Slackware 10 Officially Released

Thu Jun 24 17:25:58 EEST 2004

Slackware 10 is out there, go nuts!

Announcing Slackware Linux 10.0!

The first Slackware release of 2004, Slackware Linux 10.0 continues 
the more than ten-year Slackware tradition of simplicity, stability,
and security.

Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll 
find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: 
GNOME 2.6.1 (including a collection of pre-compiled GNOME 
applications), and KDE 3.2.3, the latest version of the award-winning 
K Desktop Environment.  Slackware uses the 2.4.26 kernel bringing you 
advanced performance features such as the ReiserFS journaling 
filesystem, SCSI and ATA RAID volume support, and kernel support for X 
DRI (the Direct Rendering Interface) that brings high-speed hardware 
accelerated 3D graphics to Linux.  Additional kernels allow installing 
Slackware using any of the journaling filesystems available for Linux, 
including ext3, ReiserFS, IBM's JFS, and SGI's XFS.  For those 
Slackware users who are anxious to try the new 2.6.x kernel series, it 
is fully supported by the system.  A precompiled Linux 2.6.7 kernel, 
modules, and source code are provided (along with complete 
instructions on how to install the new kernel).

>From the beginning, Slackware has offered a stable and secure Linux 
distribution for UNIX veterans as well as an easy-to-use system for 
beginners.  Slackware includes everything you'll need to run a 
powerful server or workstation.  Each Slackware package follows the 
setup and installation instructions from its author(s) as closely as 
possible, offering you the most stable and easily expandable setup.

Here are some of the advanced features of Slackware 10.0:

- Runs the 2.4.26 version of the Linux kernel from ftp.kernel.org.
  Special kernels were prepared to support hardware such as SCSI
  controllers, USB keyboards and mice, parallel-port IDE devices,
  IBM PS/2 machines with the Microchannel bus, and even speech
  synthesizers providing access to Linux for the visually impaired
  community.  The performance of the 2.4.x kernel series along with
  Slackware's track record of careful attention to system security
  make it the perfect choice for running your production servers.

- As an alternate choice, Slackware 10.0 includes Linux 2.6.7
  source, kernel modules, and binary packages, along with a new
  mkinitrd tool and instructions on using it to install the
  new kernel (see /boot/README.initrd).  When running a 2.6
  kernel, Slackware supports udev.  This is a system for
  creating devices in /dev dynamically, greatly reducing device
  clutter and making it easy to see what devices are actually
  present in the system.

- System binaries are linked with the GNU C Library, version 2.3.2.  
  This version of glibc has been patched to improve compatibility
  with existing binaries.

- X11R6.7.0
  This is the current release of the X.Org Foundation's X Window
  System based on XFree86 4.4.0RC2.  The 6.7.0 version is a new
  release that includes additional hardware support, functional 
  enhancements and bug fixes.  Font rendering is improved yet
  again with recent versions of fontconfig and freetype.  Through
  the generosity of Bitstream, Inc., the Vera truetype font family
  is included as well providing pleasing default fonts out of the 
  box.

- Major enhancements to the printing system include new versions
  of CUPS (1.1.20) and LPRng (3.8.27).  The Ghostscript interpreter 
  has been upgraded to ESP Ghostscript version 7.07.1 which offers
  several improvements over the GNU release of Ghostscript, including
  more drivers and better integration with CUPS.  Two IJS servers
  (printer driver suites for Ghostscript) are available in this
  release:  HPIJS, which supports more than 200 HP Inkjet printer 
  models (compared with 60 supported in Slackware 9.1), and 
  Gimp-Print, offering support for hundreds of printers from Canon,
  Lexmark, HP, Epson, and other manufacturers.

- Installs gcc-3.3.4 as the default C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran-77,
  and Ada 95 compiler.  gcc-3.4.0 is available as an alternate choice.

- Support for fully encrypted network connections with OpenSSL,
  OpenSSH, and GnuPG.

- Apache 1.3.31 web server with Dynamic Shared Object (DSO) support,
  SSL, and PHP.

- PCMCIA, CardBus, and APM support for laptops. (pcmcia-cs-3.2.7).
  Slackware also now includes hotplug support.  This locates and
  configures most hardware automatically as it is added (or removed)
  from the system.  It also loads the kernel modules required by
  sound cards and other hardware at boot time.

- New development tools, including Perl 5.8.4, Python 2.3.4, and 
  graphical tools like Qt designer, KDevelop, and Glade.

- Updated versions of the Slackware package management tools make it
  easy to add, remove, upgrade, and make your own Slackware packages.
  Package tracking makes it easy to upgrade from Slackware 9.1 to 
  Slackware 10.0 (see UPGRADE.TXT).  The slackpkg tool in /extra can 
  also help update from an older version of Slackware to a newer one, 
  and keep your Slackware system up to date.  In addition, the new
  slacktrack utility (in extra/) will help you build and maintain 
  your own packages.

- Web browsers galore!  Includes Netscape Communicator version 7.1,
  Konqueror 3.2.3, Mozilla 1.7 (with anti-aliased font support
  and built-in junk email filtering), Epiphany 1.2.6, and Galeon
  1.3.15.

- The complete K Desktop Environment (KDE) version 3.2.3, including
  the KOffice productivity suite, networking tools, GUI development
  with KDevelop, multimedia tools, the Konqueror web browser and
  file manager, dozens of games and utilities, international language 
  support, and more.

- The GNU Network Object Model Environment (GNOME) version 2.6.1
  (this already includes many of the updates for the upcoming 2.6.2 
  release).

- A collection of GTK based applications, including abiword-2.0.6, 
  gaim-0.78, gimp-2.0.2, gkrellm-2.2.1, gxine-0.3.3, and 
  pan-0.14.2.91.

- Large repository of extra software packages compiled and ready to 
  run.  This includes various window managers, support for 3Dfx gaming
  cards, OpenMotif-2.2.2, the K3b CD burning application for KDE, 
  libsafe (advanced buffer overflow protection for additional 
  security), ISDN support, additional 802.11 drivers, and much more 
  (see the /extra directory).

- Many more improved and upgraded packages than we can list here.  For
  a complete list of core packages in Slackware 10.0, see this file:

    ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-10.0/PACKAGES.TXT

- Another Slackware exclusive:  Slackware's ZipSlack installation
  option is the fastest, _easiest_ Linux installation ever.  ZipSlack
  provides a basic text-based Linux system as a 45 megabyte ZIP archive.  
  Simply unzip on any FAT or FAT32 partition, edit your boot partition 
  in the LINUX.BAT batch file, and you can be running Linux in less 
  than five minutes.  The ZipSlack installation includes everything you 
  need to network with Linux (including Ethernet, token ring, and 
  PPP), and extend the system with additional software packages such as 
  X.  A ZipSlack system will even fit on a Zip(TM) disk, so you can 
  carry a personal Linux system with you to run on any PC with a 
  Zip(TM) drive.

Downloading Slackware 10.0:
---------------------------

The full version of Slackware Linux 10.0 is available for download from
the central Slackware FTP site hosted by our friends at www.cwo.com:

   ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-10.0/

The ZipSlack version of Slackware can be downloaded from:

   ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-10.0/zipslack/

If this site is busy, see the list of official mirror sites here:

   http://slackware.com/getslack/

We will be setting up BitTorrent downloads for the official ISO images.
Stay tuned to http://slackware.com for the latest updates.

Purchasing Slackware on CD-ROM:
-------------------------------

Or, purchase the Slackware Linux 10.0 four CD-ROM set directly from
Slackware Linux, and you'll be helping to support the continued
development of Slackware Linux!  :-)

This is the official release of Slackware on CD-ROM, and has many 
enhanced features, including:

 -  Easy bootable CD-ROM installation.  If your machine can boot a 
    CD-ROM, just boot the first disc to begin the installation process.
 -  Fully bootable live rescue CD-ROM -- just boot the second disc and
    run a basic Linux system off the disc, including networking tools.
 -  The ZipSlack edition of Slackware Linux 10.0.
 -  The source code used to build Slackware Linux 10.0.

The price for the Slackware Linux CD-ROM set is $39.95 plus shipping.

Slackware Linux is also available by subscription.  When we release a
new version of Slackware (which is typically once or twice a year) we
ship it to you and bill your credit card $24.95 plus shipping.  Shipping
is $5 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico for First Class.  Overseas is $9
PER ORDER.  There is an additional $3 COD charge (USA Only).  UPS Blue
Label (2nd day) [USA Only] is $10 PER ORDER, UPS Red Label (next day)
[USA Only] is $15 PER ORDER.  

Ordering Information:
---------------------

   You can order online at the Slackware Linux store:
     http://store.slackware.com

   Order inquiries (including questions about becoming a Slackware
   reseller) may be directed to this address:
     info at slackware.com

   Or, send a check or money order to:

     Slackware Linux, Inc.
     1164 Claremont Drive
     Brentwood, CA 94513
     USA

Have fun! :^)

---
Patrick J. Volkerding    <volkerdi at slackware.com>

Visit us on the web at:  http://slackware.com

-- 
 Michael Iatrou
 Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept.
 University of Patras, Greece