Download & Installation : GNOME SlackBuild - a GNOME distribution for Slackware Linux

Table of Contents

Quick and Easy Install
Package Management
Configuring Your Package Manager for GSB
GNOME SlackBuild Mirrors
Required Upgrades
Installing GSB
Additional Metapackages
Post-Install Configuration Notes
Uninstalling
Known Issues and Reporting Bugs

Download and Install GNOME SlackBuild

About the GNOME SlackBuild Binary Distribution

This is our binary GNOME distribution for Slackware Linux. It encompasses all needed packages for a fully configurable, customisable and usable GNOME desktop environment for Slackware. If you haven't yet, you should read about the GSB project before installing GSB.

The most current available version of the GSB binary distribution is 2.22.1

NOTE: GNOME SlackBuild GNOME 2.22.1 is designed and built for Slackware 12.1. It will not work on Slackware 12.0 or earlier releases. Please also be aware that running GNOME 2.20 on Slackware 12.1 is not supported.

NOTE: GNOME SlackBuild GNOME 2.20.3 is still available for users of Slackware 12.0. Users will need to point their slapt-get configuration to gsb-2.20 rather than gsb-stable, which now points to the stable version of GSB for Slackware 12.1.

Quick and Easy Install ↑

The quickest and easiest way to install the GSB binary distribution, is via our net-installer. Note that this method of installation will install everything included in the GSB distribution (full installation!).

Slackware 12.1 for x86

lynx --source http://gnomeslackbuild.org/net-install | bash

Slamd64 12.1 for x64

lynx --source http://gnomeslackbuild.org/net-install/64 | bash

For more install options, see the README.

Package Management ↑

The package management tool used by GNOME SlackBuild is slapt-get. Slapt-get tries to emulate Debian's apt-get as closely as possible. It uses native Slackware tools, like installpkg, upgradepkg and removepkg, and supports multiple package sources. It is also capable of caching packages, resuming downloads, checking MD5s, searching packages, and resolving dependencies and conflicts. It is the preferred tool when installing GNOME SlackBuild. If you would like more information on slapt-get please see see Slapt-get's home page. GSlapt is also available, and is a GTK version of slapt-get, which integrates well into the GSB GNOME Desktop, and is the default package management application.

slapt-get requirements: gpgme curl pkgtools

Download slapt-get for Slackware v12.1 from: <http://get.gnomeslackbuild.org/gsb/gsb-2.22/packages/tools/>.

If you are using a 64-bit platform, you can try slapt-get for Slamd64-stable: <http://get.gnomeslackbuild.org/gsb64/gsb64-current/packages/tools/>.

After downloading the slapt-get binary package, you can install it with:

$ installpkg slapt-get-(version).tgz

Configuring Package Manager ↑

Once slapt-get is installed, you will need to modify the /etc/slapt-get/slapt-getrc file to point to local mirrors of both a Slackware 12.1 mirror as well as a GNOME SlackBuild mirror. You can find a local Slackware mirror from the slackware.com mirror list at http://www.slackware.com/getslack/. A full list of available GNOME SlackBuild Mirrors is given in our list of mirrors. You will need to be aware that there is both an i586 (x86) binary version as well as a k8 (x86_64) binary version to choose from. Please make sure to select the mirror that reflects the platform you run on. x86_64 binaries will not run on Slackware.

The slapt-getrc file consists currently of the following keys: SOURCE WORKINGDIR EXCLUDE.

SOURCE

SOURCE must be a path to a valid http or ftp Slackware release directory, or other package source such as linuxpackages.net, or GNOME SlackBuild. All that is required is the PACKAGES.TXT and CHECKSUMS.md5. Multiple sources can be defined. Below is a short example slapt-getrc file. Please note: This is only an example. Make sure to change your SOURCE to point to local mirrors.

WORKINGDIR=/var/slapt-get
EXCLUDE=^kernel-.*,^alsa-.*,^glibc.*,.*-[0-9]+dl$,^devs$,^udev$,aaa_elflibs
SOURCE=ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-12.1/
SOURCE=ftp://anorien.warwick.ac.uk/slamd64/slamd64-12.0/

If you would like to view a fully loaded example, after installing slapt-get, refer to /usr/doc/slapt-get-0.9.12b/example.slapt-getrc.

WORKINGDIR

WORKINGDIR will hold the package data and downloaded packages. This directory will be created automatically as permissions allow. Be sure that the directory resides on a partition with a large amount of free space, because a full GNOME SlackBuild installation can download up to 500MB of packages.

EXCLUDE

EXCLUDE is a comma separated list of packages you want excluded from updating. This can be the package name, or a extended POSIX regex. For example, to exclude Dropline GNOME, use .*-[0-9]dl$. But this is just an example. :^)

Please make sure that if you are running a x86_64 system, that you do not have x86_64 specified in the EXCLUDE section, or no packages will be found when trying to install via the slapt-get application.

GNOME SlackBuild Mirror List ↑

The following is a list of available mirrors from which to download GNOME SlackBuild. NOTE: A stable Slamd64 12.1 has not been released yet. However, we are providing a GSB-2.22-CURRENT for Slamd64-current It will not work on Slamd64 12.0 or earlier releases. Please also be aware that running GNOME 2.20 on Slamd64 12.1 is not supported.

Slackware 12.1
x86_64 Slackware derivatives, like Slamd64

Required Upgrades ↑

After installing and customizing the slapt-getrc configuration file, you need to run slapt-get with the --update option to download the package data available from all the package sources you specified within the slapt-getrc file.

After the package data has been updated, the first step to installing GNOME SlackBuild is to upgrade the required packages. If you do not replace the required packages, GNOME SlackBuild will not run properly.

To get the most out of your GSB GNOME Desktop, it is recommended that you replace a few Slackware packages. You can easily upgrade these packages first by using slapt-get.

$ slapt-get --upgrade

glib2 and libwnck are Slackware packages that must be replaced by the corresponding GNOME SlackBuild versions in order to use GNOME 2.22.1 on Slackware 12.1. Reasons for their replacement are given within brackets.

*Required Slackware Package Replacements for GNOME 2.22.1*

glib2:            ( > 2.15 required by libgnome 2.22, Gvfs 0.2.3, and Nautilus 2.22)
libwnck:          ( > 2.22 required by Metacity 2.22, and GNOME 2.22 at large)

However, while GNOME SlackBuild is designed to replace as few Slackware packages as possible, it is not possible to free ourselves wholly from replacing some packages. There are three packages that are optional and replace official Slackware packages, but their replacement are only necessary for added functionality, or for certain GNOME applications. Their replacement is recommended, but not required if you do not plan to use certain applications, or are dead set against replacing any Slackware provided packages.

*Optional Slackware Package Replacements for GNOME 2.22.1*

mozilla-firefox:  
  This is a shared library version of Mozilla Firefox. You must replace the Slackware Mozilla with 
  the GSB version if you plan to use Epiphany (GNOME Browser), Yelp (GNOME Help System), 
  GNOME Python (for the gtkmozembed widget for some Python applications), DevHelp (Developement
  Documentation Browser), or any Mono applications.

compiz-fusion:    
  Slackware 12.1 comes with Compiz 0.7.4, but GSB's Compiz-fusion is much cooler. Our compiz-fusion 
  package is built with Gtk/GNOME support, and integrates much better into a GNOME environment than
  the Slackware version.  However, our compiz-fusion package does not come with a KDE Window 
  Decorator, so if you plan on using KDE or switching back and forth while using Compiz, it's 
  best to stay with Slackware version. If you are going to use GNOME with Compiz, our package 
  is a much better choice.

libgsf:
  Slackware's libgsf package lacks GNOME support.  You will need to replace this package with the
  GSB version if you plan on using any GNOME Office software, like Gnumeric, Glom, GNOME Database, etc.

Below is a list enumerating the various options you can pass to slapt-get when installing GNOME SlackBuild. For a full list of available options, please consult the slapt-get manual.

--upgrade: Use this to upgrade all of your currently installed packages.
--search: This is used to locate packages of interest by the package name, disk set, or version. This supports POSIX and extended regular expressions.
--install: Used to install a specified package. If the package is already installed it will be upgraded.
--list: This is used to see all the packages available from the package sources you specified inside the slapt-getrc configuration file.
--clean: This is used to remove all downloaded packages from the local cache.
--autoclean: This is used to remove packages from local cache that are no longer available on the package sources specified in the slapt-getrc file.

Downloading and Installing ↑

After replacing the required packages, you are now ready to install GNOME SlackBuild. GNOME SlackBuild provides a number of metapackages in order to ease the installation of huge package lists via slapt-get. The recommended installation method is to first install the basic GSB GNOME Desktop through the gsb-desktop metapackage. It contains all the packages required for a working and useable GNOME Desktop, including Epiphany, Evolution, the GNOME Display Manager (GDM), and Gslapt for package management as well as some basic themes and desktop utilities. From here, additional packages can be added to suit the users needs.

To install your basic GNOME SlackBuild GNOME Desktop, run:

$ slapt-get --install gsb-desktop

This process may take a long time, depending on the speed of your connection. It will first download all the required packages and install them. After installation, it is also strongly recommended that you reboot your system.

As well, it is recommended that you read the Post-Installation and Configuration Notes before installing gsb-desktop. There are a few minor changes users may wish to make in order to get the best possible GSB system running.

Additional Metapackages ↑

There are additional metapackages that easily allow users to extend their GNOME SlackBuild desktop. The following is a list of all possible metapackages available for GNOME SlackBuild, and can easily be installed with slapt in the same fashion as the gsb-desktop package above.

gsb-desktop: This is the basic, yet fully functional GNOME Desktop Environment provided by GSB. It contains all the packages required for a working GNOME Desktop, including Epiphany, Evolution, the GNOME Display Manager (GDM), Gslapt for package management as well as some basic themes and desktop utilities. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-accessibility: This packages all the Accessibility applications and utilities for the GNOME Desktop, such as Orca and GNOME Magnifier. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-administration: This packages all the Administration applications and utilities for the GNOME Desktop, such as Pessulus and Sabayon, Remote Desktop viewing, Backup software, partition editing, and some printer administration software. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-compiz: This package contains the 3D window manager Compiz-Fusion, its configuration utilities, as well as full GNOME integration. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-complete: This package contains the entire GNOME SlackBuild distribution. It contains all the multimedia, development, office, desktop, compiz, library and accessibility packages available from GSB. It is a huge download and a huge install, but some users may find this convenient. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-development: This package contains the a full Development Environment, installing packages like Anjuta, Glade3, and C++ bindings for most GNOME packages. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-mono: This package is a metapackage for a Mono C# use and development tools, including a working Mono C# compiler, GNOME bindings, and a MonoDevelop IDE. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-multimedia: This package contains the a full multimedia suite for GNOME SlackBuild. It includes various music players, like Banshee, Rhythmbox, Totem, as well as MPlayer, and a full assortment of codec libraries. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-office: This package contains the a full GNOME office suite, installing software for all aspects of office manager, like Glom for database and Goffice/Gda for data backend management, Gnumeric for spreadsheets, Abiword for work processing, as well as Dia for a Visio-like charting program. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-ooo: This package is for easy installation of OpenOffice.Org for your GNOME Desktop. Openoffice is linked against Gtk+2 to fit your GNOME Desktop, and comes with a set of menus for better GNOME integration. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.
gsb-themes: This package contains a few extra themes for GNOME SlackBuild, as well as a few of the more popular GTK engines in use by a wide variety of GNOME themes. If you would like to view the complete list of packages contained in this metapackage, please take a look at its slack-required file.

Post Installation and Configure Notes ↑

We have a separate page for some configuration options for GNOME SlackBuild. It is meant to be a small reference page for users new to GNOME, or to GNOME SlackBuild. It highlights some of the most useful configuration settings that many users will want to, and even need to configure, in order to get the most out of their GNOME SlackBuild desktop.

Please make sure to read our Configuration Page in order to properly set up removable USB devices, the GNOME Display Manager, or NetworkManager.

Uninstalling GNOME SlackBuild ↑

In order to uninstall GNOME SlackBuild, you'll first need to remove all GNOME SlackBuild packages, and then re-install any Slackware provided packages that may have been replaced by GSB ones. It is recommended that you drop to runlevel 1 (Single-user mode) while you uninstall. You will need your original Slackware CD in order to re-install some standard Slackware packages, or else a working internet connection if you want to use slapt-get to reinstall these packages. You can remove all GNOME SlackBuild packages by running:

$ removepkg /var/log/packages/*gsb

This will remove all packages that are provided by GNOME SlackBuild. You'll need to comment out the SOURCE for GNOME SlackBuild in your /etc/slapt-get/slapt-getrc file. Then make sure to rerun slapt-get --update. After you have uninstalled GNOME SlackBuild, you'll need to reinstall a few standard Slackware packages by running:

$ slapt-get --install glib2 libwnck

You may also need to reinstall other packages that may have been replaced, such as mozilla-firefox, libgsf, or compiz.

Known Issues and Bugs ↑

GNOME SlackBuild v2.22.1 is considered stable, but with only a few volunteers to help build and test it, we cannot guarantee that it is free from errors. :) If you find any bugs in GNOME SlackBuild, please help us and the GNOME SlackBuild project out by reporting them. You can find a full list of any known issues, or you can report any new issues, by visiting our Development Issues page, or by sending an email to our mailing list. You can find all our contact information on our Mailing Lists page.

GNOME SlackBuild (GSB)

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