Should I go for Dropline or Freerock GNOME? Recommendations?

[Dapper Dan]

I though it was different somehow. Well I already have the dropline iso burned so I'll go ahead an use it then. Thanks for the insight guys, really appreciate it!

Dropline ISO? I'm confused. The way to install Dropline is through an installer which comes as a regular .tgz package. I know there's been talk about a new Dropline distro, (based on Slackware of course) but that's all I know.

[Vergil83]

I though it was different somehow. Well I already have the dropline iso burned so I'll go ahead an use it then. Thanks for the insight guys, really appreciate it!

Dropline ISO? I'm confused. The way to install Dropline is through an installer which comes as a regular .tgz package. I know there's been talk about a new Dropline distro, (based on Slackware of course) but that's all I know.

You can actually download all the programs together as an iso and then install them (you don't actually burn the iso).

[Dapper Dan]

I though it was different somehow. Well I already have the dropline iso burned so I'll go ahead an use it then. Thanks for the insight guys, really appreciate it!

Dropline ISO? I'm confused. The way to install Dropline is through an installer which comes as a regular .tgz package. I know there's been talk about a new Dropline distro, (based on Slackware of course) but that's all I know.

You can actually download all the programs together as an iso and then install them (you don't actually burn the iso).

I didn't know that. Hey, that's pretty cool!

[jens]

As for GNOME on Slack, if you're planning to use http://www.linuxpackages.net/ , also keep this in mind: http://www.linuxpackages.net/more-news.php?newsid=161

For updates, FreeRock uses slapt-get(or simular).So it will update with everything else, no extra tool needed.

[Dapper Dan]

Hi jens,
You think that might create problems with other versions of Gnome? I regularly use packages from Linuxpackages.net and haven't had any problems I could identify as a conflict with Dropline. Or is it that since Linuxpackages has officially 'endorsed' Freerock, future Gnome packages might reflect this and begin to have conflicts with other Gnome versions?

[DrCR]

You can actually download all the programs together as an iso and then install them (you don't actually burn the iso).

How can you install them without burning the iso?

FYI I haven't tried installing it yet. Was going to last night, but after finding out I accidentally burned the SW10.2 isos as data CDs, I desided to do my distro trying a better way a started this thread:
How Do I install a linux distro from a ISOs on my hard drive?
Could you give me insight on this as well? Thanks!

For updates, FreeRock uses slapt-get(or simular).So it will update with everything else, no extra tool needed.

Oh boy, the plot thickens. Sounds like we have three equally good Gnome for Slack projecs going on. Choices, choices. Those are some good questions Dapper Dan. Any idea jens?

Thanks,
DrCR

[Vergil83]

You can actually download all the programs together as an iso and then install them (you don't actually burn the iso).

How can you install them without burning the iso?

FYI I haven't tried installing it yet. Was going to last night, but after finding out I accidentally burned the SW10.2 isos as data CDs, I desided to do my distro trying a better way a started this thread:
How Do I install a linux distro from a ISOs on my hard drive?
Could you give me insight on this as well? Thanks!

I am not sure about installing the entire distro like this, but with dropline you can download it, then just

mkdir /mnt/iso
mount blah.iso /mnt/iso -o loop=/dev/loop0

You just tell the dropline installer program to use /mnt/iso instead of the internet. You can also now just navigate through the iso.

*edit*I don't know why the code font makes it look odd, but between loop and /dev is = not -

[DrCR]

mkdir /mnt/iso
mount blah.iso /mnt/iso -o loop=/dev/loop0

Trying to understand this.
-o is for options? what does the option "loop" do (in this particular example)? Why is it necessary to mount the iso? A man page (link) didn't quite clear this up for me.

Thanks!

[jens]

Hi jens,
You think that might create problems with other versions of Gnome? I regularly use packages from Linuxpackages.net and haven't had any problems I could identify as a conflict with Dropline. Or is it that since Linuxpackages has officially 'endorsed' Freerock, future Gnome packages might reflect this and begin to have conflicts with other Gnome versions?

Well, their have been a few troubling packages in the past (Like the first MPlayer), but they've all been fixed rather fast. Since FreeRock is now their default, I'm not sure if they will keep doing this (All packages will now be build against FreeRock only). Most problems are really for those who don't use any GNOME (Unlike like what some think, having just the base libs is not allways good enough, GNOME comes with a lot more. If you want to use Slack the binary way, you need to keep this in mind).
So can it give you problems with other GNOME distributions?
Yes. But not as many (unless you use LinuxPackages as a repo for updating).

PS: I'm only aware of some FreeRock sound/video problems.
In most cases you should be fine with any GNOME.
Still, unless you do everything from source, FreeRock makes the most sense to me for using binaries. Don't let any of that worry you though, Slack is an excellent source distro as well(IMO even the best one) and most binaries should keep working anyway

[Dapper Dan]

Slack is an excellent source distro as well(IMO even the best one) and most binaries should keep working anyway

At some point in the past, I've managed to break every distro I've tried/used including RedHat, Fedora, Mandrake, Gentoo, SuSE, Debian and Morphix. I've yet to break any Slackware versions I've tried. I'm not sure Slackware CAN be broken...