Mini Review: Slackel OpenBox LiveCD 3.1
Posted: 17. Jul 2013, 20:37
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.
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.