Slackware 15 Install Questions SOLVED

[Alexzee]

After running Slackware for 9 years I took a break from it and gave Debian 10 and Debian 11 a spin for a few years.

The new documentation for Slackware 15 is very good and I understand it however; I have a few questions about how to handle the bootloader during installation.


I've got Debian 11 installed on my nvme M2 drive. Debian 10 /dev/sda on my 1 TB Seagate drive and Linux Mint 20.3 /dev/sdb on my WD 500 GB drive.

/dev/nvme0n1p1 *     2048 488396799 488394752 232.9G 83 Linux


Disk /dev/sdb: 465.76 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Disk model: WDC WD5000AZLX-0
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x3fc0a6bb

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *         2048 972771327 972769280 463.9G 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2       972771328 976771071   3999744   1.9G 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Disk /dev/sda: 931.51 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors
Disk model: ST31000524NS  
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00046882

Device     Boot Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1  *     2048 976562175 976560128 465.7G 83 Linux

I do not want to install LILO because Grub is already in control of my other 2 Linux installs.

So when the installer prompts me to install LILO and I select "Do Not install LILO" and click ok will the installer finish the rest of the install so I can reboot?

 

[Alexzee]

Pretty sure I found the solution:

howtos:slackware_admin:grub_on_first_install - SlackDocs

docs.slackware.com

 

[Alexzee]

After 4 attempts to install Slackware on my nvme it failed.
3 Times the installer complained that the media was corrupt. The md5sum checked out ok.

At the fourth attempt of trying to install Slackware I went ahead and installed LILO the bootloader that comes with Slackware. It started to boot and than presented Kernel Panic with an unresponsive screen and the keyboard was unresponsive as well.

I later found out from a YouTube video from a man in the UK, in London that Slackware stable does not have nvme support in the kernel. Only Slackware Current does.

Found the instructions to install Grub instead of the LILO bootloader.

howtos:slackware_admin:installing_with_gpt_without_uefi - SlackDocs

docs.slackware.com

****When I have more time I will attempt to install Slackware on my WD HDD and see if it will install with Grub.****

Another problem that I am having with booting the Live Slackware installer on the pendrive is that I can only see 1/2 of the messages so I have to follow this tutorial to install Slackware. I think this is because I'm using my old Vizio 26 inch TV as a monitor. IF any one has any ideas on this please let me know?

How to Install Slackware Linux 15: A Full Step-by-Step Guide

This comprehensive guide will show you how to install Slackware Linux so you can get on your path to becoming a Slackware expert.

linuxiac.com

 

[Alexzee]

The fresh installation today went well considering I could only see/view 1/2 of the screen.

Looking over my shoulder frequently at my laptop while installing Slackware 15 following the tutorial helped.

How to Install Slackware Linux 15: A Full Step-by-Step Guide

This comprehensive guide will show you how to install Slackware Linux so you can get on your path to becoming a Slackware expert.

linuxiac.com

During the install I didn't use fdisk or cfdisk because the Slackware documentation advised to use gdisk to create gpt and partition with a bios boot partition (ef02) in order to install Grub. I did not install LILO the bootloader because I wanted Grub.
I created a 2M bios boot partition, a linux swap 8200 2G and gave the rest of the drive to the 8300 linuxfilesystem/ext4.

As soon as the installation's installer prompted me to reboot I didn't reboot, instead, I dropped to a shell and did the following to install Grub.

chroot /mnt
grub-install --modules=part_gpt /dev/sdb
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
exit
reboot

After editing the /etc/inittab and changing the runlevel from 3 to 4 I'm getting the KDE login in and it just hangs and doesn't take me to the XFCE desktop. I have to hold down CTRL + Alt + F1 to get the commandline shell and login that way as regular user and type starx. I'll have to work on this.
BTW during installation I didn't install the KDE Plasma Desktop only the XFCE The Cholesterol Free Desktop.

I'll post pic's when I have more time.

 

[Alexzee]

Heads Up:

When you run the grub-mkconfig command it doesn't use os-prober so you have to run that cmd anyway when you are given a new kernel in Slackware.
Then if your in a dual or triple boot like I am (Linux Mint 21.1, Debian 10 Mate and Slackware 15) you'll have to boot into one of your other Linux distros and run:

sudo update-grub

Until you do, Slackware will not boot.

 

[Alexzee]

It's been a little over 2 weeks and the fresh installation is running great!
And the new KDE Plasma 5 is really nice and I'm not a fan of KDE, lol!
I'll create another thread of screenshots and show you how to run Slackware when I have more time.

Cheers,
Alex