picture.

This time - NO start all over again.

I certainly wouldn't say that I was all downtrodden and crying uncontrollably. No, rather I was quite angry. Frankly, I was quite perplexed how it's possible to succeed in ONLY ONE OF FOUR installation-attempts.

Fucking hell and damnation. 'They' can't make their bloody software even to be able to boot! After bloody what, 20 years of the most fruitful, free, creative, free again, friendly-community-driven development? You don't say?

But what's amusing – the story doesn't end here at all.

1. Foreplay before install

2012, spring
Being somewhat suspicious in nature and averse to continuous fixing-and-reinstalling, I did some careful reading on topic. And remember, I am a noob, I couldn't make difference between ext4 and ntfs – not that I knew the first one existed.

Linux partitioning:

No simple letters are used for drives (c:, d: and so on). Your hard disk is hd or sd, the first one is sda, then comes sdb. The first partition on first drive is sda1, then comes sda2 … and so on. By the way - on your desktop you do not see those anymore. They will be renamed for your convenience or, as it really is, for a convenience and/or by whim of your distro maker. You can look them up with some disk tool like Gparted.

TIP. Partitions:

a) Wise and old-fashioned operator makes a separate boot partition – and 300 kB is enough,

b) Then root partition, known as /, should be at least 10 GB – despite what you see when googling. I made 7GB partition and was hit by disk-full warning in second day. And without any special efforts. When experimenting and installing, it is very easy to fill up the root.

c) Swap partition, 2 gigas if the computer has less or equal to 2 GB of real memory. If there is more, reduce it to 1 GB and let it be – no need to philosophy if it's really needed in modern times. Some distros wouldn't even install without it.

d) ~home partition, with size according to needs. 10 gigas or more, maybe?

e) As a noob, don't bother to make separate /etc, /bin and whatnot partitions.

Making a bootable USB stick:

For making bootable USB-stick - Unetbootin is your friend. NB! Not every distro likes Unetbootin – some even have warning about it (Mageia comes to mind).

Hybrid iso image is needed, pure CD-one fits for CD only. (Times have moved on (as of 2013), and most of 'easy distro' images are hybrid (and live)).

It's handy to know which type processor you have – not that it's not handy knowledge when using Windows as well. Means, 64bit system can use 32bit operational system and soft, but not the vice versa.

Then there are many more intriquing questions to ask, like: Where to install my bootloader. How to avoid overwriting my dear Windows's MBR. What to do if I did. Whole multiboot epic – with very practical question: should I read tips more than 3 hours, or should I commit before it gets totally confusing.

TIP: What did I do to avoid such a tearful situation (fuck-up of MBR):
Requires two hard disks!

Make room at the beginning of the second (EASUSE Partition Master is OK, and free). 25 Gigas is a good number, and more doesn't hurt. By 'making room' I mean creating unallocated space; resizing your windows partition by amount you need for Linux.

When booting to start Linux installation (boot-ready USB inserted), in BIOS switch your hdd's boot order to this second hdd – it should be next after the 'removable device'=USB, which will be the first, of course. When already installing/partitioning, put your grub (bootloader) into MBR of the second device (which should be labeled as hdb or sdb. Do NOT put it into volume – which is hdb2 or some other number.

If your install is successful, and you reboot your machine – without USB-stick and probably no need to visit BIOS (no stick detected and boot default goes to next device), you will be greeted with bootloader menu – which also contains your windows startup option. Now, in future - if you happen to fuck up your grub conf (not so difficult to do) and your booloader refuses to boot, you can go to BIOS, swap your Windows drive back as a first boot drive – and you can start you old pal Windows and contemplate over the sad fate that have befallen on you... and you still have a working operating system and can google for help.

(General info: Google: 'Linux partitions'. Or look here, the page has also strong, suggestive colors, as a bonus.)

Then I tried to understand what 'distro' means and what desktop environment (DE) means.

I read some reviews and comparisons of distros. And came to somewhat fuzzy and unsure conclusion that good point to start is Ubuntu family... No, not really – it was probably a fluke that I started with Linux Mint. Or that Mint's home page is pleasantly info-rich. I mean it actually contains info, tutorials and has lively forum. As opposed to many pages that seem to be a poetry-like lines of laconic statements of releases. Shit, some of them doesn't have even md5 sum to check... Which is the number that tells you if your downloaded ISO is exactly the same that you started with (no errors).

In Windows command line: md5sum.exe yourISOname.iso. Wait. Number appears. If it's the same as the one you copied from download page for checking, you are golden.

Windows version you have to download. In Linux, md5sum is – it is told – already included in most distros. Usage is the same. But do 'man md5sum' if sillily curious.

Oh, and there are 'live' images' and there are 'normals' for stright installation. The first one boots to live environment so the victim can take a look how the environment will look and work. Live loads all stuff into memory, and does not touch your precious hard drives.

DE – Desktop Environment (overview, and another one): Well, bunch of things that make colorful and usable (in idea at least) desktop for us to play on. There are 4 bigger (more users) ones – Gnome, KDE, XFCE and LXDE. And several lesser ones: newcomers Razor-qt, Cinnamon and Mate, then nerdy boxen (Fluxbox, Openbox), freaky Enlightenment, and almost dead old ones. Google for whole zoo... there was somewhere big sad table of the past and present.

Ah, yes, almost forgot – distros – distributions, really – are all those different names and flavors that inhabit Linux ecosystem. Like Linux Mint, Mageia Linux, Red HatEnterprise Linux, SolusOs, Ubuntu and so on.

There are hundreds of them. Choice and freedom? Yes – but for developers only in many cases. Most of distros are marginal for different reasons – they lack support, documentation, real development... they install and work only occasionally and through huge effort... and bagful of bugs are quaranteed. Not so much choice for a dumbuser who wants just to use operational system. When googling about things-Linux I found several times opinions that Linux is not meant for feebleminded normal users. Fortunately for us morons, there also are distros that have fallen to that shameful 'user' level.
So, installing it will be in next chapter.