Reader supplied reviews for Slackware Linux
Average rating
9.1 from 141 review(s)
Version: 15.0
Rating: 10
Date: 2026-09-24
Country: Canada
Votes: 9
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I have been using Slackware for over two decades now. Here is my thoughts about it.
Slackware Linux offers a distinctive experience compared with distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, Debian, or Arch Linux. Its main strengths are simplicity, stability, transparency, and user control. It is especially attractive to people who want to understand how their operating system works rather than relying heavily on graphical tools and automatic system management.
One major advantage is Slackware’s simplicity of design. Slackware follows a traditional Unix-like philosophy and tries to avoid unnecessary layers of abstraction. Many system components work in a direct and understandable way, using standard configuration files and conventional Linux tools. This can make the system easier to troubleshoot because fewer distribution-specific mechanisms are involved. Instead of learning many custom tools, administrators can often use familiar shell commands and configuration files.
Slackware is also known for stability. Its developers generally favor carefully tested software and conservative changes instead of constantly introducing the newest features. This can be valuable for servers, workstations, and computers where reliability is more important than having the latest version of every program. A stable system is less likely to change unexpectedly after an update, which can make long-term maintenance more predictable. Slackware’s design emphasizes stability and simplicity as central goals.
Slackware is an excellent distribution for learning Linux in depth. Because many tasks are performed manually, users gain practical experience with the command line, shell scripting, filesystems, permissions, boot processes, networking, services, package construction, and system configuration. This knowledge can transfer well to other Linux and Unix-like systems. A user who learns to solve problems directly in Slackware may develop stronger general administration skills than someone who only uses graphical configuration tools.
Another positive point is flexibility. Slackware does not force one particular desktop workflow. Users can install environments such as KDE or Xfce, use a lightweight window manager, or operate primarily from the command line. The system can therefore be adapted for programming, server administration, technical work, or a minimal personal workstation. It is also possible to compile software from source and choose specific build options, which can be useful when you need customized functionality.
Slackware can also be valuable in server environments. A minimal installation can reduce the number of active services and decrease the amount of software that must be maintained. Its straightforward configuration and conservative approach can make it easier for an experienced administrator to create a predictable system. It can be used for web servers, file servers, development servers, network services, and other specialized roles.
In summary, Slackware’s main advantages are stability, simplicity, transparency, customization, low overhead, strong command-line education, predictable administration, and substantial control over installed software. It is not necessarily the easiest distribution for a complete beginner, but for users who value understanding and control over convenience, Slackware can provide a clean, dependable, and highly educational Linux experience.
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Version: 15.0
Rating: 6
Date: 2026-08-09
Country: United States
Votes: 6
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I used Slackware for more than 25 years on both desktops and servers. I love its simplicity and rock solid stability but two issues have driven me to other operating systems.
First, the release cadence has become too slow. The last stable release was in 2022 and the one before that in 2016. That's OK for running an old server which never changes and needs only patches but it's not suitable for newer hardware or software.
Second, the package management is minimal. Routine updates are more trouble than necessary but work as long as all of the software comes from the official distribution. Anything else falls between a major hassle and impossible. Again this is OK if everything you will ever need is included.
I now use Alpine Linux and FreeBSD for servers. Both are simple and stable. Both have release schedules around 6 months and package managers which allow easier maintenance. Both also have a wider variety of software in their repositories. Finally, both offer seamless integration of the ZFS filesystem. ZFS is native to FreeBSD and Alpine provides compiled modules so ZFS and kernel updates are painless.
My desktops and laptops now run Void Linux. It's also simple, more so due to the rinit init system. With a semi-rolling release it's still plenty stable. I've had only one easily fixable issue in a year, which is not as good as Slackware stable but better than Slackware current. The package manager is great and the repository has plenty of software.
One other minor issue is size. The Slackware package sets aren't very granular so I ended up installing a lot of software I never used. If space is available that doesn't matter but for small boxes or VMs I appreciate FreeBSD, Alpine Linux, and Void Linux for requiring me to install only what I need. For me those use about a quarter of the space Slackware used.
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Version: 15.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2026-06-04
Country: United States
Votes: 0
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Slackware is what made me fall in love with Linux. It uses BSD-style init scripts while keeping the SysVInit PID 1, which makes it much easier to follow and edit the boot process. All you need to control what starts by default is chmod. It tends to rely on you knowing standard commands and common combinations, while making that as easy as possible. For example, listing installed packages and their installation name is done through "ls /var/log/packages", and you're meant to pipe into grep for regex support. It advertises as the most UNIX-like Linux, and it deserves that title.
The base packages on Slackware has a wide selection, with SlackBuilds being able to cover most other software. It would get a 10/10 instead of a 9/10 if it worked a bit better on modern laptops. The packages are often a bit older in order to pick versions that are known to be dependable. However, due to how quickly laptops evolve, and the diversity of hardware in them, sometimes additional effort is needed to get something working. Borrowing a few packages from Current is often enough to get around that, but in rare cases, you'll need to compile something with different flags.
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