Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

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sqlpython
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Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by sqlpython »


Mini Review
Slackel OpenBox Live x86_64 3.1

Home Page: http://www.slackel.gr/ (click British Flag if English Required)
Slackel is a Linux distribution and LiveCD based on Slackware and Salix. It is fully compatible with Slackware and Salix

Hardware
ThinkPad sl410..4gb Ram..Centrino Dual_Core 2.1

I have downloaded and used Slackel Live in the past. Prior LiveCDs did not disappoint.
The OpenBox version does not fail to satisfy the user either. However that is not the whole story.

First item of notice is that the Distro puts you in the Desktop quickly. You don't find yourself drumming your fingers on your desk waiting. Once on the Desktop you find yourself looking at a light pleasent Desktop, Four Desktop Icons, Conky & FBpanel. The Conky has all the the usual statistics. FBpanel has a Menu, Quicklaunch, TaskManager, Desk Switcher and assorted monitors for the Network, Volume, Clipboard, CPU, Trash and Time. The Four Desk Icons are to launch Slackel Online, LiveClone, Persistance, and a HD Installer. All you could expect from a functional LiveCD.
Check out the included ScreenShot below. A picture says a thousand words.

Image

Besides the Desktop items mentioned the Menus are packed with applications. No real need to install a thing for many users. I say "Menus" because you will have the FBpanel Menu and the Desktop OpenBox Menu by a right Mouse Click. In short a Salix User or even a Newbie would be up and running in seconds. I don't have space here to list the apps but a small sampling would be Abiword, GNumeric, SpaceFM, Exaile, Gimp, Claws Mail, Midori Browser, Gslapt, PrintManager. Of course you will see all the usual stuff to Manager Users, System Clock, Services, Languages, Persistance etc etc..

The surprises though are many as there are applications you may not expect to see. Such as Gparted, PDFviewer, Simple Scan, Nitrogen (wallpaper app), Remote Client Desk, Glade, NdisWireless, AND a MultiMedia CODEC installer. I used most of the apps. The Codec Installer was automatic and I was playing YouTube videos in a few moments.

Performance was great. A great LiveCD for Older and Newer Hardware alike. Never faltered nor locked. When you click on a menu you are rewarded instantly with activity. You can see by the SCROT above that you can just pile apps on the Desktop, no issues, Everything just Clicks.

All Pros are there any Cons? Just a few Cons, In My Opinion, and those are trivial. To get my Screenshot I had to open Glapt and install a ScreenShooter. Might be a good additional app. ( I have since learned that Scrot is installed with Slackel OB - See Post Below ) Also you will boot into a Slackel OpenBox Desktop with a Ram Usage of about 250MiB. A bit heavier useage then some competing Openbox Desktops such as CrunchBang, ArchBang or Semplice. Why that is maybe due to more activies going on such as FbPanel Monitor apps and a Busy Conky. Some of the OpenBox Competition will run without a Conky or a One Line Conky plus a light tint2 panel instead of FBpanel. While tint2 is a personal preference which I like for it's elegance and configurability. FBpanel in FBpanel's defense is easier to maintain and has a snappy menu

Well that is all as I had said in the title this is a Mini Review. So, I didn't take the time to Try the Persistence Wizard or the LiveClone nor to install the Slackel OpenBox to a HD or USB.
To sum it up if you try it and don't install Slackel OpenBox then you will for sure keep it as a Rescue OS. Slackel OpenBox is well worth the Download.
Last edited by sqlpython on 18. Jul 2013, 02:00, edited 3 times in total.
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djemos
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by djemos »

Thanks for the Mini Review.
scrot is included for screenshots in the iso.
Right click with mouse on desktop - > Run Program and type

Code: Select all

scrot -d 5 my_screenshot.png
where -d 5 is the delay in secs
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sqlpython
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by sqlpython »

Thanks for the Mini Review.
You are more then Welcomed, Dimitris :)

Thanks for the tip regarding Scrot. I will Edit and Note my oversight in the Mini Review.

Maybe this is a good time to start an Interview :?:

I noted that Slackel OpenBox had been Reviewed on Blogspot Oct. 2012 and Zen Way Mar 2013. People interested visit the Slackel site and find the Review Links on the Left Column Box.
The Linuxed @ Blogspot review was OK but the User seemed to have problems that I did not encounter.
The Zen Way was all Screenshots and no opinion.
Did you see those Reviews as instructive or feature revealing?

Also, I wanted to comment on but was not sure I fully understood the depth of the Slackel Repositories and how they impact the Slackware install. Would you comment?
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djemos
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by djemos »

Maybe this is a good time to start an Interview :?:
Yes. Sure. :)
I noted that Slackel OpenBox had been Reviewed on Blogspot Oct. 2012 and Zen Way Mar 2013. People interested visit the Slackel site and find the Review Links on the Left Column Box.
The Linuxed @ Blogspot review was OK but the User seemed to have problems that I did not encounter.
The Zen Way was all Screenshots and no opinion.
Did you see those Reviews as instructive or feature revealing?
I see them as how users use as how they understand slackel. I don't think that they are instructive or feature revealing because not all who wrote them know slackware or slackel. They just pick up the slackel iso and use it. To write about a distro, any kind of distro, first have to use it for at least days or week, doing everyday work. I for example had a lot of pain using unity on ubuntu because i have used the gnome interface. And i could say, ohh, i don't like it. When i found how to use unity then i could use it as before. Also i don't think slackware or slackel or salix is for absolute newbies coming on linux for the first time. They can use it of cource but also they can have problems not knowing how to do things they have used to do the windows way.
Also, I wanted to comment on but was not sure I fully understood the depth of the Slackel Repositories and how they impact the Slackware install. Would you comment?
I don't think slackel repositories impact the slackware install. Slackel repositories have packages that don't exist on slackware or exist on salix repositories but because slackel is based on current tree of slackware some of salix packages don't work on slackel so a new or recompiled version of them add on slackel repos.
So in any way do not impact slackware install. If someone wrote it ( i don't find it in which review it is) does not know anything about slackel or slackware.
I don't comment on reviews because it is not worth. It is better other users to comment. I respect every comment even it is wrong. Slackel is what it is. I first make slackel or salix kde and salix live editions for me. Because i use both distro's for everyday work. So they are useful to me. If a user wants to use slackel and think it is useful, then he is welcome.
This is how i see it.

About memory.
In livecd need 250MB of RAM with no swap. If you install it then need less.
In my desktop P4, 348MB RAM, if i turn off swap need 250MB of RAM. Having swap on as i use it for everyday work in cold reboot need 91 to 103 MB of RAM. Running libreoffice, midori need no more than 248MB of RAM. Even in this old desktop system is fast. This is the reason i made slackel openbox to use slackware on older pc's with less memory.
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sqlpython
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by sqlpython »

Thank You!
and Good enough.
heh heh Your answers provided more content then my entire Review, much appreciated.

I will be keeping Slackel OpenBox in my Brief Case as a go to LiveCD. I encourage other users to Give it a Spin and perhaps make a rescue USB. The tools are provided by Dimitris.

Thank You, any Distro and supporting Web site is a Big Job. Keep up the excellent work.
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by Elias »

is a good linux distribution, congratulations djemos :D
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by djemos »

Elias wrote:is a good linux distribution, congratulations djemos :D
Thanks Elias. I am glad it is useful.
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Re: Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1

Post by Elias »

djemos wrote:
Elias wrote:is a good linux distribution, congratulations djemos :D
Thanks Elias. I am glad it is useful.
I thank you. you do a great job.
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