| Slackware goes 64-bit |
Aug. 31, 2009
 The Slackware team released version 13 of its venerable Linux distribution, now supporting 64-bit computers. Slackware 13 provides "completely reworked" X packages, upgrades to KDE 4.2.4 and Xfce 4.6.1 desktops, a new .txz package format, and support for Ext4 and the GRUB bootloader, says the project.
Touted as focusing on ease of use and stability as top priorities, Slackware is also known as "the oldest surviving Linux distro," predating even the first desktop version of Red Hat Linux. Over the years, it has spawned a number of other distributions, including Minislack and GoblinX. The last major upgrade version 12, arrived in July, 2007.
The new version jumps on the 64-bit bandwagon with native support for the 64-bit x86_64 architecture. It also adopts the 2.6.29.6 kernel, bringing journaling filesystems, SCSI and ATA RAID volume support, SATA support, Software RAID, LVM (Logical Volume Manager), GRUB, Ext4, and encrypted filesystems support to the distro. The new kernel also supports X DRI (Direct Rendering Interface) for hardware-based 3D graphics acceleration, says the Slackware project.
New Slackware 13 features include:- 2.6.29.6 kernel
- Optional kernel patched with "Speakup" to support speech synthesizers for the visually impaired
- 64-bit x86_64 architecture support
- System binaries linked with GNU C Library 2.9
- X11, based on the X.Org's modular X Window System, enhanced so that "configuration file for X is no longer needed in most cases"
- Installs gcc-4.3.3 as the default C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran-77/95, and Ada 95 compiler
- Support OpenSSL, OpenSSH, OpenVPN, and GnuPG encrypted network connections
- Apache (httpd) 2.2.13 with Dynamic Shared Object (DSO), SSL, and PHP 5.2.10
- PCMCIA, CardBus, USB, IEE1394 (FireWire, and ACPI support
- Udev dynamic device management system for locating and configuring most hardware automatically
- New development tools, including Perl 5.10.0, Python 2.6.2, Ruby 1.8.7-p174, Subversion 1.6.4, git-1.6.4, mercurial-1.2.1, and Qt Designer
- Updated Slackware package management tools with package tracking, plus new .txz package format for better compression
- Updated web browsers, including KDE's Konqueror 4.2.4, SeaMonkey 1.1.17 (replacing Mozilla Suite), and Firefox 3.5.2
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 email "with advanced junk mail filtering"
- Complete KDE 4.2.4 desktop, including KOffice, networking tools, KDevelop, and multimedia tools like Amarok and K3B
- Lightweight Xfce 4.6.1 alternate desktop
- GTK+ based applications including pidgin-2.5.9, gimp-2.6.6, gkrellm-2.3.2, gxine-0.5.903, xchat-2.8.6, xsane-0.996, and pan-0.133
- Software repository, including Java 2 SDK Standard Edition, MPlayer browser plugin, and alternate Intel video drivers for X
The Slackware project also makes note of "a new official port for the ARM architecture," called ARMedslack. The separate ARMedslack project, which was launched back in 2002, released a Slackware version 12.2 for ARM in July. Its distribution supports native installation using the regular Slackware installer on the ARM Versatile board (via the QEMU emulator), as well as Marvell's SheevaPlug Plug Computer.
Availability
The open source Slackware 13 is available for free download now. The six-CD set for 32-bit x86 computers, and a dual-sided DVD with both the 32-bit and 64-bit x86_64 releases, are available at extra cost. More information may be found here.
-- Eric Brown
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