From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware


I downloaded the Slackware 15 releases (32 & 64 bit) 3 years ago,
burned both to bootable DVDs, installed the 32 bit version.

Now I'm about to install the 64 bit version.

Slackware Linux CD-ROM Installation HOWTO, v15.0, 2022-02-02
says:

These are the kernels shipped in Slackware:
hugesmp.s
gensmp.s
huge.s
generic.s
speakup.s

but on the DVD, the /kernels/ directory has only

huge.s

Is this the way it's supposed to be? Just an oversight that the list
quoted above from the HOWTO wasn't changed?

The 32 bit DVD includes hugesmp, huge, generic, & generic-smp.
Are any differences between these obsolete with 64 bits?
--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

On Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:06:54 -0300, Mike Spencer wrote:

Slackware Linux CD-ROM Installation HOWTO, v15.0, 2022-02-02 says:

These are the kernels shipped in Slackware:
hugesmp.s gensmp.s huge.s generic.s speakup.s

but on the DVD, the /kernels/ directory has only

huge.s

The speakup.s is no more, it is no longer included in 32-bit or 64-bit Slackware.

All the 64 bit kernels are smp capable as basically all modern CPUs these
days have multiple cores.

Even though not as a choice during the installation process, slackware64
also contains packages with a generic kernel intended to be booted
together with an initrd. I prefer to boot my systems without any initrd,
using the huge kernel myself.

Once you have installed Slackware 15.0 you probably want to apply the
security updates from the /patches directory and those updates includes a newer kernel.

Whenever a kernel package is upgraded in Slackware 15.0, some manual work
is needed to update your bootloader and the complexity of that work
decreases with a huge kernel, one thing less that can go wrong if you
don't need an initrd to boot.

regards Henrik
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware


Henrik Carlqvist <Henrik.Carlqvist@deadspam.com> writes:

On Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:06:54 -0300, Mike Spencer wrote:

Slackware Linux CD-ROM Installation HOWTO, v15.0, 2022-02-02 says:

These are the kernels shipped in Slackware:
hugesmp.s gensmp.s huge.s generic.s speakup.s

but on the DVD, the /kernels/ directory has only

huge.s

The speakup.s is no more, it is no longer included in 32-bit or 64-bit Slackware.

Yes, there was a note to that effect.

All the 64 bit kernels are smp capable as basically all modern CPUs these days have multiple cores.

Even though not as a choice during the installation process, slackware64 also contains packages with a generic kernel intended to be booted
together with an initrd. I prefer to boot my systems without any initrd, using the huge kernel myself.

Once you have installed Slackware 15.0 you probably want to apply the security updates from the /patches directory and those updates includes a newer kernel.

Whenever a kernel package is upgraded in Slackware 15.0, some manual work
is needed to update your bootloader and the complexity of that work decreases with a huge kernel, one thing less that can go wrong if you
don't need an initrd to boot.

So, an oversight, text should have been changed for the 64 bit ISO.

Thanks for the update. Filed for reference.

(Henrik's full text left for the record)
--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

Am 08.06.26 um 07:21 schrieb Henrik Carlqvist:

Whenever a kernel package is upgraded in Slackware 15.0, some manual work
is needed to update your bootloader and the complexity of that work
decreases with a huge kernel, one thing less that can go wrong if you
don't need an initrd to boot.

When using LILO, this is being triggered by slackpkg.
For GRUB, it isn't in 15, but in current.
--
Gru|f
Marco

Spam bitte an abfalleimer2001@stinkedores.dorfdsl.de
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux.slackware

On Mon, 8 Jun 2026 05:21:35 -0000 (UTC), Henrik Carlqvist wrote:

...

Whenever a kernel package is upgraded in Slackware 15.0, some manual
work is needed to update your bootloader and the complexity of that work decreases with a huge kernel, one thing less that can go wrong if you
don't need an initrd to boot.

That sounds reasonable. But I don't do it that way. I run a modified Slackware 15.0 system from a bootable flash drive. I'm not saying that
you should do what I do. It is, after all, a lot of trouble. And for
what? I have a system on bootable flash drive. I can take it with me.
It is (mostly) independent from my hardware. It's fun. Those are my
reasons for using the generic kernel plus an initrd.gz. I also use an
fstab file that references devices by LABEL and a Grub boot loader that
does the same.

And besides the trouble, it is antithetical to the foundations of
Slackware - it is not KISS!

I just wanted to share ;)

-Joe
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