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Linux => Linux Help => Topic started by: hitest on January 25, 2008, 06:35:39 AM



Title: Slackware Linux, tips, tricks
Post by: hitest on January 25, 2008, 06:35:39 AM
In this post I'll list some tips, tricks for my favourite OS, Slackware.  Please feel free to add to this list:-)

1.  Slackware typically defaults to run level three.  If you would like a graphical log-in prompt open up your favourite text editor and edit /etc/inittab

For example you could use nano:  #nano /etc/initab

Change

id:3:initdefault:

To

id:4:initdefault:

2.  If you would like your monitor to be able to go into power save mode then edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Add the following line in your Monitor section.
Option "dpms"

3.  I recommend that if you wish to optimize your Slackware system to run efficiently that you use the JFS (Journaling File System) when you set-up your root partition.  I've found that the JFS uses less system resources particularly on older hardware:-)

4.  Slackware 12 is able to auto-mount devices, media.  If you would like to enable this functionality for your regular user then edit /etc/group
Add your regular user to the following groups:  plugdev, cdrom, audio, video

5.  To set-up sound:

This will be done as root at run level three

#alsaconf

#alsamixer

#alsactl store

6.  To set-up your display settings and configure x windows run this command at run level 3.

#xorgconfig

*Note you can also run xorgsetup which will set-up your monitor automagically, but, I prefer the finer settings of xorgconfig.

7.  To add a user to your slackware system

#adduser

8.  To switch between graphical environments:

If you've done a full install of Slackware, which I highly recommend then you can switch between the various desktop environments (KDE, Flux, Blackbox, etc.) by issuing the following command at the run level three prompt:

#xwmconfig

9.  An excellent resource to use for trouble shooting, gathering information is the Slackware book.

http://www.slackbook.org/ (http://www.slackbook.org/)

10.  Using Slackware you have the luxury of installing software from a number of sources. 

A) You can compile software directly from source code.
B) You can use Slackware build scripts to compile software.  I recommend the following site as a trustworthy repository of build scripts, software:
http://www.slackbuilds.org/ (http://www.slackbuilds.org/)
C) You can also download software directly from the slackware site to update your system.
http://www.slackware.com/ (http://www.slackware.com/)
D)  You can use the src2pkg utility to create slackware packages that can be installed on your system.  This is a nifty utility that you can use to transform source code into .tgz packages.
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/amigolinux/download/src2pkg/ (http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/amigolinux/download/src2pkg/)
E)  A good resource for installing, upgrading packages is the slackbook:
http://www.slackbook.org/html/book.html#PACKAGE-MANAGEMENT (http://www.slackbook.org/html/book.html#PACKAGE-MANAGEMENT)

11.  If you would like a software firewall on your Slackware system you can use this firewall generator for IP tables.
http://www.slackware.com/%7Ealien/efg/ (http://www.slackware.com/%7Ealien/efg/)