Slackware 15.0 installed using a Slint installer

[DidierSpaier]

An ISO image allowing to install Slackware64-15.0 using an installer almost identical to the Slint one, so translations will benefit users of both distributions here: https://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/sl....0/slintslack/

But there are additional benefits for Slackware users, as stated in this README quoted below:

Code: Select all

The ISO image in this directory:
https://slackware.uk/slint/x86_64/slint-15.0/slintslack/
allows to install a slightly customized and pre-configured Slackware64-15.0.

The installer is nearly identical to the one used to install as Slint64-15.0
system, as described in:
https://slint.fr/en/HandBook.html#_install_slint
Only the set of packages installed differ.

The initial aim is to allow proceeding to installation of Slackware in the same
languages as Slint. At time of writing:
English (USA)
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Italian
Portuguese (Portugal)
Russian
Swedish

So the work of Slint translators will also benefit to Slackware users and also
encourage more translators to contribute knowing that, somehow answering this
this forum message:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/volunteers-to-internationalize-slackware-4175750863/#post6572775

To avoid the hassle of maintaining two installers in parallel, I chose to just
just use the Slint installer with as few modifications as possible.

As a consequence, in addition to be internationalized, the installer as for
Slint:
- Is accessible to blind users with a braille refreshable Braille device or
  the espeakup screen reader (using a software or hardware synthesizer)
- Gives the choice between manual or automatic partitioning.
- Allows to set a zstd compressed BTRFS system with subvolumes for / and /home
  in the same partition. Then the installed system needs only 8.7G of space on
  disk. Btrfs is mandatory in case of automatic partitioning. In case of manual
  partitioning xfs and ext4 can also be chosen.
- Can encrypt the root partition without resorting to LVM.
- Allows to install in a removable drive, like an USB stick.

Also, the installed system is also accessible with speech and braille on the
console (but not in graphical environments as that would have needed too many
modifications of Slackware).

Only these packages are added to a genuine full Slackware installation:
brltty
dracut
espeakup
liblouis
salixtools
slint-scripts

This installer is not endorsed by Slackware.

Use at your own risks.

Have fun!

[gapan]

Nice! Great idea Didier!

[DidierSpaier]

Thanks for your kind words George.

However this post in LQ triggered zero answer Maybe I should have posted this in a new thread but I'm afraid this would trigger mostly negative reactions.

On the other hand we could do something similar for Salix, with the advantage of an easier integration as we use the same tools e.g. salixtools and slapt-get. Then the few added packages could be included in salix repos, as maybe the kernel and grub packages shipped in Slint. Caveat: there would be few benefits wrt internationalization as the Salix installer is already translated in more languages than then Slint installer.

For the sets of packages we could provide all the ones in the Salix ISO (i.e. only a complete XFCE installation) to begin with, at their latest versions in the Salix repos (if an Internet connection is available the Slint installer downloads the latest versions in the repos using slapt-get and install them using spkg, else just install the ones in the ISO).

What do you think?

[gapan]

It is indeed a good idea. However, I'm not sure how what we will do for the next release. I've been playing with the idea of having only a live iso and either using djemos's installer, creating a new one, or trying to adapt one of the existing solutions for Salix (e.g. calamares)