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UNIX has always been about many small tools.
Are You saying applying a gui to them is a mistake? Seems like more options to me.
I never once said nor wrote that they were a mistake. Merely that they existed. Please, do not put words into my post that I did not write. :)
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Here we use Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, and SCO for many different reasons.
Each one chooses to put lots of things in different places than the other.
The expectation of a standard in UNIX is naive and LINUX is no different.
Ah, the standard of UNIX. Sadly, far too many distro's have decided to completely redo the file-structure's use. /usr/local/bin is only meant for programs compiled by the user, not for default binaries installed by the OS packaging system. The same applies to many different folders/sections. Fedora/Redhat was merely one example I gave of an Operating System placing things in so many different directories rather than in the common, standard directories that it makes compatability and ease-of-switching-oses a pain. Slackware and a few other operating systems follow the KISS principle, which has proven time and time again how usefull and efficient it is.
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I'm game for some learning...
I don't choose to use either day to day but lets take a look.
I have created a fresh Slack 10 install and a RHEL3 install
May I have some examples to compare?
The example differences would go far beyond chapters and chapters of a book. From the way slackware handles boot-time scripts to the way RedHat obviously leans more towards the additional GUI configuration tools programed soley for RedHat. (Some of which the official Gnome/Kde projects will adapt later on if they see fit). Not really a valid question to ask, really.
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I have been using Linux a long time.
In my experience, Slackware has not been about learning and encouragement but about
elitism and hubris.
Slack, for all of it's many long years of existance (yes, before RH), has always been about "default configurations", "user choice", and KISS. Every distro has elitism and hubris within it and those people should never make up what the OS is truley about.
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To a beginner, difficult forced choices and steep learning curve does not always translate into a quality learning experience.
Forced choice? I'm afraid that is a bit off. Anything that is default in an installation is obviously forced because that's how you chose to install it. The difference is that while Redhat will preconfigure itself for a certain theme and settings based upon what the RedHat group felt woudl be best (theme is only one minor example), slackware gives you the default. Take Gnome for example. Slackware, with Gnome installed, will give you the default Gnome installation and configuration as if you had just compiled it yourself.
This gives new users the capability to learn how to configure the interface and SDK of it from the very core of Gnome. Rather than learning how to configure it the way redhat sets it up, you can learn to configure "gnome". Slackware is hardly a steep learning curve, as it includes a very detailed step by step installation procedure on the CD setup, as well as within the man files. People assume that because it isn't a 100% gui installation that it must be as cryptic as CYRIX or old CMD64 machines, but it simply isn't. KISS, that is what always needs to be kept in mind.
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I have been to alot of LUG meetings and install fests and have never heard Slackware being suggested as a great operating system for users new to LINUX or UNIX.
I've also never heard of people recommending Gentoo as a "distro to learn on" at similar install fests due to it's complex installation nature, yet that's one of the most common recommendation I see between real people because of how much one learns by installing Gentoo.
This isn't really a distro war, but time to face the facts. Each distro OS is meant for different things. RedHat/Fedora for "New to linux but not really here to learn, just to use" and thus easy to configure following "Redhat Standards". Gentoo for "I've got a lot of time on my hands, maybe completely new, but as long as I follow the manual I'll be fine" and thus a steep learning curve but with a guiding light. Slackware for "I want to learn the standards of distrobutions in their origonal, default form." and thus easy to configure, simple a concept to grasp, and well... a common quote to describe slackware users is:
"Ask a slackware user a question and get 3 answers on how to solve the problem multiple ways with similar efficiency."