Slackware Resources/Starting with Slackware - Overclock.net

dangerousHobo · 10-02-07

This is a guide to help you with Slackware and other related issues, along with get started using Slackware.

NOTE: this is a rough layout. I'll be adding and changing things over the next few weeks. So use as your own risk for right now as some parts are a bit incomplete.

Resources

The Slackbook -- A great guide for Slackware or anyone else interested in Linux.
LinuxPackages.net -- A good place to find current Slackware packages.

Crash Course on useful Unix commands

First just a few things you should know:
./ means current directory, so /home/name/music/FooBar is the same as saying /home./name./././music./FooBar

../ means go up one directory
Example:
current directory = /home/name/foo/bar
type command: cd ../
current directory = /home/name/foo

~ means the home for the current user that issued the command
Example:
current directory = /usr/share
type command: cd ~
current directory = /home/name

ls -- view contents in current directory
ls -l -- view contents as a list
ls -a --view all views including hidden

cd -- change directory
cd ../ -- go up one directory

pwd -- print working(current) directory

mv -- move a file (cut and paste)
mv /home/name/file.txt /home/name/destination/file.txt

cp -- copy a file (copy and paste)
cp /home/name/file.txt /home/name/destination/file.txt (now theres a copy of file.txt in both the home folder and in the destination folder)
cp -R /mnt/usb_drive/music /home/name/music (moves all files in /mnt/usb_drive/music and the files that are in sub folders also)

rm -- remove file
rm ./file.txt --removes file.txt in current directory

ifconfig --view network information

cat -- view the contents of a file all in one text dump to the console.

more -- same as 'cat' but can go back and forth through contents

man -- view the manual pages
man more (see how to use the command 'more')

grep -- filter output
ls | grep *.mp3 (view only files that end with a '.mp3' in the current directory)

If you are still unclear on how to use any of the above commands the take a look at the man page for that command to see how to use it. man COMMAND

Install

I'm going to be brief in this section as there are many other guides with picture that walk through the install for Slackware. There also is a section in the Slackbook that covers the install.

Just like the install for any other distribution, burn the ISO image for slackware as a bootable image/disk. Then boot the computer from it. After the BIOS and post message a few lines will scroll across the screen. At the bottom it'll say boot:
If you read the lines that come before that it tells you all the options you have. Either press enter to tell the installer to just use the default kernel, or you can choice one from the list. Just using the default one will work for most people.

After this some more lines will scroll across the screen. Its all pretty basic set up stuff.
It'll then ask you to login, if you read right above that you can see you just need to type root and that will log you in. Now you need to partition the drive if it is not already done. To do this from the command line just type cfdisk
The partitioner is pretty basic, NOTE: make sure you select write before you quit cfdisk or the changes wont be made.

Now after your done with cfdisk and have quit the program you are now ready to start the install. You can just type setup in the command prompt and the installer will start. I know it's not the most eye appealing install, but its pretty straight forward so you shouldn't have much trouble.
If how every you do need help check out the Slackbook.

First Boot

After booting the system for the first it will boot up into run-level 3, so you'll be greeted with a command prompt. Don't worry setting up the system just takes a few commands. Login with the root account, you should already have a password set for the root account if your installing Slackware 12, however; on Slackware 11 it didn't have you set a password for the root account. So if it happens you don't have a password on the root account yet, you can set one by typing passwd

Managing Users in Slackware

Managing users in Slackware is pretty straight forward. There are several scripts you can use to get the job done.

The list includes:

adduser --adds a user account
userdel --deletes a user account
passwd --changes the password of the user running the command
chfn --change user information

Adding a user account for yourself

This is an important step! It is not good practice to use the root account. I can not stress that enough!
To add a user account for yourself just type adduser, then just follow the steps and answer the questions it ask you. Then that it, so easy, so important.

(You'll still need to be root to do most of the following configuration)

Starting a Window Manager

To start a window manager from the command line in Slackware all you have to do is type startx
If you wish to have a different window manager start, then look at the section in this guide titled Configuring default Window Manager.

Configuring default Window Manager

During the install of Slackware you got to choose the WM that you wished for Slackware to use by default. If you try to edit ~/.xinitrc then you'll notice its not as simple as it is some other distributions. Changing the default WM though is easy, just type xwmconfig in the command line, and select the default WM you wish to use.

Setting Slackware to boot into Graphical mode

This step might be easier if your not good with using a text editor from the command line yet.

Graphically:
Open a terminal/console, and first make a backup of the file before we edit it.
So type cp /etc/inittab /root/.inittab.backup
Now we can edit it, type kate /etc/inittab

The file should look like this:

Code:

#
# inittab       This file describes how the INIT process should set up
#               the system in a certain run-level.
#
# Version:      @(#)inittab             2.04    17/05/93        MvS
#                                       2.10    02/10/95        PV
#                                       3.00    02/06/1999      PV
#                                       4.00    04/10/2002      PV
#
# Author:       Miquel van Smoorenburg, <miquels@drinkel.nl.mugnet.org>
# Modified by:  Patrick J. Volkerding, <volkerdi@slackware.com>
#

# These are the default runlevels in Slackware:
#   0 = halt
#   1 = single user mode
#   2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
#   3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel)
#   4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers)
#   5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
#   6 = reboot

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:3:initdefault:

# System initialization (runs when system boots).
si:S:sysinit:/etc/rc.d/rc.S

# Script to run when going single user (runlevel 1).
su:1S:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.K

# Script to run when going multi user.
rc:2345:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.M

# What to do at the "Three Finger Salute".
ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t5 -r now

# Runlevel 0 halts the system.
l0:0:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.0

# Runlevel 6 reboots the system.
l6:6:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.6

# What to do when power fails.
pf::powerfail:/sbin/genpowerfail start

# If power is back, cancel the running shutdown.
pg::powerokwait:/sbin/genpowerfail stop

# These are the standard console login getties in multiuser mode:
c1:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux
c2:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:1235:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

# Local serial lines:
#s1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -L ttyS0 9600 vt100
#s2:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -L ttyS1 9600 vt100

# Dialup lines:
#d1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -mt60 38400,19200,9600,2400,1200 ttyS0 vt100
#d2:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -mt60 38400,19200,9600,2400,1200 ttyS1 vt100

# Runlevel 4 used to be for an X window only system, until we discovered
# that it throws init into a loop that keeps your load avg at least 1 all
# the time. Thus, there is now one getty opened on tty6. Hopefully no one
# will notice. ;^)
# It might not be bad to have one text console anyway, in case something
# happens to X.
x1:4:respawn:/etc/rc.d/rc.4

# End of /etc/inittab

Near the top, under Default runlevel, you'll see I made a 3 bold, you'll want to change that 3 to a 4 to have Slackware boot into a graphical mode.

dangerousHobo · 10-02-07

Reserved for more future info

dangerousHobo · 10-02-07

Reserved for more future info

reset3x · 10-03-07

Thank YOU!!!

Peace!

endo · 10-03-07

wow this looks like fun i may have a new winter project to try.

and as to not running your computer as root, that is very important not to do it. a friend of mine reinstalled gentoo about 10 times in a week because 1 he is stupid and 2 he ran everything as root. but then again if you dont mind doing a re install then that is all you have to do if you mess something up

endo · 10-23-07

bump for people who may have missed this.

		Overclock.net - Overclocking.net > Software, Programming and Coding > Operating Systems > Linux, Unix
Slackware Resources/Starting with Slackware

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)