Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

If you have any suggestions or ideas about improving Salix, here's the place to post them.
User avatar
globetrotterdk
Posts: 435
Joined: 26. Oct 2010, 13:57
Location: Denmark

Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by globetrotterdk »

In my opinion, Salix OS should be sold on it's elegance and KISS philosophy, to Slackware and non-Slackware users. Rather than providing different desktops, I think that Salix could develop a much larger user base if a non-dependency resolution version was created. In my opinion, "for lazy Slackers" is self-depreciating, rather than marketing the Salix advantages.

There are numerous posts on LinuxQuestions.org from users that express a desire for a Slackware without the proverbial "kitchen sink". A non-dependency resolution version would most probably require more resources, but most likely less than providing versions with various WMs as in the past, and would target those Slackware fans that are yearning for more KISS in Slackware, but don't feel the need for dependency resolution.

Anyway, something to think about...
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. - Groucho Marx
Kingpin
Posts: 36
Joined: 12. Aug 2017, 10:48
Contact:

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by Kingpin »

No, I doubt that the "lazy slackers" thing will turn off many people. Most of them simply don't know about Salix, so just post on forums or wherever. I've been mentioning Salix on 8ch for a long time but it's not very big. Also, you can write a good distrowatch review (https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=salix) - I just did it.

But it will never be very popular most likely. I mean, it's targeted for a really specific group. It's Slackware based, and Slack itself is not very popular (rank 31 on distrowatch, outclassed by a bunch of distros I've never heard of). Also, the top 10 distros (by distrowatch rank) have many shiny desktop environments available, like Cinnamon, KDE, Gnome...Salix has just XFCE - which is exactly why I like it, but others have different preferences. Of course, one app per task is very rational, but people don't care about that.

So I guess just mention it on forums and write the distrowatch review...
User avatar
globetrotterdk
Posts: 435
Joined: 26. Oct 2010, 13:57
Location: Denmark

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by globetrotterdk »

Kingpin wrote: 26. Mar 2018, 14:13But it will never be very popular most likely.
You are absolutely correct in that Slackware is not very popular, which I believe has a lot to do with its quirkiness. I can't think of any other distro that packages all DEs and WMs together like Slackware does. I understand the tech-historical reasons for it, but I believe that as GNU/Linux becomes more complex (now with or without systemd, pulseaudio or alsa, etc.), a KISS model is definitely the way forwards for both users and developers.

A Salix OS version with no dependency resolution could be a very interesting alternative for Slackware and other users that prefer to take a more hands on approach, and don't want to have to work through the inter-dependencies between various desktops. Pardon the analogy, but I believe Salix could become the Linux Mint of the Slackware world - eclipsing Slackware itself.
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. - Groucho Marx
DidierSpaier
Posts: 518
Joined: 20. Jun 2016, 20:15

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by DidierSpaier »

globetrotterdk wrote: 26. Mar 2018, 15:06A Salix OS version with no dependency resolution could be a very interesting alternative for Slackware and other users that prefer to take a more hands on approach, and don't want to have to work through the inter-dependencies between various desktops.
That will work, until a user installs a package not included in the distribution, that needs another package also not included, which will fail. Then you will begin to hear people complaining about the lack of automatic dependencies resolution. :mrgreen:

As an aside, the same people who praise the absence of documentation and automatic resolution of dependencies in Slackware feell the need to document them in the READMEs of http://slackbuilds.org, and despise slapt-get but reinvent a tool every now and then to provide the same features.

PS I maintain Slint, that in addition to all WMs and DEs included in Slackware ships LXDE, MATE (with marco), compiz and metacity :D
User avatar
mimosa
Salix Warrior
Posts: 3311
Joined: 25. May 2010, 17:02
Contact:

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by mimosa »

Anyone who wants to wear that hair shirt can just use Slackware. There is nothing "self-deprecating" about the Lazy Slacker handle. The original audience for the distro was people who know what they're doing and would appreciate the convenience. As a side-effect, it works reasonably well for people who don't know what they're doing. There is also a group in the middle - I suspect, the majority of those who use Salix - who would be unlikely to achieve anything nearly as polished on their own.

If you know what you're doing, it would take five minutes to castrate Salix's package management system, but if you know what you're doing, you probably wouldn't want to.
User avatar
gapan
Salix Wizard
Posts: 6236
Joined: 6. Jun 2009, 17:40

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by gapan »

DidierSpaier wrote: 26. Mar 2018, 21:23 As an aside, the same people who praise the absence of documentation and automatic resolution of dependencies in Slackware feell the need to document them in the READMEs of http://slackbuilds.org, and despise slapt-get but reinvent a tool every now and then to provide the same features.
Those are not dependencies, there are no dependencies in Slackware, they are requirements! :P
Image
Image
User avatar
globetrotterdk
Posts: 435
Joined: 26. Oct 2010, 13:57
Location: Denmark

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by globetrotterdk »

Thanks everyone. I think that part of what provoked me is that it seems Salix (Slint and Slackel) seems to be looked down upon in the LQ Slackware group, (i.e. don't come to us if you don't have a full Slackware install or are using Salix etc. or slapt-get, slpkg, etc.). Seen from a KISS perspective, Salix is top dog, at least in my opinion :)
Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. - Groucho Marx
User avatar
Papasot
Donor
Posts: 247
Joined: 3. May 2015, 18:37
Location: Patras, Greece

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by Papasot »

globetrotterdk wrote: 28. Mar 2018, 13:33 it seems Salix (Slint and Slackel) seems to be looked down upon in the LQ Slackware group, (i.e. don't come to us if you don't have a full Slackware install or are using Salix etc. or slapt-get, slpkg, etc.)
Well, that's true. As it is true I personally look down upon them for the the exact same reason. They want me to install everything, and they even consider it a "feature" deserving praises. I am sorry, but installing both wicd and "NetworkManager" (while I will only use the former and I don't need the latter at all), or Lilo AND Grub (while I just use Lilo), or, or, or.... well all that is NOT a "feature". It's plain nonsense (to put it politely). "Slackware" is an old African word meaning "I can't bother with dependency resolution" (so I force users to install everything and I even advertise this as THE strong point of my distro).

In an alternative Universe, where vanilla Slackware would be the only GNU/Linux option without systemd, I would just migrate to FreeBSD for good. In fact, I might even migrate if less important crapware (such that Pulseaudio) would ever become mandatory - but that's another story.
A pleasant detail in this forum: several people pick a picture of their pet as their avatar. Who am I to do otherwise? ;-)
Kingpin
Posts: 36
Joined: 12. Aug 2017, 10:48
Contact:

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by Kingpin »

Hey people, I just wrote an article praising Salix on my website. Check it out! https://digdeeper.neocities.org/ghost/salix.html
User avatar
gapan
Salix Wizard
Posts: 6236
Joined: 6. Jun 2009, 17:40

Re: Marketing and targeting to increase user base.

Post by gapan »

Thanks Kingpin, I enjoyed that read. :)
Image
Image
Post Reply